Questions tagged [progressive-aspect]

The progressive aspect expresses the dynamic quality of actions that are in progress.

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Am I RICEing my injury?

Rest, Icing, Compression and Elevation after an injury, and repeat as needed for the first couple hours. Using RICE, how would I type the answer to the question, "How's your twisted ankle?"? "Not so ...
Drakes's user avatar
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1 answer
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would have been sitting/would have sat

I would have been sitting there if I hadn't been working. I would have sat there if I hadn't been working. Which usage is correct "would have been sitting/would have sat"?
Vinnie Flores's user avatar
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Can a Progressive Verb Replace "Which"?

Let's say I have the following sentence: Yesterday the stock market crashed, which resulted in social collapse. Is it grammatically correct to change the above sentence to the following form? ...
Max's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Present Perfect Continuous vs. Present Simple

Do I clearly understand difference between this two sentences? "How long do you dance?" - As I understand I can use this sentence to ask a person about his expirience in dancing. "How long have you ...
Kirill Reznikov's user avatar
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1 answer
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Can I actually say "he is being sick"? Does it sound natural?

Here is my question: Can I say "he is being sick"? I was looking for how to use been and being. What I have found: The word being is the present participle form of the verb be. It is not used ...
Bob's user avatar
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Alternates for "If quoted the words of ..."

Today, I have been doing an 'as-it-is' translation of a non-English text. I have asked the same question before but I think that then I was unable to provide a context for my question to the answerers....
Gopal's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
66k views

“When will you be leaving” vs "When will you leave"

I am confused about the following sentence. I know it is correct to say "When will you be leaving?" But I don't know why they use "will be leaving" instead of "will leave." Can we say "When will you ...
English learner's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
89 views

Using "which" and "have" in questions [closed]

Is this sentence correct? Which solution we have planned? OR Which solution did we have planned? OR Which solution did we plan? I'm discussing about a technical issue and my question is just a ...
DP78's user avatar
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Stative verbs, "to be in labour"

I was wondering if in the construction to be in labour, the verb be is stative, and for this reason we can't use it in the progressive aspect. Or, is this next construction grammatically correct: she ...
Zeya Van Noten's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
114 views

Difference in meaning and use of future perfect forms

What is the difference in meaning and / or use between: I will have worked here for two years by this time next year. and I will have been working here for two years by this time next year. ...
ortonomy's user avatar
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Simple Present, Simple Past or Past perfect progressive? [duplicate]

Suppose if there's a web site which was out of service yesterday. And it's still down today. Which sentence below should I tell the web master? The web site is down/(out of service) since yesterday. ...
Aung Myo Linn's user avatar
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2 answers
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How to use Present Perfect Continuous in Passive form?

Although Present Perfect Continuous is less commonly used in its Passive form. I want to know if it's possible to use a sentence below in its passive form. Active: I have been telling him a long ...
Aung Myo Linn's user avatar
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1 answer
676 views

still *"getting published", "being published", or just "published"? [closed]

Which is correct and why? a) The New York Times is a daily American newspaper founded on September 18, 1851, and is still getting published in New York City. b) The New York Times is a daily ...
Omar 's user avatar
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1 answer
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the present progressive vs the present perfect progressive

A bad storm is heading your way. It's already hitting us here. Already means something has happened before now or before another point in time So, I think it's compatible with the present perfect or ...
anotherworld's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
324 views

"She wasn't sleeping eight hours"?

