Structure:

Negation of Habitual Aspect:

In order to change habitual aspect sentences in to negative, we connect ن to the beginning of the verb.

Examples:

• دختران فوتبال بازی می کنند “Girls play football.”
• -دختران فوتبال بازی نمی کنند “Girls do not play football.”
• – تو هر روز اتاقت   را تمیز می کنی“You clean your room everyday.
• – تو هر روز اتاقت را تمیز نمی کنی  “You do not to clean your room everyday.”

Uses of Habitual Aspect:

(a) To express routine actions.

Examples:

• -من ساعت ۴ از خواب بیدار می شوم “I get up at 4 o’clock.”
• -من ساعت ۵ چای می نوشم “I drink tea at 5 o’clock.”
• -من ساعت ۸ صبح از خواب بیدار می شوم “I go to school at 8 o’clock.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and past tense.

(b) To express habitual actions.

Examples:

• -صبا کتاب می خواند “Saba reads books.”
• – ماهان گیتار می نوازد “Mahan plays guitar.”
• -نیلوفر می رقصد “Neelufar dances.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and past tense.

(c) To express permanent actions.

Examples:

• – پیتر در میشیگان زندگی می کند“Peter lives in Michigan.”
• -جین اینجا کار می کند “Jen works here.”
• -من به استادم احترام می گذارم “I respect my teacher.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and past tense:

(d) To express general/universal truth.

Examples:

• -زمین دور خورشید می چرخد “The earth revolves around the sun.”
• -معمولا گل رز قرمز است “Usually, roses are red.”
• -در میشیگان برف می بارد “It snows in Michigan.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and past tense.

(e) To narrate a story and to express series of events:

When narrating a story, background information is generally expressed using habitual (imperfective aspect) construction. Whereas, the foreground information is expressed using perfective aspect. Habitual construction (background information) in the story below is highlighted.

Example:

شیری در جنگل زندگی می کرد – در همان جنگل یک موش هم زندگی می کرد – یک روز شیر به موش می گوید من تو را می خورم – موش می گوید مرا نخور – یک روز شکارچی شیر را به دام می اندازد بعد موش تله را گاز می گیرد – اینگونه است که موش به شیر کمک می کند

“A lion lived in a forest. In the same forest, there also lived a rat. One day, the lion says to the rat, “I will eat you.” The rat says, “Please don’t eat me.” One day, a hunter traps the lion in a net. Then, the rat chews the net. This is how the rat frees the lion.”

(f) To express impersonal sentences

Examples:

•  … مردم این را میگویند “People say that…”
• را به فارسی می گی؟ flower چطوری  “How do you say “flower” in Persian?”
• –  چای خوب اینجا موجود است“Good tea is available here.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and past tense.

(g) To express immediate future action by adding adverbs like حالا / الان “right away” and بیا “let’s”.

Examples:

• -من الان/ حالا می آیم “I will come right away.”
• -بیا یک فیلم ببینیم “Let’s watch a film.”
• -گربه نکن , مامان الان بهت غذا میده “Don’t cry, mother will give you food right away.”

Uses of the Past Habitual Tense:

(a) The past habitual tense is generally used to express past habits, routines, and permanent actions.

Examples:

• – من سال گذشته ساعت 10 به مدرسه می رفتم“I used to go to school at 10 o’clock last year.”
• کجای ایران زندگی می کردید؟“Where did you used to live in Iran?”
• – برادرم تا ماه گذشته هر روز با من صحبت می کرد“My brother used to talk to me everyday, until last month.”

Activity:

Please add five more examples here. After writing your examples, please change your sentences to negative and present tense.

Activities:

(a) Please choose the correct form of the habitual aspect marker, based on the subject of the sentence.

(b) Please write your daily routine of this semester/year. After writing your daily routine, compare it with last semester/year. (Hint: Please use present habitual for current daily routine and use past habitual for last semester/year.)

(c) Please ask your friends about their hobbies and enlist them here. (Hint: Use: شما در اوقات فراغتتان چه می کنید؟ “What do you do in your free time?” to ask their hobbies.)

(d) Please watch a short film and write the story in Persian. After writing, please record yourself here and share your story with the instructor/any native speaker for the feedback.

 !سپاس