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English Grammar
From Spoiler:
Well, fortunately I am merely quoting here - which let's me off the hook, because nobody
can hold me responsible for that, if you know what I mean. But, on the other hand, I really agree with the quotee (the person who explained this grammar case in the first place) - and I think he really has a point here, no matter out which body orifice his statement comes from, it really
has flesh to it.
Yes, the progressive form, especially for the present perfect really emphasize that something
hasn't just happened at some time in the past, but insead it really has had an effect on the speaker's mind, it really has been something that has been on his mind or has been palpable whilst they have done it: "I have been studying English for some years": It has been as an ongoing process, an act which has had an impression on my mind nearly all the time, I have been really occupied with it, quite in contrast to an act which I have done only casually: "I have visited England a couple of times' or "I have read some English books over the years".
And, it might be surprising as well, but even a verb like “to have†can be in the progressive form.
Consider: You have had a terrible day at work, a day which was really excrutiating and you have l been suffering: “I've been having a terrible day.†That's an appropriate way to stress the fact that it was a terrible day for you, that it had an impression on your mind. Generally, the progressive form is used to tell something that is annoying.
[blocFrom Spoiler:
When I come late, as as spectator to a running competition with, say 10 legs (rounds), then "I miss a leg", and this is not hypothetical.
"to have one leg missing" is not hypothetical, because in he sense of "being short of one leg" is a real experience. Once you try to balance on one leg know what I mean. And being short of two legs make the thing even more difficult.
These things only become hypothetical if you think of them as something that might happen. But that doesn't have to do anything with the grammar or the meaning of the words.
And, by the way, the subject of adjectives vs. verbs is not that complicated at all. It's not rocket science. It is much easier than it is purported to be.
A verb in it*s passive form can be construed as an adjective when there are qualities involved, in the case of "missed" the emotional states of people. In the active form there is also a scale of quality: I miss him very much". Hence, the indication whether a verb becomes an adjective in the passive form is alreay contained in the active form.
Conversely: "I kill him." has an absolute quality. I can only kill him or not - either he is dead or not.
Having said that, "He is killed" is not a matter of quality, and killed can not be misconstrued as an adjective.
This post was deleted by the author 9 years, 7 months ago.
Posts: 84
12 Aug. 2012