noun

Question

EX. 'You've got to be kidding 'I have heard the above sentence many times but I don't know what's the exact role of the word kidding and also the meaning of the whole sentence??I don't know why I think ' You have to be kidding ' doesn't sound to be true structurally ..

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

bmojtabawhat's the exact role of the word kidding

'You have got to be kidding' = You must be kidding.

'To be kidding' is a continuous infinitive, I suppose, controlled by 'to have to be', a sort of semi-auxiliary.
The sentence means 'I don't believe that what you said/did is real or serious'.

Bmojtaba · Answer

So what's difference in the following examples??

'You have to kid' & 'You have to be kidding'

Is Both meaning the same???Are both of them correct??

'

Fivejedjon · Answer

'You have to kid' is not possible in this context.

Bmojtaba · Answer

fivejedjon'You have to kid' is not possible in this context.

Thank you,the word kidding is noun??

Is there any difference between the following sentences(mean between infinitive and continuous infinitive )?

'I like to swim '

'I like to be swimming '

Fivejedjon · Answer

bmojtaba,the word kidding is noun??

Mr M has already told you that 'to be kidding' is a continuous infinitive.

bmojtabaIs there any difference between the following sentences(mean between infinitive and continuous infinitive )?'I like to swim ''I like to be swimming '

Yes. I can't think of a context in which the second is very natural. Let's try a different verb.

I like to cook when he gets home. This suggests that the speaker begins to cook when 'he gets home'.
I like to be cooking when he gets home. This suggests that the cooking is already in progress when 'he gets home'.

Bmojtaba · Answer

fivejedjonMr M has already told you that 'to be kidding' is a continuous infinitive.

So, what about ' You must be kidding' what's the role of kidding or be kidding?

Thanks in advance

Fivejedjon · Answer

bmojtabaSo, what about ' You must be kidding' what's the role of kidding or be kidding?

You have to be kidding. This is the full or to- (progressive/continuous) infinitive.
You must be kidding. This is the bare (progressive/continuous) infinitive.

Clive · Answer

Hi guys,

You've got to be kidding.

Perhaps I am just taking a shallow approach to this matter, but my first thought is that 'kidding' here seems like an adjective.

One can just as easily say
eg You've got to be angry.
eg You've got to be serious.

Clive

Fivejedjon · Answer

CliveHi guys,You've got to be kidding.Perhaps I am just taking a shallow approach to this matter, but my first thought is that 'kidding' here seems like an adjective.One can just as easily say eg You've got to be angry.eg You've got to be serious.Clive

You can indeed, but you can also say, "You've got to be a marine"; this does not make 'kidding' a (determiner +) noun.

One of the features of a participle is that it has some of the properties of both an adjective and a verb. In progressive forms such as The man is running, I am kidding, the -ing forms do have an adjectival quality, but they are traditionally considered to be part of the progressive/continuous aspect/tense of the verb. If you prefer to think of them adjectives, that is fine, but you'll have to accept that you will be out of step with most writers on English grammar.

If, on the other hand, you consider them to be examples of the progressive/continuous tense/aspect, then it seems logical to accept 'to be kidding' as a progressive/continuous infinitive.

I

Mister Micawber · Answer

Clive 'kidding' here seems like an adjective.One can just as easily say eg You've got to be angry.eg You've got to be serious.

The verbal becomes more obvious when you make it attributive, though:

An angry man
A serious man
A kidding man??

noun

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