A SYSTEMATIC DESIGN OF TIME-ASPECT GRAPHIC SYSTEM FOR VISUALISING ENGLISH TENSES

Abstract

Visual instruments such as graphics may be useful in the learning and teaching process for any language grammar. Time charts or graphics for this purpose have long been commonly used all over the world in the language learning and teaching including English. However, the publications in the form of books and other course material in this ground do not cover all of the English tenses and fail to approach to the matter in a systematic way. This paper proposes a new time-aspect graphic system for English Language tenses, which is complete in the sense that it visualize all of the sixteen tenses in a systematic manner. First, timing elements such as time axis and reference points were designated. Then for representation of aspect of the tenses special conceptual symbols were designed. Finally, graphics (charts or maps) for each of the sixteen tenses was implemented using the time elements and aspect symbols over examplary sentences. Simple sentences using the same main verb write, were chosen for sake of homogeneity and ease of comparison, however the designed system is available to complex sentences. The timing elements and grahical symbols together conform a complete consistent visual representation group addressing English tenses. The designed visual system is expected to be helpful in the education of English Tenses and is readily adaptable to other languages.

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