Smiles when she is talking. [Present simple + present progressive]?
I have a grammar book which says about some advanced points of the present simple and the present progressive. the points are below:
1. Simple present for regular and repeated action. but present progressive for things happen around that time.
Ex. She smiles when she is talking.
2. If the action in progress is marked in the main clause, it is unnecessary to mention it in the subclause.
EX. I'm sitting in a desk-chair as I write.
Now my questions are as follows:
a. "She smiles when she is talking" What does this sentence express? a permanent general statement or a progressive statement!
b. "I'm sitting in a desk-chair as I write." -What does this sentence express? a permanent general statement or a progressive statement!
Top answer
Hi The English tense is confusing in that way: - I am talking to Jane. She smiles when she is talking. That means, in the moment that I'm describing, Jane smiles and talks - Do you know Jane - who works in the main office?
- Hi The English tense is confusing in that way: - I am talking to Jane.
- She smiles when she is talking.
- That means, in the moment that I'm describing, Jane smiles and talks - Do you know Jane - who works in the main office?
- She smiles when she is talking.
- That means I am picking out a general idea of Jane: people may think of her as the woman who smiles when she talks There's no tense difference in English - you can only go by the context.
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Hi
The English tense is confusing in that way:
- I am talking to Jane. She smiles when she is talking.
That means, in the moment that I'm describing, Jane smiles and talks
- Do you know Jane - who works in the main office? She smiles when she is talking.
That means I am picking out a general idea of Jane: people may think of her as the woman who smiles when s
0roky0071a. "She smiles when she is talking" What does this sentence express? a permanent general statement or a progressive statement?
It's a general statement. She (always) smiles ...
roky0071b. "I'm sitting in a desk-chair as I write." -What does this sentence express? a permane
0roky0071Ex. She smiles when she is talking.
This can be a general statement or a statement of what is happening at the present time, as in a present-tense narrative. However, since we do not often talk or write in a present-tense narrative, the latter is not very usual. As a general statement, "She smiles when she talks" would be more usual.
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