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02-Mar-2003, 12:55
| | | simple present and present continuous i want some questions and answer about simple present and present continuous to teach my kid.
please send me details about how simple present and present continuous forming.
thanks
ra | 
02-Mar-2003, 15:43
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16-Jun-2004, 13:55
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| | More on present simple, present continuous I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it? | 
17-Jun-2004, 20:29
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| | Re: More on present simple, present continuous Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it? | I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.
I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement) | 
17-Jun-2004, 21:10
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| | Point taken, Mike. I was just concentrating on one aspect of the ps/pc conundrum.
Jeremy | 
18-Jun-2004, 15:13
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| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor Point taken, Mike. I was just concentrating on one aspect of the ps/pc conundrum.
Jeremy | No problem. :wink: | 
11-Aug-2004, 07:47
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| | Re: More on present simple, present continuous Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it? | I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.
I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement) | mistakie... | 
31-Jul-2005, 13:32
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| | Re: More on present simple, present continuous Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.
I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement) |
I don't quite agree with your last two sentences. I could just as well say "I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow" as what you have, without altering the meaning. Likewise, a judge could just as well say "I'm sentencing you to ten years in jail." (I would allow that the use of simple present in that context has a loftier tone, but the meaning is the same.) | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
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