Continuous forms. Category of Aspect

In the OE verb system there was no category of Aspect; verbal prefixes were primarily word-building prefixes. The development of Aspect is linked up with the growth of the Continuous forms.

In Early ME ben + Participle 1 appeared in some dialects and in Late ME it extended to other dialectal areas.

In the 15^th -16^th centuries be + Participle 1 was often confused with another construction be + the preposition on + a verbal noun. It happened because by that time the Present Participle and the verbal noun had lost their formal differences: both of them were built with the help of suffix -ing.

Only in the 18^th century the Continuous forms acquired their specific meaning of incomplete concrete process of limited duration. These forms extended to many parts of the verb system, being combined with other forms (Future Continuous, Perfect Continuous). For many hundred years the Continuous forms were not used in the Passive Voice because many scholars were against it. For ex. they thought that the construction - the house is being built –is clumsy and it was better to use another sentence – the house is building.

In spite of all protest the Passive Voice of the Continuous Aspect continued to be used and at last was recognized as correct.