VERB PHRASE – 2014/2

 Present time is seen either as the moment of speaking or writing, or as “time around now”, or as a more general, permanent time relating to truths and general facts.  References to Present time are most typically indicated in the verb phrase through the simple and progressive forms of the Present Tense.

FORMSSTRUCTUREEXAMPLES Present simple Forms of lexical verbs or of auxiliary DO I/you/we/they eat… He/she/it eats …. I do n’t eat … Does she eat …? Present progressive Forms of BE + Lexical verb in the ING form I am eating… He/she/it is eating.. We/you/they are eating… (right now)

 General Truths and Facts 1. The present simple can be used to refer to a general or permanent state of affairs, or facts which are considered true at the present time: e.g.1 My daughter lives in Berlin. (compare: “My daughter is living in Berlin”, which would suggest a less permanent situation) e.g.2 She’s Swedish. She comes from Stockholm. (a permanent fact about her nationality)

2. The present simple is also used to convey general truths and permanent facts about the world: e.g. 2 plus 2 makes A work of art or the activities of an artist from the past may be referred to in the present simple: e.g. Jane Austen allows us to see within the minds not only of her heroines but of many others characters as well.

 Regular and habitual events 1. Regular or habitual events are usually referred to the present simple: e.g. We always have breakfast at around eight o’clock.  Immediate reactions 1. The present simple can be used to talk about feelings and reactions experienced at the moment of speaking: e.g. That looks too risky.

2. It can also be used to describe immediate perceptions and feelings: e.g. (child to parent trying to comb the child’s unruly hair) Ow, mummy! That hurts!  Immediate Communication 1. The present simple is used in commentaries on sports events and on public ceremonies. Commentators use the form to describe what they can see immediately before them, especially if it forms a sequence of actions which are completed as the commentator speaks: e.g. (football match commentary) Shearer to Gillespie… Gillespie beats his man on the outside and moves forward.

2. A similar use occurs in demonstrations and in instructions: e.g. (a plumber is showing a friend how to mend a tap which is leaking) You put the washer on first, then the metal ring and then you tighten the screw.  Mental Processes verbs 1. Verbs such hear, know, reckon, see, suppose, think, understand, are most typically used in the present simple, not the progressive:

e.g.1 I hear you went to see the rugby match. (I’m hearing you went to see the rugby match) e.g.2 I think he’s lost a bit of weight actually. o Progressive use s of these verbs have a slightly different meaning. Think in progressive often means ‘consider’ or ‘incline towards an opinion’: e.g. She’s thinking of moving to London.

See in the present progressive tends to mean “meet with” or “have a romantic relationship with”: e.g.1 I’m sorry, he’s busy. He’s seeing a client at the moment. e.g.2 She’s seeing some guy she works with.

 Speech act verbs 1. The present simple is used with speech act verbs. These are verbs which explicitly label the speaker’s communicative intention in the performance of speech acts (e.g. promising, denying, apologizing, demanding): e.g.1 I won’t forget this time. I promise. (I won’t forget this time. I’m promising.) e.g.2 I swear I saw tears in his eyes. (I’m swearing I saw tears in his eyes.)

2. In a similar way, the present simple is used in formal statements and business or legal communications: e.g. I write to inform you that you have been successful in your application to join the service. (‘I’m writing to inform you…’ would be less formal)

 Events in Progress at the time of speaking 1. The present progressive is used to refer to events which are in progress or happening at the moment of speaking: Compare: (someone on the telephone whilst being given directions) Well er, I’ m looking across the road now and all I can see is a chemist’s shop. I look at catalogues. I always read so many catalogues on the train. (a regular event, but not necessarily happening at the moment of speaking.)

2. The present progressive is also used to refer to things which are taking place or which are true around the moment of speaking, though they may be only temporary: e.g.1 They are travelling through Italy at the moment. e.g.2 She’ s having a bad time right now. (her life is difficult at the moment)

 Repeated events in temporary contexts 1. The present progressive is also used to describe actions which are repeated or regular, but are either temporary or may be judged to be temporary: e.g.1 She’ s seeing him quite a bit at the moment. (She’s meeting him regularly) e.g.2 Is she still swimming three times a week? (implies she has recently started swimming three times a week; compare: ‘Does she still swim three times a week?’, which implies she has always swum three times a week)

2. The present progressive is also used to describe regular actions in relation to a particular time or a specified event, especially where those events interrupt things already in progress : e.g.1 I’ m always having a shower when the newspaper comes. (I have always already started my shower when the paper arrives; compare: ‘I always have a shower after a swim’, where having the shower follows on from swimming.)

e.g.2 He won’t answer the phone when he’ s working at the computer. (…when his work at the computer is already in progress)  Process of change 1. The present progressive is used to refer to a gradual processes of change: e.g.1 He’s been in hospital for three weeks, but is improving steadily. e.g.2 They’re building a new by-pass. It’ll be good for the town but it’ s taking ages to finish.

 With adverbs of indefinite frequency 1. The present progressive is often used with indefinite frequency adverbs such as always, constantly, continually, and forever to describe events which are regular but not planned, and often annoy ing or undesired: e.g.1 I’ m always losing my car keys. I really must get one of those massive big key rings. e.g.2 I’ m constantly telling the children no to go in there.

 Verbs rarely used in the present progressive 1. Some verbs in English are only rarely used in the present progressive. These include: Verbs which describe mental states and processes such as believe, know, think, understand; Verbs which describes responses of the senses such as smell, taste; Verbs expressing emotional responses such as admire, adore, detest, hate, like, respect;

Verbs which describe an ongoing process such as have to, need, want; speech act such as appreciate, deny, promise, swear; verbs describing permanent qualities or characteristics such as consist, contain, hold, last, take.

 However, when used to describe a current process at the moment of speaking, or to give extra emphasis to the ongoing nature of the event, these verbs may occur in the present progressive: e.g.1 What are you thinking? (What thoughts are passing through your mind at this moment?; compare: “What do you think?”, which usually means “What is your opinion?”) e.g.2 I ’m understanding things better now, since I started going to the classes. (emphasizes ‘understanding’ as a developing process; compare: “I understand”, which treats understanding as an achieve state)