[Grammar] Expressing irritation using present continuous without adverbs

Status
Not open for further replies.

tom3m

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I know that we can explain irritation, impatience or negative emotions towards sth/sb using present continuous. I have found that this is usually done with adverbs such as constantly, always etc. My question is, if we still can use present continuous for explainig irriation, but ommitting the adverbs above and replace them with EVERY + noun. Something like: You're getting up late every morning. or You're singing the awful song every time see you.

Thanks
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
That works too.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Firstly, you need to know that the present continuous with such adverbs does not necessarily imply annoyance. That depends on context. It is quite possible for someone to say, "He's always buying me flowers; he such a dear"

Secondly, it is not natural to use 'every xxxx' in the way you suggested.

'You're always getting up late every morning' is not natural at all, in my opinion.
'You're singing the awful song every time I see you' is more likely, assuming both the speaker and the person addressed know which song 'the awful song' is, simply to suggest that this is what is happening (i.e. has already started) when the speaker every time that the speaker sees the person addressed. If annoyance is suggested, it is by the word 'awful' rather than by 'every time I see you'.
 

tom3m

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Firstly, you need to know that the present continuous with such adverbs does not necessarily imply annoyance. That depends on context. It is quite possible for someone to say, "He's always buying me flowers; he such a dear"

Secondly, it is not natural to use 'every xxxx' in the way you suggested.

'You're always getting up late every morning' is not natural at all, in my opinion.
'You're singing the awful song every time I see you' is more likely, assuming both the speaker and the person addressed know which song 'the awful song' is, simply to suggest that this is what is happening (i.e. has already started) when the speaker every time that the speaker sees the person addressed. If annoyance is suggested, it is by the word 'awful' rather than by 'every time I see you'.

Thank you for your answer, can you recommend me any source of the grammar concerning the unknown (for me) usage of +ING after always that does not necessarily denote irritation. (as you used in the sentence with flowers) :)
 

tom3m

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
By the way, I was asking the question beacause of my brother's homework in Project 1. It was sort of embarrassing for me that I didn't know the right answer. There was a short converation beween two people:
A: Well, hurry up. We are waiting for you.
B Why........ you ......... so late every morning? (get up)

Though the book is for A1 I was wondering about it for long and honestly I still am. I would be very pleased you could tell me what tense would be appropriate in this particular case. Thank you in advance :)
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
By the way, I was asking the question beacause of my brother's homework in Project 1. It was sort of embarrassing for me that I didn't know the right answer. There was a short converation beween two people:
A: Well, hurry up. We are waiting for you.
B Why........ you ......... so late every morning? (get up)

Though the book is for A1 I was wondering about it for long and honestly I still am. I would be very pleased you could tell me what tense would be appropriate in this particular case. Thank you in advance :)

"Why do you get up so late every morning?"
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Thank you for your answer, can you recommend me any source of the grammar concerning the unknown (for me) usage of +ING after always that does not necessarily denote irritation. (as you used in the sentence with flowers) :)
Chalker, Sylvia (1984.101) Current English Grammar, London: Macmillan
Huddleston, Rodney and Pullum, Geoffrey (2002.167), The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, Cambridge: CUP
Leech, Geoffrey (2004.34) Meaning and the English Verb (3rd edn), Harlow: Pearson Longman
Lewis, Michael (1986.97) The English Verb, Hove: LTP
Quirk, Randolph et al (1985.199n) A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.Harlow: Longman.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top