progressive infinitive versus the ordinary infinitive

#s 1 and 3 are more polite because the speaker evidences the personal experiencing of the verb more actively. That's how I see it, anyway.

Why use the progressive in the following sentence?

We may be seeing a coming together of the humanities and the science of human nature.

Is it acceptable to say "We may see a coming together of the humanities and the science of human nature."?

Thanks a lot for your explanation.

The element of immediacy emerges further here. As is also a reading choice for your previous #1, may be seeing here indicates that the 'coming together' may have already begun; with may see, the speaker is considering future possibility only.

Businesses have long used religion to attract customers, and Starbucks may be adopting that tactic.

Why use the progressive aspect here?

Thank you very much for your reply.

The writer indicates that the adoption is now in process.

1. I am happy to be spending Christmas with you this year.

Here the speaker is/will be spending Christmas with this/those person/s.



2. I am happy to spend Christmas with you this year.


Here the speaker is stating his position. This sentence does not necessarily tell us that the people inv

The progressive gives a sense of something that is "in process". The first sentence describes what you are actually in the process of doing (i.e. spending Christmas with ...). The second sentence refers to a discrete event (probably in the future) rather than as an event in progress.

Teo1. I am happy to be spending Christmas with you this year.

You are spending Christmas with them at the time you say this. Or, using the present progressive as a future, you are commenting on your arrangements to spend Christmas with them, in effect saying, I am happy that I will be spending Christmas with you this year.

Teo

I see a difference between #1 and 2, but very little or no difference between 3 and 4. The use of the progressive in #1 makes it sound like spending Christmas together is a prior plan or already agreed to and, in fact, may already be happening. Use of the basic infinitive in #2, however, sounds like the speaker is agreeing to the plan as he/she speaks.