I'm lovin' it

[Gość: abby]

moi uczniowie pytaja czemu w oficjalnym hasle reklamowym pojawia sie 'love' w
Pres Cont. Mam swoja teorie ale chetnie poznam wasze opinie

[Gość: awalk]

I am loving probably means I am enjoying it. It is an action that's why you can use PC. There are also other possibilities - look up the synonyms of 'loving', but since it is an advertisement then 'enjoy' is the most likely meaning.

[ladyc]

Abby-
You are correct that love is a state verb (not expressing an action)and cannot
be used in the present continuous tense. Recently state verbs such as love and
like have been used in popular culture in the present continuous to add
emphasis- meaning I really love it. Nonetheless, the slogan "I'm lovin' it!"
is grammatically incorrect.

[Gość: new]

Wrong. I'm watching them fight and I'm loving every minute of it. Absolutely
correct.

[Gość: cass]

eh ludzie ala wy sie znacie, to jest tak, sa czasowniki ktore normalinie nie
występują w present continuous e.g. have, like, be, love ale tylko wtedy jeśli
znacza to co znacza normalinie , ale czasami znacza co innego i własnie wtedy
mozna je uzyc w present continuous
w zdaniu "I'm having dinner" - have nie znaczy miec tylko jeść i dlatego
pres.cont. jest mozliwy
albo "You are being stupid" - be nie znaczy być tylko behave-zachowywac sie
wiec znowu pr.cont. jest mozliwy
wiec jezeli uzywacie 'love' w sensie enjoy to tez mozna uzyc pr.cont.

take care people

[Gość: irek]

'Pres Cont' to co?

[ballerinapl]

A mnie sie wydaje ze Macdonald tak sie zna na wyrafinowanym angielskim ja na
wyrafinowanym jedzeniu :)

[Gość: rob]

Present Continous. Now, my question: in what context can we say 'I'm loving every minute of it'? - what is the rule here? What makes a stative verb become an active
one???

[Gość: awalk]

Gość portalu: rob napisał(a):

> Present Continous. Now, my question: in what context can we say 'I'm loving eve
> ry minute of it'? - what is the rule here? What makes a stative verb become an
> active
> one???

Looka at this example:

I have a watch.
I am having (eating) dinner.

He measures 100 cm in his chest.
I don't know his chest size, so I am measuring it.

The same situation is with love.

I love her.
I am loving (enjoying) it so much.

[azm2]

"to love" to nie tylko "kochać", ale również: zachwycać się czymś, uwielbiać
coś. Dlatego I'm loving every minute of it = Zachwycam się każdą minutą czegoś,
jestem zachwycony przez cały czas, itd. Dosłowne tłumaczenie nie ma sensu.
Trzeba znaleźć trochę inne słowa, niż w tłumaczeniach amerykańskich filmów w
różnych stacjach TV, gdzie co chwilę słychać (po polsku): Kocham mój samochód,
Kocham mój dom, Kocham moje podwórko, itp.
Najśmieszniej jest, gdy kobieta przymierza sukienkę, przegląda się w lustrze i
mówi z emfazą: Oh, I love it! A lektor czyta tłumaczenie: Kocham to!

[azm2]

I'm lovin' it = uwielbiam to... (tylko wtedy, gdy jem, bo po zjedzeniu zaczyna
mnie mdlić) - dlatego jest Pres. Cont. ;-))

[Gość: rob]

No, I'm asking seriously. I get the difference btw I'm having dinner and I have
a dog; I'm seeing my doc tomorrow and I see you. But I cannot imagine that the
verb 'love' might decribe an action (unless you mean sex, of course ;->). Isn't
it smth inside us - like ... A STATE?

[wannabekiwi]

You're right about the verb "love" describing the state, however, in the
examples above, "I'm loving it" means "I'm really enjoying it".
I'm loving this movie I'm watching right now, I'm loving this food you cooked
for me and am eating right now, etc. You are in the process of doing something
you are really really enjoying and you're simply lovin' it.

[ladyc]

I don't agree. You cannot say -I'm loving my dinner meaning I'm enjoying it.

[Gość: wannabekiwi]

sure you can.

