Questions related to the grammatical aspect that expresses an incomplete action or a state at a specific point in time. For specific tenses, see the tags 'present-progressive', 'present-continuous', 'future-progressive', 'past-continuous' and 'perfect-continuous'.
Questions tagged [progressive-aspect]
201 questions
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"we will discontinue the feature" vs. "we will be discontinuing the feature"
From the Poetry Foundation website's Favorites page:
Due to needed upgrades to our website, we will be discontinuing our Favorites feature and user accounts effective Sunday, March 27, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Why…
CowperKettle
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progressive tense in that sentence
SOURCE
Case in point: Javier Escovedo. Javier Escovedo, who most people know as one of the founding members of The Zeros, The True Believers and one of the pioneers of the ‘70’s West Coast punk movement has been writing, singing, and playing vital,…
Yves Lefol
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present perfect continuous or simple
have you been wearing my sweater? It’s dirty and it smells terrible!
Your hair looks different. have you dyed it?
The first sentence is continuous (have been wearing), the other is simple (have you dyed). Why? Both sentences have evidence of an…
Yves Lefol
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Should I use the progressive aspect or not?
He seldom has fatty food.
He is seldom having fatty food.
Choose the correct alternative out of the above two sentences. Please specify the reason as well. Grammatically, I believe both are correct.
Seema Bhukar
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He was telling a lie. Did he tell many lies?
When you say that the boy was kicking a ball. You mean he kicked the ball again and again. When you say that the bus was stopping. You mean the bus started decreasing the speed to cease to move. Then when you say that he was telling a lie. What do…
Aki
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“To sit waiting” vs. “to be sitting waiting”
I'm sitting waiting for a bus.
I sit waiting for a bus.
There is the situation that I'm sitting on a bench and I'm waiting for a bus in a bus station.
If I want to tell my friend that by a phone. I say "I sit waiting for a bus." It is…
lable
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In 'having trouble -ing', does the 'ing' have progressive meaning?
But it is clear that a number of major public employers are having trouble affording the state’s current pension system. (nytimes.com)
When we have verb-ing form after trouble, does it imply the activity is happening progressively? Or does it…
Listenever
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difference of meaning between progressive and simple
If I say "what are you doing now" it means : "have you something planned now "but if I say " What do we do now" could it mean the same thing or as it is present simple does it mean that we are doing something we do regularly
Yves Lefol
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Will it be acceptable to use continuous here
The wind was blowing and an owl hooted in a tree above me
https://teacherluke.co.uk/2009/11/12/mystery-story-narrative-tenses/
why it is not "an owl was hooting" .Is it because that the wind was blowing lasts more than the owl hooted and will the…
Yves Lefol
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2
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I'm giving up vs. I give up
Are both of the following sentences grammatically correct and, if so, is there any siginificant difference between simple and progressive aspect here?
I give up (on sth. / sb.)
I'm giving up (on sth. / sb.)
ParaDice
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"I'll phone you tonight": why is this not proper?
(1) I phone her tonight. (2) I’m phoning her tonight. (The
Cambridge Grammar of the English Language)
(1) and (2) are all possible expressions: (1) as a schedule or plan, (2) could be used in the same objects of (1), "but this is not limited to…
Listenever
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Have to be doing, am/is/are/was/were to be doing
Can I say ' I am to be doing'?
Similarly, I have to be doing'
Is it possible in any sense?
Can you refer me any book in which you saw this use?
Abu Naim Muhammed Kalil
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You will hear interesting stories, learning about events that were taking place (?) here
I wrote a sentence that was considered awkward by fellow translators, on a couple of counts. I'm singling out one particular construction they found awkward:
During the tour, you will hear interesting stories about the city, learning about…
CowperKettle
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Present progressive with currently
Nothing new to report and currently I only ocassionally get anything new in.
Why it is not present progressive for "get" as it is not a habit? Is it because of currently which means a short period?
Yves Lefol
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Does "Soon people all over America were using Franklin stoves" work in a past-tense context?
The following is a passage from a text book for English learners about the invention of "Franlin stove" by Benjamin Franklin .
Ben made a better fireplace. All the smoke from the new fireplace went up the chimney. All the hot air went into the…
Aki
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