Referring to present time

Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 1
1. Referring to present time ................................................................................................................ 2
2. The simple present: ......................................................................................................................... 3
3. The progressive form....................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 The emotional effect of the progressive: .......................................................................................... 4
4. The progressive and adverbials ....................................................................................................... 5
5. Stative vs. dynamic verbs and the progressive ............................................................................... 6
5.1 Semantic groups of dynamic verbs and the progressive................................................................... 7
5.1.1 Dynamic verbs that have extension in time: ........................................................................... 7
5.1.2 Dynamic verbs without significant extension in time (momentary) ....................................... 8
5.1.3 Momentary verbs leading to a change in the Subject’s state .................................................. 9
5.1.4 Dynamic verbs that in themselves describe a process of change: ............. 10
5.2 Stative verbs and the progressive .................................................................................................. 11
5.2.1 Verbs of passive perception .................................................................................................... 11
5.2.2 Verbs describing intellectual and emotional states .............................................................. 11
5.2.3 Verbs that describe permanent qualities or relationships: ................................................... 12
5.2.4 Stative verbs with non-stative meanings: .............................................................................. 12
6 Special uses of the simple present tense .......................................................................................... 14
6.1 Instantaneous present................................................................................................................. 14
6.2 Historic present ........................................................................................................................... 14
6.3 Referring present......................................................................................................................... 15
6. Do not over-use the progressive! .................................................................................................. 16

Introduction

We said in the previous lecture that tense is a very important way of

connecting the verbal action with the concept of time. This is certainly true, but
it is also important to be aware that tense and time do not always relate to one

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another on a one-to-one basis, so that present time equals the use of present
tense and past time equals past tense. In the grammatical system of English, it
is important to mark verbal actions as relating to the present or to the past, but
as we saw in connection with the aspects and mood, speakers also use verbal
forms to express far more complex time-structures, attitudes and perspectives
on factuality. We therefore need to look in more detail on the ways in which
the tense and aspect forms are used to express a variety of meaning situations.

In this lecture, we will discuss:

How present time meaning is expressed through present tense, alone or

in combination with the progressive aspect. We will look at how the
meaning of the lexical verb used opens up for or excludes the use of the
progressive aspect, and how the progressive aspect can convey different
types of meaning depending on the meaning of the lexical verb. In
addition, we will briefly discuss situations where we use present tense to
express non-present meaning.

1. Referring to present time

There are two main ways of referring to present time: we can use the simple
(non-progressive) present tense, or the present progressive (present tense +
progressive aspect). The English system of grammar here has a systematic
choice between two ways of presenting a present time event; this is a choice
that does not exist in many other languages, such as Norwegian.

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Of these two forms of present tense, we can see the simple present tense as
the neutral, unmarked form which can be used in most cases. The progressive
is the marked form: it is less frequent, requires special circumstances for its
use, and conveys a more specific meaning. Even when the verbal situation fits
the use of the progressive, it will normally be possible to choose the non-
progressive form.

2. The simple present:

Describes the fundamental structure of the world, normal and routine

situations, permanent abilities, habits etc.
Lars speaks English very well
I prepare dinner, and Joan sets the table
They have people over all the time
The tide comes in very fast hereabouts
Water flows downwards

While we will say less about the simple present than about the present
progressive, it is vital to remember that this is by far the most common verb
form for referring to present time.

3. The progressive form

Describes the subject as being in the middle of an action or an event.

The event is not completed.

The event lasts for some time, but its extension in time is limited: it is not
permanent or typical.

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 Ron is speaking to someone just now.
I’m preparing dinner and Joan is setting the table
They are having some people over
The tide’s coming in very fast.
I sit here dreaming, while the river is flowing past me.

It should be clear from the examples how the simple present in the examples
above tends to describe the situation as permanent and habitual, while the
progressive is temporary and ongoing.

3.1 The emotional effect of the progressive:

The one example above that might seem a little odd based on this definition is
the last one of the progressives: surely, the river’s flow is permanent? And
could we not just as well have said ‘while the river flows past me’?

Quite true: we could. However, by using the progressive here, we achieve a

stronger emotional and subjective effect. Instead of looking at the flowing river
as a permanent, we could even say routine, event, we intensify it by making it
‘just now’. We now it is permanent, but the feeling we get is temporary and
therefore more intense: it paints an emotionally more powerful image. We see
the same contrast in

Time slips away.

