Keywords:  grammatical categories, inflection, tense, aspect, Aktionsart, auxiliary constructions

This paper continues the discussion of two papers previously published in this journal (Höskuldur Þráinsson 1999, Jón Axel Harðarson 2000). Referring to definitions and explanations of the concepts aspect and Aktionsart in Jón Axel Harðarson’s paper, it argues that the Icelandic constructions hafa + past part. and vera að + inf. can indeed be used to mark aspectual distinctions (perfective and progressive, respectively), contrary to the claims made by Jón Axel Harðarson in his paper.

But the paper also points out that it is by no means the only role of the construction vera að + inf.to mark this aspectual distinction and it argues that it is not exceptional that auxiliary constructions have multiple roles.