Which term refers to events 'in progress', which can be temporary, incomplete, or of limited duration?

• A. progressive aspect
• B. extrinsic modality
• C. hedging
• D. notional syllabus

Answer: (A)

Events that are in progress are described by the progressive aspect, which marks ongoing, temporary, or in‑progress duration. It’s built with a form of “be” plus the -ing form of the main verb, signaling that the action is happening over a period of time rather than being completed. For example, “They are studying for the exam” shows the studying occurring now and possibly only for a while. In past contexts, “was reading” indicates an ongoing action in the past, and in future contexts, “will be arriving” points to an event in progress later. The other terms don’t express ongoing duration: extrinsic modality deals with necessity or possibility, hedging is about softening statements, and notional syllabus is a curricular concept. So the term for events in progress is the progressive aspect.