BEING + adjective

Question

Could you explain the specification of the usage of this construction?He is being difficult.He is being rude.How do they differ from?He is difficult.He is rude.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Could you explain the specification of the usage of this construction?

He is being difficult.
He is being rude.
These comments focus more on his current actions.
eg He's normally polite, but right now he is being rude.

How do they differ from?

He is difficult.
He is rude.
These comments focus more on his permanent character.

Clive

Ticce · Answer

Does it work with any adjective?

Why does - Are you being angry? - seem wrong to many people?

Clive · Answer

Hi,
Does it work with any adjective? No.
eg You can't say 'He is being dead.'

Why does - Are you being angry? - seem wrong to many people? Because 'angry' is normally considered a temporary feeling, so there is no need to use continuous to convey the idea of temporary.

Clive

Khoff · Answer

I would add that the constructions with "being" sound more purposeful -- it sounds as though you are asking if the person is being deliberately angry, which seems odd.

Ticce · Answer

Why it is confusing for me is because I overheard an american person say this phrase: "Are are being angry with me?" It makes me think that this phrase can work. I understand that it mugth sound odd, but, oh dear, isn't it a lot of oddness in the world? I can image a situation where a person could simulate an angry way of behavior. Will it work in this case? I mean if someone is trying to show that he is angry.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Yes. That was the point that Khoff just made.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

TicceI overheard an American person say this phrase: "Are are being angry with me?" It makes me think that this phrase can work.

Yes. Maybe once in a thousand years! I wouldn't expect to find it in a phrasebook of the 20,000 most frequently used expressions of English!

If you can think of adjectives that apply to people in terms of states and traits, you get the basic idea.

States: angry, sad, happy, dead! ("Temporary vs. permanent" doesn't always enter into it!)

Traits: rude, polite, honest

If it's a state, no -ing. There is no logical -ing form except in the most unusual of circumstances.

He is angry. She is sad. They are happy. He is dead.

Are you angry? Are you happy? Is he dead?

If it's a trait, no -ing as a trait, but switch to -ing to make it a state.

He is rude. (He's a rude person.) / He is being rude today.

She is always very polite. / Are you just being polite? Go ahead and take some more.

She is honest. (She's an honest person.) / I'm being honest with you when I say that.

CJ

Ticce · Answer

CalifJimMaybe once in a thousand years!

What a lucky man I am! i have witnessed the most rare phenomena live!

CalifJim · Answer

TicceWhat a lucky man I am! ...

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

I think he's being right ...

BEING + adjective

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