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Question
Verbs that are normally NOT used in the progressive form.
1. Which sentence in each of the following pairs is acceptable and
why?
1. a. I am respecting you.
b. I respect you.
2. a. My son loves to draw and paint.
b. My son is loving to draw and paint.
3. a. We are having two cars.
b. We have two cars.
4. a. I am thinking you are new to this place.
b. I think you are new to this place.
5. a. The cake smells good.
b. The cake is smelling good.
| Verbs referring to mental states (eg. know, think, believe etc) and to the use of the senses (eg. smell, taste etc) are never, or hardly ever, used in progressive forms. Some of these verbs are: believe prefer know suppose feel sound (dis)like love realise understand hear taste see hate recognise want see belong doubt imagme remember wish smell agree possess own owe involve include depend |
Can you explain the difference between?
1. a. l justcan'timaginehowyougotintosuchamess.
b. You're imagining things nothing will happen.
2. a. The coffee tastes bitter
b. Mother is tasting coffee to check ifit is too bitter.
3. a. My teacher admires my art work
b. She is admiring the latest painting I have made.
4. a. The doctor is feeling the patient's pulse.
b. The patient is feeling better.
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Solution
- 1. (a) not acceptable, as ‘respecting’, a verb of emotion, can’t be used in Continuous Tense.
(b) is correct
2. (a) is correct
(b) The verb ‘love’, is again of emotion and can’t be used in Continuous Tense.
3. (a) The verb ‘have’ is of possession ; it can’t come in Continuous Tense. So it is incorrect.
(b) is correct
4. (a) The verb ‘thinking’ is not acceptable as it, being the verb of emotion, can’t be used in Continuous Tense.
(b) is correct
5. (a) ‘The cake is smelling good’ is not acceptable as verb ‘smell’ being of emotion/ sensation can’t be used in Continuous Tense.
Note : The verbs of emotion/sensation can’t be used in Continuous Tense. Hence, if these are used in this Tense, these are not acceptable
- 1. (b) imagining refers to a mental state. So it can’t come in present progressive tense.
2. (a) There is universal truth about coffee taste. It is all right. But in 2 (b) ‘tasting’ is in progressive tense. It can’t come in this tense.
3. (a) This sentence is all right as ‘admires’ here is related to sense appreciation.
(b) The sentence is not acceptable as ‘admiring’ here should not be in progressive. ‘Admire’, the verb of emotion, is not used in continuous tenses.
4. (a) It is all right as the doctor is, at present, (time of speaking) feeling the patient’s pulse.
(b) The patient is feeling better as it is not actually ‘feeling’ but feeling shows the general state of health.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Change the following sentence into simple sentence.
Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulder.
Let us begin by studying the relationship between the different verb forms and the time they denote.
Work individually
Indicate the tense and time of each of the highlighted verbs in the table below.
The first has been done as an example.
| Sentence | Tense | Time | |
| 1. | We are planning to go out for a picnic tomorrow. | Present | Future |
| 2. | India has made tremendous progress in the past few decades. |
||
| 3. | It has been raining since morning. | ||
| 4. | Could you please send your e-mail address as soon as possible? |
||
| 5. | The train must have reached Delhi by now. |
||
| 6. | It always rains in July here. | ||
| 7. | Cold wave intensifies further. (A news headline) |
||
| 8. | He was playing here a minute ago. | ||
| 9. | She won the Student of the Year award last year. |
||
| 10. | All incomplete forms will be rejected. |
Form
• Have/has+ past participle
• Have/ has+ been + past participle
Work individually
Complete the following sentences by using the present perfect form (as
given in C.l)ofthe given verbs.
a) The kids (work) really hard for the show. Now, don't cancel it, please.
b) Yippyl I (select) for the interschool dance competition!
c) I ... (contest) five elections so far.
d) John? 0, he is a delightful boy. I (know) him since his childhood.
e) ... you ever (be) to the Taj Mahal?
• The box below shows different uses or meanings of the present perfect. Match the sentences above with the uses or meanings of the present perfect they illustrate.
i) Something that has happened several times up to the present.
ii) Announcement or news of a recent event.
iii) Finished event connected with the present.
iv) An action or situation that has continued up to the present.
v} Finished event at some/ any time up to now.
Answer: i - c; ii - b; iii - a; iv - d; v - e
Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
b. What conclusion can you draw from these sentences about the use of present perfect and simple past forms of verbs?