Take a look at this article from the Huffington Post. In it, there is this paragraph right here: Eight hours. This number is spoken like gospel in this country when it comes to sleep. "How much ...
user132181's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
212 views

They are going to be letting me out next week

I am reading a book "Second hand" by Michael Zadoorian in which a boy visits his ex girlfriend in the hospital as she attempted suicide. There is a sentence which creates some difficulty to me: "They ...
italiana's user avatar
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2 answers
1k views

Describing completed action [closed]

So, I was having a fight with an English grammar expert with my little knowledge on the following sentence : Products are already being checked. My opponent was telling me that my sentence was ...
SaMax's user avatar
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"Complicated" or "complicating"

Can anyone tell me why sentence (A) is wrong, and (B) is correct? (A) "The topic of landmines is very heavy and complicating." (B) "The topic of landmines is very heavy and complicated." To ...
Motoko M's user avatar
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0 answers
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I saw him going to city. I saw him go to city [duplicate]

1:I saw him going to city. 2:I saw him go to city. First one refers to Gerund. Second one refers to infinite. Do they have the same meanings or changed? Define it with reasons.
I don't know who I am.'s user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
136 views

Can you please explain differences in following phrases: [duplicate]

Can you please explain differences in following phrases: I am thinking I thinking I think I have been thinking
user261706's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
209 views

Wanting to see sth.: Progressive vs non-progressive

What is the difference between I want to see the lights leave your eyes! and I want to see the lights leaving your eyes! ? I would suspect, number one actually means, that you want so see ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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Past progressive with "always"

I am a student learning English. I learned in a class that either present or past progressive can be used to express a negative reaction to a situation. The explanations on the lecture note the ...
Hee's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
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What's with the passive present perfect progressive? [duplicate]

I was taught that we made passive voice using be + the participle of the main verb, without changing the verb tense. E.g., I send letters. (present simple) Letters are sent. (present simple ...
Georges's user avatar
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1 answer
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What is the historic present tense?

I learned that the historical present may be used to create an effect of immediacy in narratives. I have a question about the historic present tense. Why don't we use the progressive tense instead of ...
Sakyou's user avatar
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Correct usage of "of course you (do/are)"

In this exchange: A: I'm having trouble finding my car. B: Of course you are. I think this sentence could also be used, keeping the same meaning: Of course you do. I don't see any difference ...
this's user avatar
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Past Simple vs. Past Progressive

I've been noticing in conversations that people often use past or present or future progressive where I would normally use past, present or future simple. I know some rules about interrupted actions ...
Vitaly Leskiv's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

"Supposing Jane ______ with us, what would you do?"

In this sentence: Supposing Jane ______ with us, what would you do? The available options for filling in that blank were: would come came will come has come is coming Could I know which is ...
Ahsie Dilahk's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
25k views

"Every day" and present continuous vs simple present [duplicate]

Every day I'm eating vegetables. I eat vegetables every day. Can someone explain if there's a nuance in meaning of the two? If there's a better situation to use one than the other? (doesn't have to ...
douten's user avatar
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3 answers
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“Matt was phoning while we were having dinner”

I'm self-studying now and I've found an exercise. Matt ... while we were having dinner. The correct answer is phoned. But I couldn't figure out why was phoning is not a right choice. There is some ...
southsinger's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
565 views

Present continous and present simple

Why do we say, "Who is that man? What does he want", but, "Who is that man? Why is he looking at us". If the second is okay, which I am sure it is, why can't we say, "Who is that man? What is he ...
user52404's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

The use of the Present Simple within a short period of time

Help me understand how idiomatic this usage of the Present Simple is. Usually, PS conveys repeated actions within relatively long (or almost unlimited) time frames. For instance, “The sun rises in the ...
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"I went to the hotel you were staying at" vs. "you stayed at"

Is there a difference in meaning between these two sentences? I went to the hotel you were staying at when you were in New York. I went to the hotel you stayed  at when you were in New York. Perhaps ...
user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
527 views

Past progressive construction

I’m confused about how to construct a past progressive sentence. If I say these: I was walking in the park. I was singing in the bathroom. Would these sentences be considered to be in past ...
cpx's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
7k views

”We're looking forward to helping you find X” vs “We look forward to help you find X” etc

I’m trying to link the following items into a single sentence: we look forward to help you find X So for example, here are some ways I was thinking of doing that: We look forward to help you find ...
Dirk v B's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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"The key doesn't work" vs. "The key is not working" [closed]

Here's a situation. You go to your hotel room and the key that you have is not working. When you go back to the reception, should you say: The key is not working, can you fix it. Or The key ...
Jon's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
40k views

What is the difference between saying "I wasn't knowing" and "I didn't know"? [closed]

I was wondering what is the difference between I wasn't knowing and I didn't know? If I say, I wasn't knowing, I am talking about something unknown in past, the act of not knowing is finished, it ...
rabar kareem's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
567 views

Present Progressive or Simple Present for things that could be considered as a repeated action or as an action happening right now?

