simple present / present progressive

[san]

Hi,

is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences ?

a) I look forward to your instruction !

b) I am looking forward to your instruction !

what is the context in each sentence ?

thanks!

 

[engee30]

Hi,

is there any difference in meaning between these two sentences ?

a) I look forward to your instruction !

b) I am looking forward to your instruction !

what is the context in each sentence ?

thanks!

Basically, #1 is more formal than #2.

 

[vil]

Hi San,

Study this example situation:

Ann is in her car. She is on her way to work.

She is driving to work.

This means "She is driving now, at the time of speaking."

This is the present continuous tense.

We use the present continuous when we talk about something that is happening at the time of speaking.

a) I look forward to your instruction ! (usually line of action)

b) I am looking forward to your instruction ! (just now)

We use the simple present to talk about things in general. We are not thinking only about the present. We use to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking.

The simple present, not the present continuous, is used to denote actions going on at the present moment when the fact is important and not the process.

Regards.

V.

 

[rewboss]

Usually, in the case of "look forward", the general fact and the action are one and the same thing.

The only time you really have to pay attention to the tense is when you want to contrast the normal state of affairs with your feelings at this moment: "Normally, I look forward to football matches, but I'm not looking forward to this one."

Otherwise, as san says, "look forward" is more formal.

 

[vil]

"Normally(usually line of action), I look forward to football matches, but I'm not looking forward to this one. (that is happening at the time of speaking)"

We use the present continuous when we talk about something that is happening at the time of speaking.

a) I look forward to your instruction ! (usually line of action)

b) I am looking forward to your instruction ! (just now)

"Normally (usually line of action), I look forward to your instruction, but I'm not looking forward to this one. (that is happening at the time of speaking)"

Could you tell me where is the difference?

look toward to smth.= anticipate (usu with pleasure) expresses an action,respectively a process. In the case b) we lay particular stress on the process not on the fact. We talk about something that is happening at the time of speaking.

I don't usually work overtime. However, tonight I'm staying late to catch up on my reports. (example of present simple and present continuous)

Do you know the following Bible's verse:

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold not hot;
I would thou wert cold or hot."

 

[rewboss]

Well, language doesn't always run on nice, neat, logical lines; it would make things easier if it did, but because languages are not invented but evolve over time, rules are not always that simple.

The act of looking forward to something is actually an emotion, and often we describe emotions using the present simple. So if somebody asks you why you have such a long face, you could respond, "I feel sad", and that would be perfectly acceptable. You could also say "I am feeling sad", and that would mean the same thing. In fact, you could even say "I feel sad at the moment" and that would be fine, even though you can't normally say "I play soccer right now" to mean that you are currently on the soccer pitch kicking a ball around with 21 other people.

That's just how it is. When describing emotions, we don't follow exactly the same rules as when we describe actions.

 

[vil]

Dear rewboss,

Your sentimental effusions sound very unconvincingly and throw into the background the question in the original post at the present theme, namely
"Is there any difference in the meaning between these two sentences?". Otherwise even the children in the preparatory school know that there is half a score English verbs which are used only in simple tenses. For example you cannot say "I am knowing". You can say "I know". Here is a lot of verbs that
are not normally used in continuous tenses.

want like belong know suppose remember
need love see realize mean forget
prefer hate hear believe understand seem

Do you see "look forward to" in this list roll?

Looking forward to home…
I am looking forward to it each day.
I am so looking forward to the long break in May!
I am also very much looking forward to Austin's own blog entries as ...
I am looking forward to it very much because it's been one year since we went...
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon!

I'll rephrase a Bible's verse "If you want to see it, you'll see it, if you want to hear it, you'll hear it, if you want to understand it, you'll do it."

Do you know what pleasure is the chance of saying the words:"WE DID IT!"

Regards.

V.

 

[singhage]

hi
what is is the system to find proper training about english !!!

 

[David L.]

what is the context in each sentence ?

Precisely. It is not to do with 'formality'.
I would ask, what is the speaker's perspective that he would say one or the other?