THE ASPECT HYPOTHESIS REVISITED - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF TENSE AND ASPECT MARKING IN INTERLANGUAGE

This paper examines the aspect hypothesis, which asserts that verb inf lections in early interlanguage systems function primarily as markers of lexical aspect independent of the target language. It clarifies how developing inflections, particularly tense markers, align with aspect categories and how this association varies across proficiency level. The study analyzed English interviews with twenty-six Puerto Rican col lege students grouped into four proficiency levels. Nine operational t ests were applied to 3,649 predicates to assess three dimensions of le xical aspect, which interact to form six aspectual categories. Chi-squ are tests indicate significant interdependence of morphology and aspec t at each proficiency level; Ss link -s with states, -ing with activit ies, and PAST with punctual events, the latter spreading to all punctu al or telic predicates among the highest-level learners. The associati on of inflections with tense increases with proficiency level; lower-l evel Ss associate -s and PAST primarily with lexical aspect, higher-le vel Ss primarily with tense.