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Carefully study each of the following events or situations described in a set of three sentences/phrases. Then, write a short paragraph to describe each event/situation as shown in the example. Your paragraph should begin with the description of the second event in each case. Use the verb form had+ past participle to describe the earliest of the past events.
|
• Somebody burgled the office on Sunday night. • Our arrival at work on Monday morning . • Police informed |
We arrived at work on Monday and found that somebody had burgled the office the previous night. So, we immediately informed the police. |
|
• (I) Mayank went out with his family. (ii) I tried to phone him this morning. (iii) His servant answered. |
I tried to phone Mayank this morning but the servant ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (i) Rohit returned from holiday.(ii) Jayanti met Rohit. |
Jayanti met Rohit, who ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (I) All the arrangements were finalised for the seminar. (ii) The seminar participants arrived in Gangtok. (iii) Met the professors from the UK the same evening. |
The participants arrived in Gangtok. They found ........................................... ........................................... |
Tenses -Summary
Read the biodata of Sangeeta Rani Puri, India's swimming sensation. Then, complete the interview in the spaces provided. Do NOT add any extra information. Use appropriate tenses.
|
Natne : Sangeeta Rani Puri Status : Non-resident Indian Place of Birth : Trinidad Place of Residence : USA Parents : Raj Krishna Puri (Father) -fatnous immigration lawyer Moyna Margaret Puri (mother) - (from Trinidad) Achievements records : i) six new national records in five day (Junior National Swimming Meet, Vijaywada) |
Interviewer: Sangeeta, since you were in India for only a short while before
you flew to Atlanta, would you tell us a little about yourself?
Sangeeta : Well, I'm an Indian and I'm proud to be one.
I: Please tell us about your parents.
S: My father ____________________
_______________________ from Trinidad.
I: Have you taken part in any of the National Championships?
S: (Very excited) Yes,_________at Vijaywada.
I: How ______________________________________________ Senior Nationals?
S: I won seven events and __________
I: How do you rate your performance in the Altanta Olympics in 1996?
S: I ___________________________ in the 50 metres freestyle. It's true that I _____________in Atlanta. But _____________________
I: Haveyou ___________________ forthefuture?
S: I in the USA. And of course I ____________for as long as possible. Also I _______________________ in the olympics.
I: Thank you, Sangeeta. I wish you all the best.
S: Thankyouverymuch.
Work with apartner
In the following sentences, choose and circle the verb form you think best fits the meaning of each sentence. You have been provided an example.
| 1. Tomorrow | is will be is going to be | Wednesday. |
| 2. The train | has left will have left is going to leave | by the time you reach the station. |
| 3. Hurry! The film | does will is about to | start. |
| 4. The Minister | opens is opening is about to open | the new Art Centrenext week. |
| 5. This time next year, he | will live is living will be living | in Mumbai. |
| 6. I | am going to be will be will have been | a nurse when I grow up |
Use the correct tense form of the verb given in the bracket and rewrite the sentence.
She ________ that old fashion book of her mother a few months back.
Name the Tense of the Verb underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future) and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous).
It had made all the difference.
Name the Tense of the Verb underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future) and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous).
I shall be telling you three stories.
Observe the following underlined phrases. Here ‘have/has’ are followed by the past participle form of the verb. This construction indicates the present perfect tense. Find more such sentences from the text.
- We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
- We have prevented millions of child deaths.
- It has happened.
Find out the ‘ing’ forms from the story of 'An Encounter of a Special Kind' and classify them into the following table.
| Present Participle used as an Adjective | Present Participle used as a Verb in the Continuous Tense |
| twinkling eyes | was oozing |
| 1. | 1. |
| 2. | 2. |
| 3. | 3. |
| 4. | 4. |
| 5. | 5. |
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
The sun was now ascending the sky.
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
He leaned out eagerly.
Match the sentences given in part ‘A’ with the sentences given in part ‘B’. Note the differences in structure.
| ‘A’ Part | B’ Part |
| (1) He was kidnapped by an extremist militia. | (a) They forced the child to kill his friends and family |
| (2) The child was forced to kill his friends and family. | (b) An extremist militia kidnapped him. |
Observe the following underlined phrases. Here ‘have /has’ are followed by the past participle form of the verb. This construction indicates the perfect present tense. Find more such sentences from the speech.
- We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
- We have prevented millions of child deaths.
- It has happened.
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
Rewrite the sentence in simple future tense.
He has been playing since afternoon.
Rewrite the sentence in the simple present tense.
He will go to the school.
