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.

 

Answer 1

• 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.