Time is slipping away.

The simple present “slips away” pictures the situation as a universal truth,
while the progressive “is slipping” focuses on the specific situation here and
now: it makes it personal, and therefore more urgent.

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 4. The progressive and adverbials
The fact that the progressive is connected with temporary situations means
that it is more likely in connection with Adverbials that refer to temporary
situations:

At the moment, I’m working as a personal assistant to a very minor film

star.

I’m living with my parents until I get my finances sorted.

This tendency is not very strong, though. As we said above, the simple, non-
progressive form is the neutral choice that can be used in most situations if you
just do not want to emphasise the temporary nature of the situation beyond
what the Adverbial already does:

At the moment, I work as a personal assistant to a very minor film star.

Adverbials that describe a situation as permanent or typical, on the other hand,

are quite unlikely to occur in combination with the progressive:

Actors never mention the play Macbeth by name.

I live with my parents on a permanent basis.

Mr. Olson drops in for a chat almost every day.

They always go to Cornwall in August.

The progressive would be quite strange in any of the sentences above, but it is
possible to use the progressive form with Adverbials that describe something
as permanent when we want to exploit the intensifying and emotional force of
the progressive which we just mentioned:

Like a river, life is always flowing on.

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 You are being so kind to me all the time.

My teacher is forever nagging me to study harder.

The combination of the progressive and Adverbials implying that something is

constant can sometimes create the impression that something is too much
(and thus negative), even if the action in itself is neutral or even positive:

They are always bringing me flowers!

This sounds as if the speaker is a little sick and tired of the endless stream of
flowers!

5. Stative vs. dynamic verbs and the progressive

The precise semantic effect of the verb phrase containing the progressive
aspect will vary with the meaning of the main verb. One element of this
meaning will be how the verb relates to the stative/dynamic contrast. Just a
quick reminder:

Dynamic verbs refer to actions, usually controlled by a human will, which have
internal development and very often a natural point of completion

Kate mows the lawn

This is an event with a natural development, a beginning and end: when you
have mowed the lawn, you will stop doing it.

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Stative verbs refer to states (experiences, conditions), that are seen as stable,
with no built in point of completion. The state can end, but that is not because
it is finished or completed – it is like an on/off switch.
Kate looks like Kim Kardashian
This is a state with no necessary beginning or ending: a person will not be done
looking like another person because a point of completion has been reached.
You can stop looking like the other person, but not because you are done.

Are the verbs as used in the following sentences stative or dynamic? Could
they be used in the progressive form in these sentences?

We entered the town through the old city gate.

In the middle of the square stands a statue of an elephant.
This problem relates to the situation in Greece.
She stood very close to me.
I feel a sharp breeze.
The vet felt the broken ankle.

5.1 Semantic groups of dynamic verbs and the progressive

Dynamic verbs can occur freely in the progressive aspect, but the exact
semantic effect of the progressive depends on what type of dynamic verb we
have:
5.1.1 Dynamic verbs that have extension in time:
Walk, dance, sew, drive....

I walk to work vs. I’m walking to work.

What is the difference in semantic effect?

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 The main effect of the progressive in this case is to suggest that the
extension in time is limited, that this is not a permanent situation.
In general, the progressive has a double semantic effect concerning how
long an event lasts: it suggests both that the verbal action lasts for some
time, and that the time it lasts is limited.
The progressive meaning of “lasting some time” has nothing to
contribute to these verbs, since they in themselves contain the element
of “lasting some time”: no one can dance for one second. The
progressive meaning of “lasting for limited time” does, however, have
meaning to contribute: it contrasts with the simple present tense, which
used with such a verb will generally suggest a permanent ability or a
habit

Oh, he dances so beautifully! (simple present – ability)

She usually drives to work (simple present – habit)
But he is dancing so beautifully! (present progressive – time-
limited event)
I am driving to work this week – I have to take the children to day
care. (present progressive – time-limited habit)

5.1.2 Dynamic verbs without significant extension in time (momentary)

Hit, kick, nod, tap..

A raven taps at my window vs. A raven is tapping at my window.

What is the difference in semantic effect between the simple and the
progressive here?

