Techniques of teaching the English finite verb to speakers of other languages must account for meaning that is signalled by the structure alone and meaning derived from the context. Accordingly, this study attempts to distinguish the semantic components of the finite verb structure. The structure is viewed as being always composed of the following elements of meaning: (1) the lexical meaning of the verb base, and (2) the semantic component from each of five binary oppositions, that is, the presence or absence of a given modifier. The opposition "be-ing" and the absence of "be-ing" (BE-ING--- O sub 1) carries aspectual meaning. BE-ING is a grammatical device to make all verbs dynamic. The absence of BE-ING, (O sub 1), presents the event synoptically; it marks only the existence of the referent. The O sub 1 is a grammatical device to make all verbs static. Interpretations such as limited, relative duration, repetition, instantaneousness, or general truth can be arrived at through many possible considerations, such as logical meaning of BE-ING or O sub 1, context, co-text, the lexical meaning of the verb-base, and the speaker's factual knowledge. (Author/AMH)