The Difference In Meaning Of 'Present' vs 'Present In Present' Tense

Halliday (1994: 116):

Patterns Of Time In English: Aktionsart

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 216):

The temporal profile, of unbounded/ bounded, is not an independent option available to processes in general. Boundedness is a feature which may accrue to certain classes of process, typically processes of doing: contrast for example unbounded use with bounded use up (use some salt — but don't use it up!). It is on the borderline of lexis and grammar: the verb is extended by up or some other adverb of the locative-directional class (drink up, eat up, load up, pour out, melt down, fly away). The boundedness is not in fact temporally defined; its degree — and often its exact nature — is specific to the kind of process concerned, and may depend on the total figure and on the context; e.g.

But there is a clear proportionality involved, which allows us to treat this as a systemic feature of a significant subset of processes in English.

Four Basic Parameters In The Construal Of Experience As Time

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 214, 215):

In transforming experience of time into meaning, human communities have evolved a number of basic parameters. We can identify four of these that are relevant in the present context:

(1) the temporal staging of a process: it may be beginning, taking place or ending.

(underlying concept: a process occupies a certain measure of time)

(2) the temporal perspective on a process: we may frame it in or out of temporal focus. This takes many different guises in different languages, and even within the same language; such as 

(a) in focus: ongoing, out of focus: terminated; 

(b) in focus: significant in itself, out of focus: significant for what follows; 

(c) in focus: actualised, out of focus: visualised. 

(It is the last of these that is relevant to English.)

(underlying concept: a process relates to the flow of experience as a whole, including other processes)

(3) the temporal profile of a process: it is either unbounded or bounded.

(underlying concept: a process has the potential for being extended in time)

(4) the temporal location of a process: it can be related to 'now' as past, present or future.

(underlying concept: a process takes place within a linear flow or current of time) …

When these parameters are grammaticised, they are referred to respectively as 

(1) phase,

(2) aspect,

(3) aktionsart,

(4) tense.

Patterns Of Time In English: Temporal Profile (Aktionsart)

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 216):

The temporal profile, of unbounded/bounded, is not an independent option available to processes in general. Boundedness is a feature which may accrue to certain classes of process, typically processes of doing: contrast, for example, unbounded use with use up […]. It is on the borderline of lexis and grammar: the verb is extended by up or some other adverb of the locative-directional class (drink up, eat up, load up, pour out, melt down, fly away). The boundedness is not in fact temporally defined; its degree — and often its exact nature — is specific to the kind of process concerned, and may depend on the total figure and on the context; e.g.

pour out the water         ‘until the bowl is empty / until everyone has a drink’
write up the results        ‘in a publishable form’

But there is a clear proportionality involved, which allows us to treat this as a systemic feature of a significant subset of processes in English.

Basic Parameters In Construing Time

Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 214, 215):

In transforming experience of time into meaning, human communities have evolved a number of basic parameters.  We can identify four of these that are relevant in the present context:

(1) the temporal staging of a process: it may be beginning, taking place or ending. underlying concept: a process occupies a certain measure of time … [grammaticised as phase] … 

(2) the temporal perspective on a process: we may frame it in or out of temporal focus. […] underlying concept: a process relates to the flow of experience as a whole, including other processes … [grammaticised as aspect] … 

(3) the temporal profile of a process: it is either unbounded or bounded.  underlying concept:  a process has the potential for being extended in time … [grammaticised as aktionsart] … 

(4) the temporal location of a process: it can be related to 'now' as past, present or future. underlying concept: a process takes place within a linear flow or current of time … [grammaticised as tense] …