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Anglista2008 Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

I really don't get it :(

Hey there,

Guys, you know what? I've been studying English for so many years, I've read so many grammar books, I've been consulting lots of smaller and bigger issues concerning grammar... and still (sic) there are things that drive me crazy Emotion: sad Take a look at this one:

1. the present simple vs the present continuous... what's the difference between:

a) Do you think what I think?
and
b) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
and
c) Are you thiniking what I think?
and
d) Do you think what I'm thinking?

2. again, the same issue, but a different example

a) When we're getting familiar with a language, we may say we're picking it up. (why on earth the present continuous twice?)
and
b) When we get familiar with a language, we may say we pick it up.

3. Again, PS vs PC

a) My dad works as a sales representative.
b) My dad is working as a sales representative.

I often see, or read, that people use "work" in the PC, and I dunno why... I've always thought that "work" is something more stable, and more permanent, like "live"

4. phrasal verbs and their use... can I say the following sentences?

a) If we don't work out our problems, they'll hit us with a greater force next time.
b) With such a bad English, I'll never be able to get across.
c) With such a bad English, I'll never get across.

Thanks in advance,
  

Top answer

anglista2008 what's the difference between: a) Do you think what I think? and b) Are you thinking what I'm thinking? and c) Are you thiniking what I think?

— CalifJim

  • anglista2008 what's the difference between: a) Do you think what I think?
  • and b) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  • and c) Are you thiniking what I think?
  • and d) Do you think what I'm thinking?
  • It's not necessary to go through all of these in detail, since they are all based on two ideas: what someone thinks (the opinion one usually has) and what someone is thinking (the interpretation of a given situation one has).
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16 Answers
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anglista2008what's the difference between:

a) Do you think what I think?
and
b) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
and
c) Are you thiniking what I think?
and
d) Do you think what I'm thinking?
It's not necessary to go through all of these in detail, since they are all b
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anglista2008a) When we're getting familiar with a language, we may say we're picking it up. (why on earth the present continuous twice?)
and
b) When we get familiar with a language, we may say we pick it up.
There is no good reason to break the parallelism, so in both cases the same tense is used in both parts of the senten
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anglista2008a) My dad works as a sales representative.
b) My dad is working as a sales representative.

I often see, or read, that people use "work" in the PC, and I dunno why... I've always thought that "work" is something more stable, and more permanent, like "live"
Work is less permanent than it used to be!
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anglista20084. phrasal verbs and their use... can I say the following sentences?

a) If we don't work out our problems, they'll hit us with a greater force next time.
b) With such a bad English, I'll never be able to get across.
c) With such a bad English, I'll never get across.
They are all OK. You might want to use this
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They are all OK? Are you fully awake today CJ?

You should say "With such bad English, I'll never be able to get my point/meaning/ideas across".
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Anon,
I know it's not my business. If you are new to this forum and plan to be a frequent visitor, I suggest that you conduct your manners in a respectable tone to the volunteers. CJ is one of the top dogs on the panel and I like to agree with him that these sentences you had posted are grammatically correct and can be used depending on how you want to use it. If you have additional questons
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Actually, I misread them. The a in a bad English should be dropped.
As for adding something like point, meaning, or ideas, that can be done, of course, but it is not entirely necessary. People often leave pieces of their thoughts implicit. I don't think it would be unusual for someone to say that they didn't "get across", meaning that they were not understood as
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CalifJim
anglista2008a) When we're getting familiar with a language, we may say we're picking it up. (why on earth the present continuous twice?)
and
b) When we get familiar with a language, we may say we pick it up.
There is no good reason to break the parallelism, so in both cases the same tense is
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anglista2008is there any difference at all, between saying such a sentence in tPS than in tPC?
I thought I had made clear that there is a difference. PS indicates something habitual, regular, usual -- something that happens "these days". PC indicates something on-going, in progress, happening as you say it -- something happening "right now".
when I'm
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CalifJim____
Your original question involved definitions. In that case the tense is not as important as long as the action to be defined and the definition are in the same tense. As definitions, either of these is possible.
When we "get familar with something", we gradually get to know it better.
When we're "getting familiar with something", we're gradually
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