present continuous

[Elsa]

Hi everybody, could someone help me with these?

Why it doesn't say "I'm hearing music at this moment" or "I'm seeing a picture now", but "I'm looking you now" isn't wrong?

Are both of them right?
This cake is great. It tastes really good.
I'm tasting the cake and it's really good.

And which one is right?
Can you ring me back in few minutes? I'm having / have a dinner

Thanks.

[Ahmed88]

Hi everybody, could someone help me with these?

Why it doesn't say "I'm hearing music at this moment" or "I'm seeing a picture now", but "I'm looking you now" isn't wrong?

Are both of them right?
This cake is great. It tastes really good.
I'm tasting the cake and it's really good.

And which one is right?
Can you ring me back in few minutes? I'm having / have a dinner

Thanks.

As a matter of fact, verbs are in two classes "Dynamic" and "Stative"
The progressive (continuous) occurs only with dynamic verbs,such as: ask, call, play, say, read, etc.
As for stative
1- verbs of inert perception and cognition e.g. hear, like, love, know, see
smell, taste, want, wish, etc
2- Relational verbs e.g. apply to, belong to, contain, need, involve, deserve, include, etc.
Thus, (I am hearing, I am seeing) are not right. as well as (I am tasting).

As for "I am having a dinner". Here you can say I am having a dinner as "having " here means "eating" not "possess" therefor you can not say (I am having money***) for Have here means possession.
for further information, E Mail me
Regards,
Ahmed

[Francois]

Can't you say:

Brisco (in the kitchen): Curtis, have you at least tasted the cake?
Curtis (in the living room): I'm tasting it right now!

FRC

[Ahmed88]

Can't you say:

Brisco (in the kitchen): Curtis, have you at least tasted the cake?
Curtis (in the living room): I'm tasting it right now!

FRC

As I have mentioned above "taste" is a verb of inert perception and cognition i.e. it's stative. Being stative, it disallow the progressive in formal English at least.

I think "I am trying right now" is the appropriate answer.

[Francois]

As far as I know, several stative verbs allow a progressive form, but this changes the meaning of the verb eg.
It tastes good (=> it has a good taste)
I'm tasting it (=> I'm drinking/eating it to know what it tastes like)
It looks weird
I'm looking at him
etc.

it disallows

Don't forget the 's', sir :wink:

FRC