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 The use of the progressive with these verbs often suggests repeated
momentary actions going on for some time. They may in a sense contrast
in both directions: the simple present (or past!) tense form of these
verbs usually indicates a single, momentary action, but it is also possible
for them to describe a permanent arrangement:

Brækhus hits her opponent with a left uppercut (single,

momentary)
I have no idea who that man is, but he always nods at me when we
meet (habitual).
Pete was kicking the ball against the garden shed (repeated action
for a limited time)
Linda was nodding furiously (repeated action for a limited time)

5.1.3 Momentary verbs leading to a change in the Subject’s state

Die, drown, stop, draw to a halt, crack...

The branch cracked vs. The branch was cracking.

What is the difference in semantic effect between the simple and the
progressive here?

In such case, the use of the progressive often suggests the approach to
the change rather than the change itself. We cannot use the progressive
unless we think of it as lasting some time, and the transition itself would
normally be momentary. Unlike the previous group, such changes in
state can normally not be repeated (most people die only once), so the
“repeated” meaning of the previous group may be awkward.
Help, help, I’m drowning! (approach to the change)
I’m dying of thirst here. (approach to the change – probably
figuratively)

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 At long last, the train seemed to be stopping. (approach to the
change)
There are verbs, though, which can belong either here or with the previous
group: with stop it is possible to picture repeated stops.
The train seemed to be stopping at every single station (repeated
action)

5.1.4 Dynamic verbs that in themselves describe a process of change:

Become, get, change, grow...

He gets very angry vs. He’s getting very angry.

What is the difference in semantic effect between the simple and the
progressive here?

The use of the progressive with such verbs is very common; the focus
tends to be on the on-going process, and we can see the progressive as
contrasted with a habitual or universal simple present tense meaning:

Darling, I am growing old (individual, on-going process)

People grow old (universal meaning)
Objects grow hazy as they get further away (universal meaning)
I’m getting more and more impatient (just now or in general)
I get more and more impatient (only in general)

All the main verbs below are obviously dynamic, but they describe
different semantic situations. Try to group them in the semantic
categories we have outlined above, and discuss their meaning

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 I’m turning into a grumpy old man.
I’m turning off the light now!
The company is refurbishing all their shops.
Karen is carving a sculpture for the garden.
Martha is cracking eggs for a huge wedding cake.
The common sparrow seems to be vanishing from its normal
habitats.

5.2 Stative verbs and the progressive

Truly stative verbs are basically incompatible with the progressive, this includes
the following groups:

5.2.1 Verbs of passive perception

These are verbs that describe the situation of passively sensing something,
without being actively trying to
See, hear, smell

I can see (*can be seeing) very well

I smell (*am smelling) a rat
I hear (*am hearing) a car.
We could say that these verbs refer to involuntary acts of sensation: you could
not help hearing or smelling, even if you wanted to, and a sighted person will
see if the eyes are opened.

5.2.2 Verbs describing intellectual and emotional states

Know, remember, think(= have an opinion), believe, admire, love

I think (*’m thinking) she is qualified for the job. (This is my

opinion)
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 Will admires (*is admiring) Indian philosophy.

5.2.3 Verbs that describe permanent qualities or relationships:

Be, remain, have, own, possess, consist of, contain, mean, resemble,
want
The population consists of (* is consisting) of three groups.
You are (*are being) very tall
I own (*am owning) two cars – and my other car is also a Porsche
These verbs describe how the subject is connected to something in the world
outside, or describes qualities of the subject.

5.2.4 Stative verbs with non-stative meanings:

Many of these stative verbs, however, have alternative non-stative meanings,
which can take the progressive:

I must be seeing things. (hallucinating)

Gary is seeing someone new. (going out with)
Yolanda is thinking about taking the job. (considering)
I am admiring your hair – where do you get it done? (look at with
admiration)
Even without a significant change in meaning, you will sometimes see these be
used with the progressive: the fact that this is unusual/odd/wrong makes it
stick out and seem especially meaningful, or funny, or memorable:

?I’m thinking this has gone on for long enough.

?Oh, he is always being Mr. Perfect when he knows he is watched.
Were you wanting a lift?
I’m loving it!

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Be followed by a subject predicative is basically stative and does not accept the
progressive. However with some Subject Predicatives, it is possible to use the
progressive to mark that the quality ascribed to the subject may not be
permanent:

Paul: But Tessa told me she likes my cooking.

Beatrice: She was being polite.