Honey, I'm just loving this chicken quesadilla you made for me.....I love you :)

There is nothing wrong with saying: I am loving it

[Gość: Mexternal]

Gość portalu: rob napisał(a):

> No, I'm asking seriously. I get the difference btw I'm having dinner and I
have
>
> a dog; I'm seeing my doc tomorrow and I see you. But I cannot imagine that
the
> verb 'love' might decribe an action (unless you mean sex, of course ;->)


This is only because you’re thinking about the meaning of the word love in
Polish terms.

I will give you some examples.
In America it s normal to say:

I love my car.
I love my job.
I love to watch TV.
I love his shoes
I love to sleep late
I love to hate him
I love to be late


A guy can even say he loves his friend with out any homosexual connotation.

There is nothing wrong with saying: I am loving it!

















. Is
> n't
> it smth inside us - like ... A STATE?

[ladyc]

I'm thinking of the word love in the most 'English' way possible and I still
don't agree. Sure you can say I'm loving it and I'm hating it. You can say
anything you want. But is it correct? I gotta look into it.

[wannabekiwi]

it's as correct as "I gotta look into it" ;)

[Gość: Michael Swan]

wanna bek.... is right. You have to choose a continuous form to stress that the
situation is temporary and in progress.

You're in McDonalds eating and you say:
"I don't usually like burgers but I'm loving this one."

This is good English and shows that you want to stress that the situation is
happening now and is temporary - it's different from the usual situation.
It's the classic contrast with present simple for habits and repeated actions.

I think McDonalds could have said "I love it!", but "I'm loving it sounds more
dynamic, like it's happening now. It sounds better in the ad.

It's interesting to see the comments that 'it's grammatically incorrect',
probably because it says so in a shitty grammar book written in the 1960's.

[Gość: rob]

Your answer sounds very convincing - I admit. Thank you

[ladyc]

My grammar book is neither shifty nor from the 1960's.

[ladyc]

But I give up and ask for mercy from private e-mails. I will stick to my own
private boycott against love in the continuous tense.

[zegar4]

Gość portalu: Michael Swan napisał(a):


> It's interesting to see the comments that 'it's grammatically incorrect',
> probably because it says so in a shitty grammar book written in the 1960's.


Grammar books from the sixties were better then and are better now than what is
available right now.

[zegar4]

I do not know the ad and can not comment on it.

Some stative verbs when used progressively take on dynamic meanings and
indicate states of limited duration.
A classic example is "(Now) you are being silly".

However – there is always a "however" somewhere – one might be tempted to
stress the change of a state, or an unexpected situation, or both, which may
acquire some dynamic properties of change or surprise in the making. The
resultant state may be temporary or not.

As an example, a divorcee might want to say "I am single and loving it" to
express the surprise and to contradict the stereotype of a sorry abandoned
woman. In this example there is no implication of any non-permanence or
permanence of her newly acquired taste for being single.

[ladyc]

I've been checking this in many sources. Please keep in mind that I am
concerned with "loving" as a verb in a sentence such as "I am loving it". I
have found in Murphy's and Swan's grammar books, respectively, that love is a
verb used only in the simple tense.

English is my first language by the way. So don't laugh at my problems with my
own language or I will ask you about the meaning of "spolegliwy" ;)

[zegar4]

Dear LadyC,
You do not have a problem. You are right and gutsy enough to say what you know.
About this love/loving thing again. I hope the example explained what I meant.
If not, let me repeat: "to love" can be used in a sense that is not stative
when circumstances allow it; to give you a legitimate example, I will create
the obvious context of change and therefore of progression by modifying the
verb with an adverbial typical of dynamic verbs.

Take a gander at this:
(1)"I love my father more and more every day." The sense is not stative, is
it? Mind you, not all adverbs will do the job; I would not say "I love my
father gradually."
For the same reason, I may say (2) "I am loving my father more and more every
day" and I think the grammar police will not arrest me for saying that.
Would I articulate my feelings any better by saying (2) rather than (1)?
No, I would not.

Now, what's this spolegliwy thingy all about?

[Gość: awalk]

ladyc napisała:

> I've been checking this in many sources. Please keep in mind that I am
> concerned with "loving" as a verb in a sentence such as "I am loving it". I
> have found in Murphy's and Swan's grammar books, respectively, that love is a
> verb used only in the simple tense.
>
> English is my first language by the way. So don't laugh at my problems with my
> own language or I will ask you about the meaning of "spolegliwy" ;)

The grammar books you are refering to are meant for beginner and intermediate levels. My advice is: get yourself a good grammar book e.g. A Practical English Grammar by A.J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, Oxford University Press. I've got the fourth edition and on the page 156 it says explicitly that the verbs like/love meaning 'enjoy' can be used in the continuous.

