1.
Differences Between Tense and Aspect
Tense
Definition: Tense refers to the time at which an action, event, or state takes
place—this could be in the past, present, or future.
Function: It helps position the action or event on a chronological timeline.
Examples in English:
o Past: "She walked." (The action occurred in the past)
o Present: "She walks." (The action happens regularly or now)
o Future: "She will walk." (The action will occur later)
Aspect
Definition: Aspect focuses on the nature or structure of the action itself—
whether it’s ongoing, completed, repeated, or still developing. It describes
how an action unfolds over time.
Types:
1. Simple Aspect – Describes a general fact, habit, or single action
without focusing on duration or completion.
Example: "She walks." (general truth or repeated action)
2. Progressive/Continuous Aspect – Emphasizes that the action is
ongoing at a certain time.
Example: "She is walking." (happening right now)
3. Perfect Aspect – Highlights that the action has been completed before
a certain point in time.
Example: "She has walked." (finished action relevant to the
present)
4. Perfect Progressive Aspect – Describes an action that began in the
past and continues into the present, often with emphasis on duration.
Example: "She has been walking." (ongoing with focus on how
long)
Key Difference
Tense = When an action happens
Aspect = How an action is happening or is perceived (complete, repeated,
ongoing, etc.)
2. Sentence Structure in Arabic and English
English
Basic Sentence Order: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
o Example: "The boy reads a book."
Subject: "The boy"
Verb: "reads"
Object: "a book"
Modifiers: Adjectives come before nouns.
o Example: "The red car."
Tense Markers: Verb tense is indicated through conjugation, auxiliaries (e.g.,
"has," "will"), and word order.
Arabic
Basic Sentence Order: Typically Verb + Subject + Object (VSO), though
Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) is also possible.
ُأ
o Example: " " – "يقر الولُد الكتاَبReads the boy the book"
Modifiers: Adjectives follow nouns and agree with them in gender, number,
and definiteness.
o Example: "( "السيارُة الحمراُءthe red car)
Tense Markers:
َأ
o Past Tense: Verb takes a past form – " ( "قرhe read)
ُأ
o Present Tense: Prefix " "يـis added – " ( "يقرhe reads)
ُأ
o Future Tense: Prefix " "سـor the particle " سوف/ سوف" – "سيقر
( "يقرُأhe will read)
Key Structural Differences
Word Order: English prefers SVO, and Arabic uses both VSO and SVO
depending on context and emphasis.
Adjective Placement: English = before noun; Arabic = after noun, with
grammatical agreement.
Verb Conjugation: Arabic verbs are more heavily inflected to indicate tense,
person, gender, and number than English verbs.
3. Translating Tenses Between English and Arabic
Translating between English and Arabic requires not only an understanding of tense
and aspect but also of sentence structure and cultural-linguistic context. Some tenses
and aspects have no exact equivalent.
Key Challenges
1. Aspectual Gaps: Arabic does not have a specific grammatical form for the
English progressive ("is reading"). Instead, context or time expressions are
used.
o Example: "She is reading" → "( "هي تقرأ اآلنShe reads now)
2. Perfect Tense Translation: Arabic often uses " "قدfollowed by a past-tense
verb to express the English present perfect.
o "She has read" → "هي قد قرأت."
3. Future Tense: Future actions are indicated using the prefix " "سـor the
particle " "سوفbefore the present tense verb.
o "She will read" → " "هي ستقرأor ""هي سوف تقرأ
4. Habitual Actions: Both languages express these with the present tense, but
Arabic relies more on context and repetition indicators.
o "She reads every day." → "هي تقرأ كل يوم."
5. Negation: English uses auxiliaries like "does not," while Arabic uses negative
particles such as " "الor " "ماdepending on tense.
o "She does not read" → "هي ال تقرأ."
Translation Strategy
1. Identify the tense and aspect in the English sentence.
2. Map it to the correct Arabic verb form, using particles like " "قدor " "سوفas
needed.
3. Adjust sentence order to conform with Arabic syntax.
4. Clarify meaning with contextual cues such as time words (e.g., " "اآلنfor
"now").
5. Verify that the translated sentence conveys both the time and the nature of the
action accurately.
Expanded Example Translations
Explanation Arabic English
Simple present tense used for habitual action هي تقرأ. She reads.
Progressive meaning expressed using the word " هي تقرأ
She is reading.
( "اآلنnow) اآلن.
Present perfect rendered using " "قدwith the past هي قد
She has read.
verb قرأت.
Future tense via the prefix ""سـ هي ستقرأ. She will read.
Past continuous expressed with "( "كانتwas) + كانت هي
She was reading.
present verb تقرأ.
Past perfect conveyed with " "قد+ " "كانت+ past هي كانت قد
She had read.
verb قرأت.
Future perfect with "( "ستكونwill be) + " "قد+ ستكون قد
She will have read.
past verb قرأت.
Past habitual action is conveyed using " "كانتand كانت تقرأShe would read
an adverb like ""عادًة عادًة. (habitual)
Tense identifies when something happens (past, present, future).
Aspect shows how the action unfolds over time (ongoing, completed,
repeated).
English and Arabic differ not only in grammar and syntax but also in how
they handle tense and aspect.
Successful translation requires a deep understanding of both systems, careful
attention to verb form, and consideration of word order and context.
Name:Abdulhameed mostafa Abdulhameed Mousa
Assignment number:5
Sub: Translation
Dr: Eman Allam
