Problems in Mastering English Tense and Aspect and the Role of the Practitioners

Although tense and aspect occupy a major part in the language teaching materials, many EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners continue making mistakes in those areas even when they are in advanced level studies. Tense alone cannot distinguish between expressions, especially when the expressions are in the same tense. Therefore, understanding the aspect is essential in order for the language users to use expressions properly. Traditional EFL grammar books have ignored lexical aspect. As a result, many EFL learners face semantic problems as they attempt to produce the target language. This article examines some problems which may encumber learners’ attempt to master tense and aspect, and emphasizes that language teachers and teaching materials must also focus on the lexical aspect so that learners can be aware of meaning apart from the form and the function of an expression.