本书是第一部将体范畴作为普通语言学现象进行研究的专著。主要讨论了体与时态的关系，体的形态表现和语义内容，以及结构主义和哲学的研究方法。其中所引述的证据主要来自英语、斯拉夫语和罗曼诸语，另外还有汉语、阿拉伯语、威尔士语、希腊语等等，显不了其探索语言的普遍性的雄心。

Preface vii abreviations ix
Introduction
0.1 Definition of aspect
0.2 Meaning and form
0.3 Terminlolgy
0.4 Structure of the book
0.5 General reading
1 perfective and imperfective
1.1 Perfective
1.1.1 Defintion of perfectivity
1.1.2 perfectivity and other aspectual values
1.2 Imperfective
1.2.1 Habitual
1.2.1.1 Habitual and other aspectual values
1.2.2 Progressive
2 Aspect and inherent meaning
2.1 Punctual and durative
2.2 Telic and atelic
2.3 State and dynamic situation
3 Perfect
3.1 Types of perfect
3.1.1 Perfect of result
3.1.2 Experiential perfect
3.1.3 Perfect of persistent situation
3.1.4 Perfect of recent past
3.2 Perfect and other aspccts
3.3 Prospective aspect
4 Aspect and tense
4.1 Perfextive ,Present,and future
4.2 Aspectual distinctions restricted to certain tenses
……
5 Formal expression of aspectual oppositions
6 Markedness
Appendix A Language guide
Appendix B Recent approaches to aspect
References
Index