writing you

[ostap77]

"He might have lost your address and that's why he's not writing you."

OR

"He might have lost your address and that's why he doesn't write you."

Which one is better?

 

[lauralie2]

...and that's why he hasn't written you. <better>

 

[bhaisahab]

...and that's why he hasn't written you. <better>

Or in BrE "...written to you".

 

[ostap77]

...and that's why he hasn't written you. <better>

"You are not answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you."

How about this one?

 

[euncu]

***neither a teacher nor a native-speaker***

"You are not answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you."

How about this one?

You haven't been answering your phone. I've tried to reach you.
and better;
I've tried to reach you but you haven't been answering your phone.

This is what I'd say but you'd better wait for a confirmation from a native-speaker.

 

[lauralie2]

***neither a teacher nor a native-speaker***




You haven't been answering your phone. I've tried to reach you.
and better;
I've tried to reach you but you haven't been answering your phone.

This is what I'd say but you'd better wait for a confirmation from a native-speaker.

Superb!

 

[ostap77]

Superb!

"You are not answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you."
This one is from an American series "Terriers". It's about two private investigators and takes place in California. It's not proper grammar? We should not mix the Present Progressive Tense with the Present Perfect Progressive?

 

[Munch]

"You are not answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you."
This one is from an American series "Terriers". It's about two private investigators and takes place in California. It's not proper grammar? We should not mix the Present Progressive Tense with the Present Perfect Progressive?

It sounds natural to me if he is leaving a message or talking to the person on another line. If the speaker finally reached the person on his cell phone though, it would be strange because "You are not answering your cell" suggests that he has still not answered his cell phone.

 

[Raymott]

"Cell" sounds strange to me. In AusE, we call it a "mobile".
Does anyone remember when we used to carry around "trannies" or "transistors"?

 

[Munch]

"Cell" sounds strange to me. In AusE, we call it a "mobile".
Does anyone remember when we used to carry around "trannies" or "transistors"?

Yes, cell phone is not Australian. I must spend more time with Americans than you, I didn't even think to mention that!

My dad still calls "the radio", "the wireless".

 

[ostap77]

It sounds natural to me if he is leaving a message or talking to the person on another line. If the speaker finally reached the person on his cell phone though, it would be strange because "You are not answering your cell" suggests that he has still not answered his cell phone.

A guy came into the house and his girlfriend asked him,"You aren't answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you." So it's more about the difference between what a Grammar text-book tells us to say and what we say in speech?

 

[bhaisahab]

"Cell" sounds strange to me. In AusE, we call it a "mobile".

Yes, it's "mobile" in BrE as well.

 

[Munch]

A guy came into the house and his girlfriend asked him,"You aren't answering your cell. I've been trying to reach you." So it's more about the difference between what a Grammar text-book tells us to say and what we say in speech?

Now I think about it, are you sure she didn't say, "You weren't answering your cell"? It might sound very similar to "aren't" if she spoke quickly. "Weren't" would be more natural to me.

Anyway, there is nothing grammatically incorrect about mixing tenses. I doubt a grammar book would say there is a problem.

Off the top of my head: "You aren't wearing pants. I've been looking at your legs."

There might be a problem with meaning (semantics) though, and I agree "aren't answering" sounds a bit funny. If I heard it in conversation I probably would not even notice though. I would assume, "You aren't answering" meant, "for some reason you have not been answering your phone and unless something has changed I presume you will continue not to answer it."

 

[ostap77]

"Cell" sounds strange to me. In AusE, we call it a "mobile".

Yes, it's "mobile" in BrE as well.

Cellphone or cellular phone?

 

[Munch]

Cellphone or cellular phone?

British/Australian: "mobile phone" or "mobile" for short.

American: "cell phone" or "cell" for short. Some people might say "cellular phone" because "cell" is actually short for "cellular".

These days, I hear more and more people just saying "phone" to mean cell/mobile though.