THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

CLASSES OF VERBS WITH THE CONTINUOUS


Meg is washing her car.
What are you doing?
I´m writing a letter
They´re eating their dinner.
It´s still raining.

Activity verbs readily take the progressive, which reinforces the fact that the action has duration.


The contractors are building the new civic center.
She is writing a new bestseller.
These children are growing up so fast these days.
Jones is painting a beautiful watercolor.

Accomplishment verbs also take the progressive, but in this case the progressive focuses on progress towards a particular end that has not yet been completed.


She is nodding his head in agreement.
He is jumping up and down.
Joe is realizing his mistake.
The plane is landing right on schedule.
The train is just ariving.

Achievement verbs describe actions that occur instantaneously, ending as soon as it begins; or that
describe change of state.

THE CASE OF STATE VERBS

This carpet belongs to me. (NOT *This carpet is belonging to me) I own this carpet (NOT * I am owning this carpet) Apples cost a lot at this time of year.(NOT *Apples are costing...) Your age doesn´t matter.(NOT * Your age isn´t mattering.) I know the anser (NOT * I am knowing the anwer) 

• It has been said that state verbs do not normally take  the progressive. 

State verbs describe states or situations rather than actions.

• However, the progressive can be used to 

I hate this assignment/I`m hating this assignment.

• intensify the emotion expressed by the verb. 

He is rude (it´s his nature)/He´s being rude(he´s acting foolishly).
This is costing me a lot of money.

• indicate current behavior as opposed to general description.

I´m understanding less and less abut life, the older I get.
He is resembling his father more and ore as the years go by.

• intruduce change in states by focusing on differences in degree across time. 

“Are you liking it?” (cf. Do you like it?)
We are hoping you can solve this problem for us.

• providing na informal, polite tone.

Now, pay attention to the following examples:

I (can) smell the perfume. I´m smelling the perfume.
I (can) feel the ground. I´m feeling the ground with my foot.
I (can) taste salt in my I´m tasting my meal to see if it meal. contains enough salt.

In the first sentence of each pair, the sensation simply ´happens´ to me; but in the second, I go out fo my way to focus my attention on some object. The second sentence answers the question What are you doing?