What I ... is that you ... well in your job. Really! I ... you the truth.

[Nonverbis]

Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings.

say/tell/do
What I ... is that you ... well in your job. Really! I ... you the truth.

What I am saying is that you are doing well in your job. Really! I am telling you the truth.

This is from an exercise, and the answer is correct according to the answer key.

Could you tell me why "am saying" and "am telling" are correct here? I would say these are performative verbs. But they are not listed as performatives. And the answer key gives the present simple here.

 

[5jj]

In "I name this ship Victoria', I pronounce you man and wife', the words are the deed. The verbs are performative.

In 'What I am saying is that you are doing well' the first verb is introducing the words 'You are doing well'. It is not in itself performing an action'. It is not performative.

 

[emsr2d2]

You said that your use of the present simple continuous is correct according to the answer key. You also said that the answer key says that the present simple is correct. Which one is it?

The present simple would give us "I say that you do well in your job. I tell you the truth."

Other tenses are possible. For example, "What I said is that you did well in your job. I told you the truth" would be correct when talking about something that was said in the past.

 

[jutfrank]

When you're in the middle of a conversation with someone, and you wish to repeat or paraphrase something you've already said, you can say What I'm saying is ... . The continuous is used because the dialogue is in progress. Present simple is inappropriate.

In the same way, you might utter So what you're saying is ... or What are you saying exactly? or That's not what I'm saying.

(By the way, you still don't have a clear idea of what performative verbs are.)

 

[Nonverbis]

Which one is it?

According to the answer key the present continuous is correct. Pardon for that.

 

[Nonverbis]

you still don't have a clear idea of what performative verbs are

Definitely. I'm working on it, but I think it is still a big problem for me.

 

[jutfrank]

A good test to see if a verb is performative is the 'hereby' test. If you can put hereby before the verb, it shows that your utterance is performing a speech act.

I (hereby) name this ship Victoria.

After you say this, the ship is officially named in the eyes of society.

I (hereby) sentence you to five years in prison.

If a judge says this, you are legally condemned to serve time in prison.

Of course, you can only make such speech acts if you have the appropriate social status. Only a judge can sentence someone.