So you can have such conversation:

How are you liking your new job?

You may answer:

I'm loving it.

or

I'm hating it.

[Gość: abby]

> evels. My advice is: get yourself a good grammar book e.g. A Practical
English
> Grammar by A.J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, Oxford University Press. I've got t
> he fourth edition and on the page 156 it says explicitly that the verbs
like/lo
> ve meaning 'enjoy' can be used in the continuous.
>
> So you can have such conversation:
>
> How are you liking your new job?
>
> You may answer:
>
> I'm loving it.
>
> or
>
> I'm hating it.

Why on earth can you say: I'm loving my job??? I buy explanations that you may
use 'love' in progressive aspect when it describes a temporary situation or
gradual one - ok.
But with a job??? How come you are HATING your job 'at the moment' and you
usuallly like it - if it is a NEW job - like in your example?????

[ladyc]

Interesting. I sent my question to 3 English language panels. I received the
answer (from all 3) that love in the continuous (in the example sentence) is
often used but is incorrect.

I have Swan's book from my university- my university in an English speaking
country, not an ESL book.

So I officially end my search for knowledge on this subject with my final
thought 'Screw it'...or should that be 'Screwing it'?

;)

[tynski]

Would you be so kind as to quote the replies that the panelists gave you?

[ladyc]

Please go to Using English.com Ask the Teacher or Ask the Expert Forum. Also
Cambridge Dictionary Forum and I don't remember the third one.

[Gość: awalk]

Gość portalu: abby napisał(a):

> Why on earth can you say: I'm loving my job??? I buy explanations that you may
> use 'love' in progressive aspect when it describes a temporary situation or
> gradual one - ok.
> But with a job??? How come you are HATING your job 'at the moment' and you
> usuallly like it - if it is a NEW job - like in your example?????

OK, here is the scan from another source:

Groups of verbs which usually appear in simple tenses only

The Senses
hear, see, smell, taste, feel, touch

Emotions
care, desire, detest, dislike, envy, fear, hate, hope, like, love, mind, prefer, regret, want, wish

Opinions
think, assume, believe, consider, feel (-think), suggest, suppose

Mental States
expect, forget, imagine, know, mean, notice, remember, realize, understand, see (-understand)

Possession
belong, have, owe, own, possess

Measuring
contain, cost, hold, measure, weigh

Others
appear, depend on, deserve, interest, look like, matter, seem

Note: These verbs may be used in the continuous form in the following situations.

1. to give special emphasis to continuity and/or repetition

I'm always hearing bumps in the night.

2. when the verbs are used In a specific context and have a different meaning
I can't talk to you now, I'm having my lunch, (having = eating)


Exercise
Use the same verb to complete each pair of sentences. In one sentence the verb has the same meaning indicated in the language summary and will be in the simple form. In the other sentence, it has a different meaning and will be in the continuous form.

1 'have'
? I.............. lunch with a friend today.
? Sylvia.............. a new watch. It does almost anything.
2 'see'
? Johnny Rabid .............. his manager this afternoon.
? I usually.............. my neighbour leaving for work In the mornings.
3 'expect'
? She ..............a baby In July.
? Look at that sky I.............. It'll rain before long.
4 'hope'
? It's the carnival today, I.............. It doesn't rain.
? He buys a lottery ticket every month. He .............. to win a car.
5 'imagine'
? 'I saw a ghost Over there, next to the cupboard,' 'Don't be silly. You .............. things!'
I.............. that you know why I asked to see you.
6 'measure'
? He doesn't know his chest size, so I .............. him.
? He .?.?... 100cm around the cheat.
7 'cost'
? They .............. 75p each.
? I'll have to sell my car. It.............. me a fortune in petrol
8 'appear'
? 'The Rats'.............. at the Albert Hall next week.
? You'd better call a doctor. He .............. to be ill.
9 'see'
? I.............. that the tax on cigarettes ss going up again.
? .............. you .............. her this evening?
10 'hope'
? I.............. you can stay for lunch.
? I.............. for a pay rise this year, but I don't expect I'll get one.