Beatrice may not mean to say that Tessa is not normally polite, but neither
does she vouch for her general politeness (as “She is polite” would do).
In addition to lack of permanence, the progressive may also suggest that there
is a deliberate action on the part of the subject, or at least that it is something
the subject could influence:
He is being absent-minded again.
This seems to suggest that the subject is exploiting his absent-mindedness, for
example as an excuse for not doing what he is supposed to. Even if it is not
deliberate, the use of the progressive seems to suggest that this person could
do something about it if he would.

How would you explain the semantic difference between the simple and the
progressive form of the same verb in the following sentences?

a. 1. The nightingale sings beautifully.

2. The nightingale is singing beautifully.

b. . 1. He has some sandwiches in the car, I think.

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 2. He’s having some sandwiches in the car, I think.

c. 1. Can you smell gas?

2. Why are you smelling the fish?

d. 1. I consider your suggestion silly.

2. I’m considering your suggestion carefully.

e 1. Melinda is smart.

2. Melinda is being smart.

6 Special uses of the simple present tense

6.1 Instantaneous present

In connection with dynamic verbs without time extension, we see that a simple
present tense verb can be used to refer to such events as they are happening:
this is particularly used in sports commentary or in (perhaps slightly old
fashioned) broadcasting reportage:

Messi takes his time - he shoots…but no: it is just too weak, and the
keeper catches it without a problem.

The Queen comes up the aisle. A page carries the crown before her, and
six ladies-in-waiting follow, carrying the train..

6.2 Historic present

Present tense can sometimes be used about events that are not strictly
speaking present time at all – events that clearly are in the past:
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 I was discussing Obama vs. the Republicans with my friends, when
suddenly this weird-looking guy comes up and starts yelling about
a socialist conspiracy.

This is what we call the historic present, which is used to make a narrative of a
past event appear more vivid and dramatic.

6.3 Referring present

We also have cases like:

I hear you are going away

Obviously, the “hearing” part of this is strictly speaking over by the time this is
said, but by using the present tense, you show greater confidence in the truth
of the statement than if you said

I heard you were going away

We also have the use of present tense in quoting verbs:

‘T’is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’
as Tennyson says.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is long dead and gone, but using the present tense
shows that you consider his writing still relevant: you cannot quote more
obscure (deceased) persons in this way:

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 “Luck in the beginning is bad luck in the end” as my late
Grandmother always said.

If I had used the simple present tense form in the example directly above, I
would have indicated that my grandmother was still with us – which is
obviously not the effect in the Tennyson quote.

6. Do not over-use the progressive!

Non-native speakers tend to overuse the progressive. The progressive is

significantly less frequent than the non-progressive, whether in the present or
the past tense. Less than 5% of verb phrases tend to contain a progressive form
- though the percentage depends on the type of language. The progressive
should only be used when there is an active reason to use it: not just the fact
that the event is incomplete and ongoing, but there must be focus on this fact.

Norwegian has no grammatical form of the verb that corresponds fully to the
progressive, though there are some verb combinations with similar meaning:

Jeg går og tenker på det du sa i går.

Eg driv og vaskar klede.
Huset er i ferd med å falle sammen.

Some verbs have a meaning in themselves that contains many of the same
semantic elements as the progressive aspect:

Jeg grubler litt på det du sa i går.

”Gruble” contains some of the same meaning elements as the progressive: it

must have some extension in time, but it is not likely to be permanent, and it

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also has a meaning of intense effort. However, this is the same in English: some
verbs have a lexical meaning that is similar to the progressive. These verbs can
still take the progressive to further strengthen this effect.
While the main danger is to over-use the progressive, it must also be said that
there are cases where the progressive is strongly indicated, not least in the
cases we mentioned above as dynamic processes of change:

I’m beginning to think this is a mistake.

?I begin to think this is a mistake.

The progressive can combine also with past tense and perfective aspect verbs
to give past time meaning: we will look at that in the second half of the
chapter.

Choose either the simple present or the present progressive according to what
you think works in the verbs in CAPITALS in the following conversation.

Oh dear, where in the world DO you GO/ARE you GOING with that huge knife?
It is Halloween soon and I always DO/AM DOING this knife-throwing act for our
Halloween party. I NEED/AM NEEDING to practice.

Oh yes, I REMEMBER/AM REMEMBERING that act. It LOOKS/IS LOOKING really

dangerous.

Oh great, DO you really MEAN/ARE you really MEANING that? I always

THINK/AM THINKING it LOOKS/IS LOOKING sort of fake .

You must KID/BE KIDDING. Even now it SCARES/IS SCARING me to think about
it.

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