ABSTRACT

TENSE AND ASPECT IN OGBUNIKE IGBO

Igbo language is made up of so many dialects that comprise the Igbo

speaking areas of the country and is marked by certain tense and aspect

just as in every other language of the world, which are used to indicate the

time of events/ actions as well as the duration, inception , continuity and

completion of such events/ action ie (Aspect). These dialects that make up

the Igbo language have their own tense and aspect peculiar to themselves

or are related in one way or the other. In this piece of work, the writer

wishes to investigate and to expose tense and aspect as found in Ogbunike

dialect as one of the Igbo speaking communities ie if there is any tensemarker and how they are realized. Also to portray how these tense and

aspect relates with the standard Igbo, if there is any similarities or

differences found within. 

7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The page - - - - - - - - i

Approval page - - - - - - - - ii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - iii

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - iv

Abstract - - - - - - - - - v

Table of Contents - - - - - - - - vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction - - - - - - - - 1

1.1 Background of Study - - - - - - - 2

1.2 Statement of Problem - - - - - - 3

1.3 Purpose of Study - - - - - - - 4

1.4 Significance of the Study - - - - - - 4

1.5 Research Question - - - - - - - 4

1.6 Scope /Limitation of Study - - - - - - 5

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review - - - - - - - 6

2.1 Theoretical Studies - - - - - - - 6

2.1.1 Tense - - - - - - - - - 7

2.1.2 Aspect - - - - - - - - 9

2.2 Empirical Studies - - - - - - - 11

2.2.1 Igbo Bilingual Grammar Books - - - - - 11

8

2.2.2 Igbo Monolingual Grammar Books - - - - 20

2.2.3 Comparative Analysis of Both - - - - - 34

2.3 Summary - - - - - - - - 39

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Tense in Ogbunike - - - - - - - 40

3.1 Future Tense - - - - - - - - 40

3.2 Past Tense - - - - - - - - 43

3.3 Unfulfilled Tense - - - - - - - 46

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Aspect in Ogbunike - - - - - - - 50

4.1 Progressive Aspect - - - - - - - 50

4.2 perfective Aspect - - - - - - - 53

4.3 Stative Aspect - - - - - - - - 56

4.4 Habitual Aspect - - - - - - - 58

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Summary, Findings and conclusions - - - - 61

5.1Summary - - - - - - - - 61

5.2 Findings- - - - - - - - - 61

5.3 Conclusions - - - - - - - - 64

 References - - - - - - - - 65