What's the difference?

[allthewayanime]

What's the difference?

You look great.(present simple)
You are looking great.(present continuous)

 

[5jj]

There is no real difference in meaning between those two sentences.

 

[InnaI]

I'm not a teacher -

and I agree with the previous post. Both of the sentences are grammatically correct and there is no difference in meaning between them.

 

[TheParser]

What's the difference?

You look great.(present simple)
You are looking great.(present continuous)

NOT A TEACHER


(1) I may be wrong, but I sense a difference:


Mona: I am wearing the new $500 dress that I bought last week. How do I look?

Husband: Wow! You look great! I am going to be so proud taking you to the dance.

***

(At the hospital)

Martha: How are you feeling?

The Parser (in a hospital bed): Not bad!

Martha: Well, I think that you are looking great (if I compare your appearance with what you looked like when the ambulance brought you to the emergency room the other day.)

 

[allthewayanime]

I've thought that the second one emphasises more on the present time, is that right?

 

[bhaisahab]

I've thought that the second one emphasises more on the present time, is that right?

Not necessarily.

 

[5jj]

With those verbs that refer to the way somebody or something appears to our senses, look, sound, feel, there appears to be little real difference in meaning between the simple and the progressive forms. The same is true, to a lesser extent, of smell and taste.

Usage is changing. When I started teaching, over forty years ago, the progressive forms were rare.