A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978
Chapter 5 - The progressive verb phrase
Sound symbols
The progressive verb phrase is formed by the use of a form of be and the ing-form of the verb. It appears in sentences like these.
He is working now.
Is he working this afternoon?
I’m not working.
Aren’t you working?
Were working hard.
They were working.
Were you working when I called?
I wasn’t working.
Meaning of the progressive phrase. The progressive verb phrase, except in those verbs that are incompatible with it, means that the action or situation expressed by the verb is in progress at the moment under consideration (present or past) or is characteristic of the period being considered, in contrast to an earlier time when it was not, a future time when it will not be, or both. In other words, the truth value of the assertion is greatest at the moment of consideration (now or then) and this truth value diminishes in time as we move away from that moment. It might be represented graphically thus:
1 For much of the analysis of verbs and their grammar presented in this book, the authors are indebted to Professor Martin Joos’s excellent book The English Verb, (Madison, Wise.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964).
There is no absolute amount of time involved here, of course; it may be long or short, according to -the context. Study these examples.
I’m studying now. (I began a little while ago and will finish soon.)
The trains are running on time now. (Five years ago, the last time you were in this country, the trains were usually late; now this is no longer true.)
My son is playing football this fall. (He did not play in the summer, and will not play during the winter, but during this period, football is one of his activities.)
In the case of verbs like hit, kill, stop, which name momentary actions, the progressive indicates that the action is occurring repeatedly or that there is a progression in which the event has almost occurred, very nearly occurred, and, finally, actually occurred.
The big boy is hitting the little one. (Repeatedly.)
The disease is killing him. (By degrees.)
The bus is stopping now. (Gradually slowing down, but not yet at a complete stop.)
These verbs can also be used, like other verbs in the progressive, to state what is characteristic of a period, in contrast to earlier and later periods.
I’m hitting the target more often now than formerly.
In the past tense, the meaning is moved to some moment in the past that is the center of attention.
At 8 o’clock last evening, I was studying.
I was listening to the radio when you called.
I was taking piano lessons that spring, and so was busier than usual.
Contrast of simple present or past tense and the progressive. As we have seen, the present tense states what is true in a timeless way, or what is characteristic without limitation as to time. (There may be a limitation, but this tense does not state it.)
I read a great many books in connection with my work. Martha is reading now.
I write a letter to my parents every week.
Henry is writing a novel this winter.
It rained a lot last summer. It was raining when we left.
Progressive with future meaning. The progressive is often used to express an action that is expected or scheduled to happen in the future, but this meaning is not possible with status verbs (see below).
We are moving into our new house next week.
My daughter is graduating from college next June. (The speaker regards the event as certain.)
Idiomatic use of the progressive with ALWAYS. Ordinarily, always requires the simple present tense. However, there is a special idiomatic use of the progressive with always (and sometimes forever, all the time, and other synonyms) to indicate that something happens frequently, to the annoyance (real or ironic) of the speaker. This usage is rather informal.
That dog is always digging holes in my yard. She’s forever complaining about something. My mother is always buying presents for the children.
Verbs that are not used in the progressive: status verbs. There is a very important set of verbs in English, most of them of common occurrence, that are not used at all in the progressive in their usual meanings, even to express the kind of contemporary reality discussed in this section.
These verbs are of two kinds:
1) those having to do with involuntary subjective experiences, including sensory perception, judgments, conclusions, emotional states, and the like;
2) those expressing conditions, or relationships between two or more objects.
In this book, we will call them status verbs, in contrast to process verbs, which names the other category.
Verbs of perception and judgment. Here is a list of status verbs reporting sensory perception, judgment, etc.
(Also their opposites and learned synonyms: dislike, misunderstand, perceive, comprehend, etc.)
It may be argued that making a judgment is not always an involuntary act, but English grammar treats it as though it were. I see and I judge are the same kind of verb in English. It is as though judgment is forced upon the subject, just as light rays on his sensitive nervous system force vision.
Some of the sensory verbs are closely related to other verbs that name voluntary actions of a similar nature. Study these pairs.
I see the flowers. (If I look in their direction, I see them, whether I choose to or not.)
I am looking at the flowers. (I turn my head deliberately toward them and give myself the opportunity of seeing them.)
I hear the music. (The sounds reach my ears, and I hear them, but not because I choose to.)
I am listening to the music. (I deliberately give the music my attention.)
It quite often happens that a verb has several meanings, only one of which makes it a status verb and therefore incompatible with the progressive.
I think that this is a good book. (This is my judgment; a status verb with this meaning.)
I am thinking about that book. (I am directing my thoughts, deliberately, to that book.)
I consider this his best work. (A judgment.)
I am considering buying one of his pictures. (I am in the process of making a decision.)
The sensory verbs are often used in the progressive, but when this happens, their meaning is changed so that it names some deliberate act.
I am seeing my father next week. (Visiting him.)
The judge is hearing a case. (Officially, in court.)
I’m feeling my way. (Groping in the dark.)
She’s tasting the soup. (Putting some of it in her mouth to test it.)
An important set of words that express sensory perception in an oblique way and hence belong to this category are seem, appear, look like. They report subjective experiences, just like see, hear, etc., and are therefore status verbs.
That seems quite unlikely to me.
She appears to be a nice person.
His proposal sounds interesting.
A few sensory verbs can be used either in the progressive or in the simple present tense, with little difference in meaning.
I feel fine this morning.
I’m feeling fine this morning.
She looks beautiful today.
She’s looking beautiful today.
Verbs of condition and relationship. Verbs that express a condition of their subject, or which express relationships between the subject and something else are also status verbs. Here are some examples:
belong equal owe
border (on) fit (as clothes) own
contain have (= possess) require
cost matter (= be important) resemble
deserve mean show (= prove)
This house belongs to my father.
That jar contains five gallons.
He deserves better luck than he has had.
Two plus two equals four.
They have several trees in front of their house.
This doesn’t matter at all.
What does that word mean?
Norway borders on Sweden to the east.
It is very unusual for real status verbs (that is, without a basic change in their meaning) ever to occur in the progressive. When this does happen, it usually indicates that there is a progressive change (greater or lesser) in the quality or intensity of the perception, conditions, etc., expressed by the verb.
The boy is resembling his father more and more as he grows older.
The students are understanding the material better now.
Time expressions with the progressive and the simple present. Since these forms of the verb have meanings that are connected with time, it is to be expected that any adverbial expressions indicating time that occur along with them will be in a close relationship with the verb and that the two will affect each other’s meaning. Since the present progressive concentrates on the present moment and on the period just before it and just after it, it is logical that only those time expressions that refer to that period of time will normally be used with it. On the other hand, the simple present (except in status verbs) expresses what is characteristic, habitual, or repeated, and therefore requires different time expressions.
Used with the present progressive
right now this week (month, year, etc.)
at this moment today.
Usually used with the present tense
usually occasionally
often always
regularly frequently.
If the time expressions listed above occur with the opposite type of verb, then there is some special meaning involved.
I’m going there often. (These days, in contrast to an earlier period when I did not.)
I go there this week. (This can not refer to habitual or repeated acts, since this week limits the time span too severely; it can only be taken to mean a scheduled future event.)
He arrives today. (This can not be interpreted as habitual, either; it must therefore be future.)