[Grammar] Now He is mentioning/mentions the idea.

[kadioguy]

Please look at the sentences of mine:

a. Now He is mentioning the idea.
b. Now He mentions the idea.
---------

Which one is correct? Could you tell me your opinion?

 

[Rover_KE]

In what context do you want to use these sentence?

 

[kadioguy]

In what context do you want to use these sentence?

Actually I want to know if 'mention' can be used statively. For example, if someone is talking about an idea, should we say (a) or (b)?

 

[Raymott]

I think you know, or you would have written "If someone talks about an idea, should we say (a) or (b)? Here's another question: How do we express what someone is now doing (or, what someone now does) in English?
Do I write a reply now, or am I writing a reply now?

 

[kadioguy]

I think you know, or you would have written "If someone talks about an idea, should we say (a) or (b)?

I wanted to mean this action (talk) is going on now, so I wrote "if someone is talking about an idea".

If someone is talking about an idea now, can we say He is now mentioning the idea, or now he mentions the idea?

Here's another question: How do we express what someone is now doing (or, what someone now does) in English?
Do I write a reply now, or am I writing a reply now?

I think it is the latter. But I know some verbs in English are not used in the present progressive although it is happening now, for example, like, hear, want. So I want to confirm if 'mention' belongs to that kind of verb.

This is reason I wrote in post #1 and #3.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, you could use is mentioning if it serves the context, but:

a) there is not likely to be a context to say this.
b) even if there were, this would not be a natural thing to say.

Please remember in future to state clearly the context in which you wish to use any language you ask about. Tell us about who is speaking and what the speaker is aiming to do by saying what he says.

 

[kadioguy]

Please remember in future to state clearly the context in which you wish to use any language you ask about. Tell us about who is speaking and what the speaker is aiming to do by saying what he says.

Do you mean a context like this?
-----------------
Tom is talking to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.

a. Tom is now mentioning the idea
b. Now Tom mentions the idea.

Which one should we use, (a) or (b)?
----------------
Is this statement OK and better than post #1?

 

[Tdol]

I don't see either as very good. I see a. as slightly less unnatural.

 

[jutfrank]

Do you mean a context like this?
-----------------
Tom is talking to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.

a. Tom is now mentioning the idea
b. Now Tom mentions the idea.

That's better but it's not what I meant. What I meant is: Who is saying/writing a. and b. and why?

Sentence a. sounds like it is being said by somebody running a commentary on what Tom is doing. Who would do that? Why?

Sentence b. sounds like it could possibly be written by a novelist as part of a narrative text. Is that what you have in mind?

If you don't tell us these things, we can't advise you usefully.

 

[kadioguy]

That's better but it's not what I meant. What I meant is: Who is saying/writing a. and b. and why?

Sentence a. sounds like it is being said by somebody running a commentary on what Tom is doing. Who would do that? Why?

Sentence b. sounds like it could possibly be written by a novelist as part of a narrative text. Is that what you have in mind?

If you don't tell us these things, we can't advise you usefully.

OK, now I know what you meant. Please look at this:
------------
The following are made by me, because I want to know if "mention" can be used in the present progressive, or it is more like a stative verb. In my opinion, if "mention" is an action verb, then we use (a); if it is a stative verb, then we use (b).

Context:

Tom is talking to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.

a. Tom is now mentioning the idea
b. Now Tom mentions the idea.

Which one should we use? Is 'mention' an action verb or a stative verb?
--------------
Does this statement match what you meant?

 

[kadioguy]

The speech-act of mentioning is brief. We are unlikely ever to say that somebody is doing it when it is actually happening. We simply would not say either of your two sentences.

Do you mean "mention" is an action verb, but the speech-act of mentioning is brief, so practically we hardly say that somebody is mentioning something?

 

[Raymott]

I was intending to give you the idea that by not writing, "If someone talks about an idea, should we say (a) or (b)?" you are answering your own question. In the context, you are asking whether "mention" is a verb similar to "like, wish, etc". No, it isn't.
If you are commenting on what someone is doing now, you would say, "He is mentioning it now."

But you haven't given a proper context, so others have replied, just as validly perhaps, that you could say "He mentions it now". 'Mention' is not a stative verb.
If I were writing a reply now (which I am) and someone asked me what I was doing, I would not say "I write a reply." I would say "I'm writing a reply."
If someone asked me "What do you do when you read a post that you would like to answer?" I would say "I write a reply."

