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how is the use of the present simple is classified here?

it's clear that neither "stop" nor "end" are stative, and "this is stopping now" is just ridiculous.

is it used because it describes an occurrence in the near future such as in

"the train leaves in ten minutes"

Nathan Tuggy
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J.Bakk
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2 Answers2

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Let's say a parent walks into a room where two siblings are squabbling and making a din, perhaps throwing things around, and there has been the sound of breaking glass, a window or a mirror or a lamp.

This stops now!

would be a kind of supercharged imperative. The emphatic statement of fact goes beyond must. There is no modal leeway at all.

This is stopping now, do you hear!

would be an ever-so-slightly gentler form of the above. The brakes have been applied forcefully, but the jolt is not as strong.

TimR
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  • i suppose i get it but "stopping" still sounds funky. maybe in the right context – J.Bakk Jan 24 '16 at 12:09
  • It doesn't "sound funky" to me because I've actually heard it many times. It's not a theoretical answer I'm giving here, but an anecdotal attestation. Do you also think is ending sounds funky? And by "sounds" do you mean to your native speaker's ear, or to your sense of logic? Are you a native speaker? – TimR Jan 24 '16 at 12:53
  • no, i'm not a native speaker. "sounds" refers to my sense of logic. mind you i distinct "this is ending/stopping now" from "it is ending/stopping now" while the latter is a mere statement the former is more...purposeful? more inclined towards action and reshaping – J.Bakk Jan 27 '16 at 17:47
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The present tense is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

the tense of a verb that expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking and of what is habitual or characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the past, and that is sometimes used for future events

"This stops/ends now" is related with the bold part above and it has nothing to do with any occurrence in the future especially considering the adverb now in your sentence.

If you rephrase it to "We have to stop/end this now." or "This has to be stopped/finished now", it will be easier to understand its meaning.

The example in your question is a good example of the present tense being used for future events. As you can see in the link, there are not many Engish verbs whose present tense is used to indicate futures, e.g., to begin, leave, start, arrive and finish, etc.