[Grammar] Present tense or present continous

[Joern Matthias]

Hello everybody,


I read a dialogue in which the last phrase 'I enjoy it' is confusing me

Here is the link:http://www.manythings.org/elllo/20.html

Should it not read 'I am enjoying it' because it is about the weather today, which someone is taking pleasure in right now.

By the way, what about the verb enjoy. When can it only be used in the simple present tense even if I refer to what is happening now? For example: 'I enjoy dancing.' or 'I am enjoying dancing.' if the action of dancing is happening right now.

Furthermore, I also came across sentences like

1) I have been meaning to phone you. (versus ' I have meant to phone you')

2) I am loving it (advertisemnt by Mc Donalds) ( versus ' I love it')


Are these sentences correct?


Looking forward to your answers

Joern from Bavaria

 

[5jj]

Should it not read 'I am enjoying it' because it is about the weather today.

That would be more natural.

By the way, what about the verb enjoy. When can it only be used in the simple present tense? For example: 'I enjoy dancing.' or 'I am enjoying
dancing.' if the action of dancing is happening right now.

You can use the present simple when you are actually doing the thing you enjoy, but you are suggesting that your enjoyment of the activity is not limited to the present moment.

Furthermore, I also came across sentences like

1) I have been meaning to phone you. (versus ' I have meant to phone you')
2) I am loving it (advertisemnt by Mc Donalds) ( versus ' I love it')

Are these sentences correct?

They are fine.

 

[Joern Matthias]

Hello 5jj.

Thank you very much for your quick answer. Hardly had I finished posting my question when your answer came.
Could you please explain to me why the last 2 sentences are correct?
Is it also possible to say ' I am meaning to phone you'?

Thanks in advance

Joern

 

[5jj]

Let's take #2 first. The present progressive is generally used for actions/states/events/processes that are limited in duration. By their very nature, emotions such as love are not usually of limited duration - they cannot be switched on and off at will. This is why some student grammars say they are not used in the progressive form. This would be fine if the word 'normally' were added.

However, 'love' can have a meaning similar to that of 'enjoy'. In that sense, 'love' can be of limited duration, and the progressive form is fine.

 

[5jj]

The perfect aspect usually involves retrospection, looking back from a point in time. In the present (perfect and non-perfect) progressive, the end of the duration of the situation is at or after the moment of speaking – if it were not, we would not be using a present form.



If we combine these ideas, the present perfect progressive suggests that we are looking back on a situation that has not yet ended or, in this example, has ended at the moment of speaking. “I have been meaning to phone you” is fine.


The perfect (non-progressive) aspect can suggest completion of a situation within a time period extending up to a time point. “I have meant to phone” you is therefore not very natural. If the intention had stopped some time before the words were uttered, the speaker would say “I meant to phone you (... but I forgot)".


Neither “I mean to phone you” nor “I am meaning to phone you” makes real sense. If you are speaking to the person, then there is little point in telling them of a present intention to phone them.