[Gość: abby]

that's a nice one; can I print this exercise and use it with my students?

[tynski]

It would be wise to keep in mind though that many progressive usages of stative
verbs are still considered "unusual", in many cases a euphemism for old-
fashioned "wrong".

Someone has collected a list of them to contrast the "normal uses" with
the "unusual uses".

"Some stative verbs express an emotional or mental state, [...]. Most of these
verbs express an active meaning with the {–ING} form [...and ] may [...] have
the meaning of an incompleted involuntary act with temporary results (A). In
the following list we sometimes give a related but different meaning (M), the
inceptive (I), or, if nothing else, the frequentive (F)."

The frequentive meaning or the tagging of the meaning as frequentive is
suspect to me.
For the list go to
www.burgoyne.com/pages/bdespain/grammar/gram171.htm

[zegar4]

Hi Tynski,
Yes sir, right on target, another dingbat did a gig.

[Gość: Michael Swan]

Just a few things to get off my chest

Grammar reference books:

Longman have published a light blue reference book (can't remember the name -
something like A Grammar of Spoken English or something) which is based on real
examples of spoken and written English, so it's a descriptive grammar
(describes how the language is really used) rather than the prescriptive
grammars that came out in the 60's (that tell you how the writer thinks the
language should be).

Abby

There's absolutely nothing wrong with saying "I'm loving my job at the moment."
e.g. you're getting more and more work every day and your boss is annoying you
(note the progressive aspects here). Maybe the speaker suspects that the
situation will change and the job will get worse and that's why they choose a
progressive.

awalk

You obviously know your stuff. The list of verbs is pretty useful but the key
is that they USUALLY appear in the simple form.

Also I think your exercise is ok in places but why have you chosen to use a
future situations e.g. in 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9? This a different use of the
continuous form than the one we're discussing. All the student needs to do is
look at the time marker e.g. "next week" and think "right, I need a continuous
form here to talk about a future arrangement". It doesn't show a contrast
between "I love it" and "I'm loving it."

You could say "I hate this forum" as a fact and you might want to contrast that
with "I'm hating this discussion of verb aspects" because in this way you can
show that you see the situation as temporary, i.e. that the topic will soon run
its course and we'll all get back to talking about the usual stuff.

And finally "I'm loving it" is an expression from club culture and is becoming
quite normal in spoken British English, particularly among young people. That's
why McDonalds want to be trendy and put it in their ads I suppose. So what I
want to say is it's part of the language and will be more so in future so let's
try and understand it rather than take the easy route of saying things
like "McDonalds' English is as bad as their food", and "it's wrong and you
can't say that". Goodnight and thank you!

[zegar4]

Gość portalu: Michael Swan napisał(a):

> Just a few things to get off my chest
>
> Grammar reference books:
>
> Longman have published a light blue reference book (can't remember the name -
> something like A Grammar of Spoken English or something) which is based on
real
>
> examples of spoken and written English, so it's a descriptive grammar
> (describes how the language is really used) rather than the prescriptive
> grammars that came out in the 60's (that tell you how the writer thinks the
> language should be).


Descriptive grammar started a hundred or so years ago, not in the sixties.
The "speechways" were coined in the sixties, I think.
The old grammar books were usually quite objective - it was the society that
pushed for correctness.

[Gość: awalk]

tynski napisała:

> It would be wise to keep in mind though that many progressive usages of stative
>
> verbs are still considered "unusual", in many cases a euphemism for old-
> fashioned "wrong".
>
> Someone has collected a list of them to contrast the "normal uses" with
> the "unusual uses".
>
> "Some stative verbs express an emotional or mental state, [...]. Most of these
> verbs express an active meaning with the {?ING} form [...and ] may [...]
> have
> the meaning of an incompleted involuntary act with temporary results (A). In
> the following list we sometimes give a related but different meaning (M), the
> inceptive (I), or, if nothing else, the frequentive (F)."
>
> The frequentive meaning or the tagging of the meaning as frequentive is
> suspect to me.
> For the list go to
> www.burgoyne.com/pages/bdespain/grammar/gram171.htm
>

So this is thy master tynski. Are you writing a commentary on the
Gospel according to Saint Thomas too?