[Grammar] Start work or start to work or start working

[DANAU]

Hi,

I would like to know which of the sentences below is the correct one.

1. Yes, I start work now.
2. Yes, I start to work now.
3. Yes, I start working now.

I will also need your help to explain the grammatical rule toapply for this case.

 

[GoesStation]

There are very few contexts in which any of these sentences would be natural. Can you tell us how you intend to use one of them?

 

[jutfrank]

This is all about context of use. It's possible (to varying degrees) to imagine contexts in which all three are correct.

By the way, DANAU, you're not looking for a grammatical rule here, but rather a rule of usage. Which one to use depends on what you mean.

So tell us what you mean. Why do you want to say this? To whom? What's the situation? Is this sentence intended as a response to anything?

 

[DANAU]

This is all about context of use. It's possible (to varying degrees) to imagine contexts in which all three are correct.

By the way, DANAU, you're not looking for a grammatical rule here, but rather a rule of usage. Which one to use depends on what you mean.

So tell us what you mean. Why do you want to say this? To whom? What's the situation? Is this sentence intended as a response to anything?

Hi jutfrank,

This morning I received an SMS from a friend asking me if I have started working.
So I replied “ Yes, I start working now”. Then it occurred to me that my sentence may not be correct
because there was no auxiliary verbs like “have”. Then I started to get confused again so I asked the question.

 

[tedmc]

Hi jutfrank,

This morning I received an SMS from a friend asking me if I have started working.
So I replied “ Yes, I start working now”. Then it occurred to me that my sentence may not be correct
because there was no auxiliary verbs like “have”. Then I started to get confused again so I asked the question.

Now that we know the context, it is easier.
"I have started working now" is not right either. "Start working" is not a on-going process. So what I said wrote earlier I am starting work now is not correct
You either have started or have not started working. "If you report to work today, you say " I started working today. I have just started work. I am working/at work now".

 

[DANAU]

Now that we know the context, it is easier.
"I have started working now" is not right either. "Start working" is not a on-going process. So what I said wrote earlier I am starting work now is not correct
You either have started or have not started working. "If you report to work today, you say " I started working today. I have just started work. I am working/at work now".

Ok, I got it now.

What I should have replied is “ Yes, I am working/at worknow”.

 

[DANAU]

Is that a reference to
starting your career after leaving school/college/university?
starting a new job?
starting work again after a break caused by the coronavirus lockdown?
starting work on a normal working day?

Hi Piscean, it is the fourth scenario - (or : ?) I am starting work on a normal working day

 

[GoesStation]

Have you started work yet?
Yes, I have.

DANAU, the above is how we usually answer such a question. It means Yes, I have [started work].

 

[jutfrank]

I still don't understand. When you say start, are you talking about the present, past, or future?

 

[DANAU]

I still don't understand. When you say start, are you talking about the present, past, or future?

My friend texts me in the morning at 915 AM asking me, and I started work this morning at 9AM.
Given this, I supposed (or suppose?) I should reply "Yes, I have started working" or "Yes, I started to work at 9AM" or "Yes, I have started to work"

 

[GoesStation]

My friend texts me in the morning at 915 AM asking me, and I started work this morning at 9AM.
Given this, I supposed (or suppose?) I should reply "Yes, I have started working" or "Yes, I started to work at 9AM" or "Yes, I have started to work"

1) Using the present simple in "texts me" tells the reader this is a repeated or habitual activity. In this case you probably wanted a different tense.

2) The past simple tells us you had the thought at the time you received the text. If you use the present simple, you're telling us that you're having the thought at the time that you're typing your post.

3) The sentences you suggest are possible. It's not really natural to repeat the text of the question; native speakers would answer something like "Yes, I started at nine."

 

[GoesStation]

My friend texts me in the morning at 915 AM asking me, and I started work this morning at 9AM.


Given this, I supposed (or suppose?) I should reply "Yes, I have started working" or "Yes, I started to work at 9AM" or "Yes, I have started to work"

1) Using the present simple in "texts me" tells the reader this is a repeated or habitual activity. In this case you probably wanted a different tense.

2) The past simple tells us you had the thought at the time you received the text. If you use the present simple, you're telling us that you're having the thought at the time that you're typing your post.

3) The sentences you suggest are possible. It's not really natural to repeat the text of the question; native speakers would answer something like "Yes, I started at nine."

 

[emsr2d2]

Let's say my friend texted me [STRIKE]in the morning[/STRIKE] at 9.15 [STRIKE]AM[/STRIKE] am asking me "Have you started work?", and I started [STRIKE]work this morning[/STRIKE] at 9 [STRIKE]AM[/STRIKE] am.

Given [STRIKE]this[/STRIKE] that, I [STRIKE]supposed (or suppose?)[/STRIKE] suppose I should reply with "Yes, I have started working", [STRIKE]or[/STRIKE] "Yes, I started to work at 9 [STRIKE]AM[/STRIKE] am" or "Yes, I have started to work".

All of your responses are unnatural in that context.

Have you started work?
[Yes,] I started at 9am.

Have you started work?
Yes, I have.

Have you started work?
Yes.

As you can see above, we use the past simple with a specific time reference (9am) and the present perfect without one.

Don't use "in the morning" and "am" together. It's tautologous.

 

[DANAU]

All of your responses are unnatural in that context.

Have you started work?
[Yes,] I started at 9am.

Have you started work?
Yes, I have.

Have you started work?
Yes.

As you can see above, we use the past simple with a specific time reference (9am) and the present perfect without one.

Don't use "in the morning" and "am" together. It's tautologous.

Ok emsr2dr. And I have also learnt a new word - tautologous.

 

[tedmc]

I am sure you will be seeing the word again soon enough.;-)

 

[emsr2d2]

[STRIKE]Ok[/STRIKE] OK/Okay, emsr2d2. [STRIKE]And[/STRIKE] I have also learnt a new word - tautologous.

Note my corrections above.

At the start of a sentence, you can write either "OK" or "Okay". Later in a sentence, you can write "OK" or "okay". You cannot write "Ok" anywhere.
Please take care to copy usernames correctly.
"And" + "also" (the way you used them) = tautologous.