 

[jutfrank]

The following are made by me, because I want to know if "mention" can be used in the present progressive, or it is more like a stative verb. In my opinion, if "mention" is an action verb, then we use (a); if it is a stative verb, then we use (b).

You've completely missed my point.

Also, your question is the wrong way round. The fact that mention is used in the present continuous is a reason why it cannot be seen as stative. It can only be seen as an action of limited duration, such as we use when we want to talk about what is happening now.

 

[kadioguy]

You've completely missed my point.

I am sorry to hear that. Please let me try again:

What I meant is: Who is saying/writing a. and b. and why?

Context:

Tom is talking to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.

How can we describe this, which is going on now, using "mention"?

a. Tom is now mentioning the idea
b. Now Tom mentions the idea.

Also, your question is the wrong way round. The fact that mention is used in the present continuous is a reason why it cannot be seen as stative.

Actually I was not sure if 'mention' could be used in the present continuous although I wrote (a). (a) was just a hypothesis of mine and maybe it was a wrong usage. It hadn't been a fact to me at that time.

 

[jutfrank]

I am sorry to hear that. Please let me try again:

Context:

Tom is talking to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.

How can we describe this, which is going on now, using "mention"?

a. Tom is now mentioning the idea
b. Now Tom mentions the idea.

Actually I was not sure if 'mention' could be used in the present continuous although I wrote (a). (a) was just a hypothesis of mine and maybe it was a wrong usage. It hadn't been a fact to me at that time.

I still haven't made my point clear. Let me try one more time.

You are not saying sentences a and b, kadioguy. What you are doing by asking this question on this forum is either imagining that you are saying the sentences, or imagining that somebody else is saying them. I told you to tell us why you would say these sentences. That is, what you (or somebody else) would be trying to do by saying them. (Don't tell me it's because you want to understand them.)

Anyway, to put an end to this thread, the answer is clear: no, mention is not stative in either of your sentences.

 

[kadioguy]

I still haven't made my point clear. Let me try one more time.

You are not saying sentences a and b, kadioguy. What you are doing by asking this question on this forum is either imagining that you are saying the sentences, or imagining that somebody else is saying them. I told you to tell us why you would say these sentences. That is, what you (or somebody else) would be trying to do by saying them. (Don't tell me it's because you want to understand them.)

Thank you all for spending time on this thread.

I wanted to know when the verb 'mention' is happening, can we say 'someone is mentioning something'? (Just like when the verb 'watch' is happening, we say 'someone is watching something', for example, TV.) This is the reason I started up this thread.

For example:

I saw Tom begin to talk to Mary about his idea of going to the coast.
So I said, 'Hey, he is mentioning that idea again!'
---------------
Has this context matched your point?

 

[kadioguy]

The speech-act of mentioning is brief. We are unlikely ever to say that somebody is doing it when it is actually happening.

Just like marry, graduate, die, kill, and explode?

 

[Raymott]

Each verb needs to be considered individually. Context and accepted usage are the things that count, not abstract rules.

The context needs to be considered individually. It would be onerous if one had to consider each verb individually - though I understand that you mean the verb in its context.
But, it doesn't change the fact that we use the present progressive for things that are happening now, and that is universal.
"He's having a good time". "You're being naughty". "He's mentioning something".
"She's wishing she had made a different decision". "He's hoping to get an A".

I think this is the point kadioguy is asking about by stressing the word 'now". If it is, there's only one rule, and all verbs follow it.
Me: "I hope I win".
You: (for some reason)"He's hoping [that] he wins". "He hopes he will win". All verbs can be used in the first way in the context in which the original question was put.

'Mention' does not belong your class of verbs like hear, want, like.
Nevertheless, in the right context, you can say "I'm liking it", "He's wanting the kids to be quiet", "I'm hearing noises in my head".
Also, you can use the simple present with any verb as well. "He mentions the assignment".
To understand the principle, you need to read more, and note the tenses used in context. There's only so much generalising we can do from here.

 

[Tdol]

so practically we hardly say that somebody is mentioning something?

We can use the progressive form, but it requires a context where it is necessary.