There's one thing about Simple Present versus Present Progressive which is still not quite clear to me. The rough overview is1: Use simple present for repeated actions, general things. Use present ...
Em1's user avatar
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0 votes
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1k views

“Cannot believe what he saw” versus “cannot believe what he was seeing” [duplicate]

Which of the following sentences is grammatical: The boss could not believe what he saw yesterday morning when he entered the office. The boss could not believe what he was seeing yesterday morning ...
Stefan's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
277 views

Etymology of progressive forms [duplicate]

In spite of English the German language does not have Present/Past Progressive, although both languages have the same root. When and why did the progressive tenses develop and became part of the ...
äüö's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Overuse of progressive forms

Though not a native speaker I have the impression that some native speakers overuse progressive verb forms. An example I have just read: My cat is gaining too much weight, how often should I be ...
rogermue's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
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When & Progressive Tense

Well, the answer to the question I'm going to ask you might have seemed evident to me before but now after I've been thinking about it for some time I've got stuck. Here below ther're 4 sentences. A ...
user73643's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can the Past Progressive tense be used for habitual past? [duplicate]

I ran across the following sentence in an ESL textbook (by Jack C. Richards): "I was going to auditions". It was used to say what the subject would do for some time after college. However, almost ...
Peter's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
20k views

"I teach" vs. "I'm teaching" — which one is proper in this situation?

Following situation occurs/ed. I meet a friend for a coffee. We chat and I ask him what he's doing for work now. His answer: "I'm teaching English." This irks me. Because in that situation he's not ...
Grumpy ol' Bear's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
8k views

"I'll keep you company while you wait" or "I'll keep you company while you're waiting"

I know that while, like after, before, when, as soon as introduce time clauses, which require the present simple: I'll keep you company while you wait. But so many of the students have used the ...
Babs's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
8k views

Usage of the word suicide - validity of 'suiciding'

Is 'suiciding' a valid word by itself? I have very rarely come across suicide being used in this form. Mostly, you see it being used with the prefix 'commit' as in 'committing suicide' rather than '...
Anurag Mishra's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
22k views

I saw her dance/dancing? I saw a flash of lightning strike/striking? I caught her steal/stealing? [duplicate]

Meta: I found a very similar post asking the difference between "I saw him cross" and "I saw him crossing". I have three additional questions on sentences of this form. In the post I am referring to, ...
Max2015's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
71k views

Is it really wrong to say "I'm hearing"?

Many grammar books claim that ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘taste’, ‘smell’, ‘feel’ are verbs that aren’t used in continuous forms, and yet, we do hear and see it quite often used by native speakers. For instance, ...
Louel's user avatar
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-1 votes
0 answers
194 views

One of the underlined words is wrong. Choose either A, B, C or D [duplicate]

"What (are:A) you talking (about:B)? (I'm:C) not (understand:D) you." At first, I thought C, so the sentence would be "What are you talking about? I don't understand you." And I chose C because I ...
Wael's user avatar
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9 votes
5 answers
3k views

progressive forms: participle or gerund?

Progressive forms of verbs consist of the form to be + participle. At least that is what most English grammars say or they are imprecise and speak of the -ing form. My question is what follows after ...
rogermue's user avatar
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5 votes
5 answers
89k views

"I don't understand you" vs. "I'm not understanding you" [closed]

Which sentence is correct? What are you talking about? I don't understand you. or What are you talking about? I'm not understanding you.
Wael's user avatar
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