Comments on: Are you lovin' it?

By: Christopher Allen

Christopher Allen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:43:10 +0000

Advanced Grammar in Use in the correct title.

By: Christopher Allen

Christopher Allen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:42:34 +0000

Unit One of Advance Grammar in Use (Cambridge) makes it quite clear that using stative verbs in the continuous form can be useful. See the unit for a few good examples.

By: Franziska Holzner

Franziska Holzner — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Ha – so that’s why I wasn’t all that shocked when I noticed the McDonald’s ad going against yet another grammar rule – used to be a big fan of that kind of music (already called ‘oldies’ at that time!) when I was young and remember the song quite well, actually.

By: Emilio

Emilio — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:31:53 +0000

Thank you Jonathan!
So this goes back at least as far as 1963!
Great song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOYOJAczH0k

By: Jonathan Marks

Jonathan Marks — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:20:17 +0000

A footnote to Emilio’s comment on November 24, 2009 at 7:46 pm:
This song ‘I like it’ was first recorded by Gerry and the Pacemakers in 1963, and was a number one hit in the UK. It was written by Mitch Murray, an Englishman.

By: Lola Garcia

Lola Garcia — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:21:38 +0000

Well, that’s a load off my mind. I’ve been teaching English in Spain for about ten years and when that whole McDonald /J.Timberlake thing came up I would hold my breath as I taught present continuous, just dreading/waiting for a student to interrupt my explanation at that particular stative verb exception and say: Buy hey, what about “I’m loving it”? Time to celebrate!

By: Emilio

Emilio — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:09:10 +0000

I think yer all (most) tak (ing?) this too seriously.

By: Beatriz

Beatriz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:58:50 +0000

Speaking also as a NNS of English and an EFL Teacher, I have to say I don’t feel all that confused or shocked. If we accept that one of the uses we put language to is that of expressing ourselves, then -to me- it makes perfect sense to make certain “traditionally static” verbs dynamic simply because I have the need to convey my message as a process rather than a finished product: in Helen’s first example, for instance. the way I see it, I have at least two choices as a speaker: I can project a context in which the most important thing is that I have a desire to get a new car (static), or focus on how often/long I’ve thought about getting a new car.
This reminds me of a debate related to labelling people. I suppose it took place in the context of politcal correctness issues. So then it was suggested, and generally agreed upon, that it was preferable to say “You’re being X” as opposed to “You are X”, precisely because that put the stress on the behaviour rather than a more permanent personal trait. (I may not recollect the debate accurately enough though).
My point is that there seems to be a gap in language for the need to express process or continutity in certain areas, and users of the language seem to agree that using static verbs progressively does the trick to fill that gap. I suppose that is one of the ways language changes over time.

By: Helen

Helen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:14:02 +0000

I’ve already come across “I’ve been wanting a new car for a few weeks already” and “I’m not understanding you”. If my memory serves me right, I spotted the first example in one of D. Larsen-Freeman articles on grammar and its teaching. I heard the second one from an American college professor when we were trying to agree on the time and place to meet. She implied that she couldn’t actually make out when and where we’d finally meet. As a non-native speaker and a teacher of English, I was shocked to hear that!
Now I think if there are more and more cases of “bending the law”, it’s high time new rules were accepted. If verbs can be dynamic, why can’t grammar itself be as dynamic as possible? By just denying this fact, we’ll make both natives and foreigners confused. And one more thing: forbidden fruit is always sweet…

By: JPersico

JPersico — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:51:10 +0000

@ Juan Carlos

Hello JC,

I was actually referring to the entire phrase “me encanta todo eso”, the last part of which (“toodo eso”) I’m sure you’ll also find to be a painfully awkward translation of “i love all that”.