Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Those who follow the research of the last century concerning verbal aspect, will realize the importance of this topic for the understanding of the input of the author / speaker in the written or spoken word, because verbal aspect gives the specific view of the author / speaker on an action. However, the input of the author is not unqualified, but takes place within certain grammatical and contextual parameters. Within these parameters the author has the freedom to give actions which occur within the written or spoken word, a specific colour. As a result of short definitions of the aspect of the different Greek tenses, I was able to identify six different aspectual uses for both the aorist and the imperfect which agreed with the chosen definitions. The Acts of the Apostles was used to test the tenability of the definitions and the aspectual uses. Only with extensive analysis can the theory be confirmed. Apart from the fact that Acts is an extensive book, it has the additional advantage that the writer regularly alternates between different genres (narrative and speech). In this way the analysis of the theory can be concentrated further by investigating whether aspectual changes occur between the different genres. Analysis of the proposed theory demonstrated firstly that the author does not use the Greek tenses haphazardly, but that he consciously makes use of the aorist and imperfect indicative. The aorist is used especially to represent events or acts in totality and as completed; the imperfect is used to represent events or acts in progress and as processes. The analysis also confirmed that the author applies the aorist and the imperfect in different ways. The identified aspectual uses of both these tenses could be recognized throughout the whole book. Although the author probably did not work with definitions and aspectual uses, he was clearly aware of verbal aspect and the different ways in which an action can be portrayed. The analysis finally demonstrated that a change in genre (from narrative to speech or the other way round) often also effects a change in verbal aspect. In this way the author portrays his specific view on actions within their context. The most frequent aspectual use of the aorist, is the aorist used to portray acts as completed actions in their totality (in both narratives and speeches) and the aorist to portray the key moments of the story (largely in narratives). The most frequent aspectual use of the imperfect, is the imperfect to show actions in progress (often in narratives) and the imperfect to sketch the background (largely in narratives). From the above we can draw the conclusion that the author of Acts uses the aorist and imperfect aspectually, while also considering the alternation between genres. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wie die navorsing van die laaste eeu oor verbale aspek in die Griekse werkwoord nagaan, kry 'n besef van die belang van hierdie onderwerp vir die verstaan van die skrywer / spreker se inset in die geskrewe of gesproke woord. Verbale aspek gee naamlik die spesifieke perspektief van die skrywer / spreker op die handeling weer. Die inset van die skrywer is egter nie ongekwalifiseerd nie, maar vind plaas binne bepaalde grammatikale en kontekstuele merkers. Binne hierdie merkers het die skrywer die vryheid om aan handelinge, wat binne die geskrewe of gesproke woord voorkom, 'n spesifieke kleur te gee. Na aanleiding van kort definisies van die aspek van die verskillende Griekse tydvorme, spesifiek die aoristos en die imperfektum, was ek in staat om ses aspektuele gebruike onder beide die aoristos en die imperfektum te identifiseer wat in ooreenstemming was met die gekose definisies. Handelinge van die Apostels moes dien as toetsingsmateriaal vir die houdbaarheid van die definisies en die aspektuele gebruike. Slegs deur omvangryke analise kan die teorie bevestig word. Behalwe dat Handelinge 'n omvangryke boek is, het dit verder die voordeel dat die skrywer op 'n gereelde basis tussen genres (narratief en redevoering) wissel. Op dié manier kan die analise van die teorie verder toegespits word om te ondersoek of daar aspektuele veranderinge optree tussen die verskillende genres. Die analise van die voorgestelde teorie het eerstens aangetoon dat die skrywer nie slegs lukraak van Griekse tydvorme gebruik maak nie, maar bewustelik met onderskeidelik die aoristos en die imperfektum indikatief omgaan. Die aoristos word veral gebruik om gebeure of handelinge in totaliteit weer te gee en as voltooid voor te stel; die imperfektum word gebruik om gebeure of handelinge in hul voortgang weer te gee en as proses voor te stel. Die analise het tweedens bevestig dat die skrywer beide die aoristos en die imperfektum aspektueel verskillend aanwend. Die geïdentifiseerde aspektuele gebruike van beide hierdie tydvorme kon deur die hele boek herken word. Alhoewel die skrywer waarskynlik nie met definisies en aspektuele gebruike gewerk het nie, was hy duidelik bewus van verbale aspek en die verskillende maniere waarop 'n handeling weergegee kan word. Die analise het derdens getoon dat 'n verandering van genre (van narratief na redevoering of andersom) meestalook 'n verandering van verbale aspek te weeg bring. Op hierdie manier gee die skrywer dus sy spesifieke perspektief op handelinge binne hul konteks weer. Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die aoristos is die aoristos om handelinge as voltooide aksies in hulle totaliteit weer te gee (verdeel tussen narratiewe en redevoerings) en die aoristos om die hoofmomente van die verhaal weer te gee (grotendeels in narratiewe). Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die imperfektum is die imperfektum om voortgaande aksies aan te toon (dikwels in narratiewe) en die imperfektum om agtergrond te skilder (grotendeels in narratiewe). Ons kan dus die gevolgtrekking maak dat die skrywer van Handelinge die aoristos en imperfektum aspektueel aanwend, en daarbyook afwisseling tussen verskillende genres in ag neem.