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Paco2004 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

I study/am studying English

0 Hello Teachers 02br
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00I have a question. The question is: why "I am now studying English in school" is more natural than "I study now English in school" ? 02br
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00This question came originally from a Japanese guy (probably an English teacher) whom I had an online talk with on the usage of the verb "study". I told him that sentences like "I study English everyday" or "Most of the Japanese kids study English in school" are natural, but "I study now English in school" is not. And I added we have to say rather "I am now studying English in school". Then he asked me the question above. 02br
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00I believe this question is of beginner's levels, but I myself could not find a persuasive answer to it. What I told him as the reason was only that English speakers take a personal activity of studying a language as a short-term event that will eventually ends, and it is a rule of English that they use a present progressive construct rather than a simple present construct for such short-term events. But he seems not to have got satisfied with this answer. So could you give me any better answer? 02br
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00paco 0-
  

Top answer

12blockquote 12br 02br 00It's a matter of word order, paco. We don't put an adverb between the verb and the object. 02br 02br 00there are 3 possible posistions for adverbs: 02br 02br 00initial position: 02br 02br 00" Now I study English" 02br 02br 00mid-position: 02br 02br 00"I now study English" 02br 02br 00end position: 02br 02br 00"I study English now" 0-

— Abbie1948

  • 12blockquote 12br 02br 00It's a matter of word order, paco.
  • We don't put an adverb between the verb and the object.
  • 02br 02br 00there are 3 possible posistions for adverbs: 02br 02br 00initial position: 02br 02br 00" Now I study English" 02br 02br 00mid-position: 02br 02br 00"I now study English" 02br 02br 00end position: 02br 02br 00"I study English now" 0-
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32 Answers
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1blockquote
00The question is: why "I am now studying English in school" is more natural than "I study now English in school" ?12blockquote
12br
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00It's a matter of word order, paco. We don't put an adverb between the verb and the object. 02br
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00there are 3 possible posistions for adverbs: 02br
02br

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0 Abbie 02br
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00Thank you for such a quick reply! 02br
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00So if we say "Now I study English in school", it sounds to you as natural as "I am now studying English in school" or "Now I am studying English in school"? 02br
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00I think what he argued was a question about the choice btw simple present/present progressive tense
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0 To paco, 02br
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00Compare:- 02br
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00a) I studied only Japanese in school before, but now I study English (in school) as well. 02br
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00b) I didn't know any English before, so I am now studying English in school. 02br
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00Are "now I study English....." and "I am now studying English....." interchangeabl
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0 Hello Temico 02br
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00Thank you for the message. But sorry I have to say I could not get quite sure about what you meant. Do you mean "Now I study English in school" is equal to "I am now studying English in school"? If you mean so, could you kindly explain how come these two expressions get the same? 02br
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00paco 0-
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0 Paco, 02br
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00Re: I could not get quite sure about what you meant. 02br
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00a) I could not BE sure OF what you meant. 02br
00b) I am not quite sure about what you meant. 02br
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00Both my above sentences and yours "mean" the same, but are they really the same?? 02br
00The same logic applies to my previ
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0 01blockquote
00Both my above sentences and yours "mean" the same, but are they really the same??12blockquote
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00Hmm. Maybe I'm not reading this properly, temico, but it sounds a bit esoteric to me! 02br
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00So if we say "Now I study English in school", it sounds to you as natural as "I am now
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0 To Abbie, 02br
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00Which of the following two sentences is more correct/appropriate/ (whatever):- 02br
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00a) I used to eat bread only, now I eat rice too. 02br
00b) I used to eat bread only, now I am eating rice too. 02br
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00Thanks. 0-
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0 Hello Temico 02br
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00Do you want me to pay you respects for your being excellent at writing English? OK, you can be sure about it. I know you are very very good at English and I respect you for that. Frankly speaking, I respect everyone who comes here as my teacher, since I am a mere English learner at a beginner's level. 02br
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00paco 0-
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0 Hello Abbie 02br
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00So "I study English" and "I'm studying English" sound the same to you? To me, "I study English" sounds a bit weird when it stands alone. It is because I take "study" as a duration-limited activity verb, not a stative verb (like "live"). Am I wrong? 02br
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00paco 0-
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0 To Temico (sorry if I'm intruding, Abbie) 02br
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00To me the first one is correct. You could imply an adverb like "occasionally", "sometimes", even "often" in the sentence. It refers to what you like and don't like, so the simple present is correct. 02br
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00On the other hand, "I'm eating rice" could only refer to what you're doing right now, that
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