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Question

Which word is correct, practices or practicing?His manager is texting while he speaks with John.His manager is texting while he is speaking with John.

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Both sentences are grammatical. I would use the continuous tense is speaking. Practices and practicing are nowhere to be seen.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

Cool BreezeBoth sentences are grammatical. I would use the continuous tense is speaking. Practices and practicing are nowhere to be seen.CB

Thank you. And sorry I am not sure what I was thinking when I wrote practices and practicing!

Just to check that I understood the idea of using the continous, is that because of the flow of the sentence and that?

And would it also be better to use the continous here:
People agree that sending text messages while they are driving is bad.
People agree that sending text messages while they drive is bad.

Cool Breeze · Answer

In your first post, I took it that the manager was speaking and texting at the same time, when the sentence was uttered.

AnonymousPeople agree that sending text messages while they drive is bad.

This seems to mean that as a rule, it's not a good idea to do the two things simultaneously at any time anywhere. Therefore, I would use the simple present.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

Cool BreezeIn your first post, I took it that the manager was speaking and texting at the same time, when the sentence was uttered.

In my first post I meant that the manager of a person is texting while that person is speaking with another person. To clarify, here is the example again with names: His manager is texting while Peter is speaking with John. Would you still use 'speaking'? If so, would that be because the present continuous shows the occurrence of the simultaneous events?

Cool BreezeThis seems to mean that as a rule, it's not a good idea to do the two things simultaneously at any time anywhere. Therefore, I would use the simple present.

I see! What about this: People agree that sending texts while driving is bad. Would that wording work as a general rule as well that doing to things simultaneously is not a good idea? If so, Is that due to omitting 'they are' and the way the sentence is constructed.

Thanks again!

Cool Breeze · Answer

AnonymousHis manager is texting while Peter is speaking with John. Would you still use 'speaking'?

If the two actions are simultaneous, the continuous tense (is speaking) is usually the natural choice.

AnonymousPeople agree that sending texts while driving is bad. Would that wording work as a general rule as well that doing to things simultaneously is not a good idea?

Yes, it's fine because while driving is what in Scandinavia is usually called a clause equivalent. This term is used here when there is no finite verb in a clause—in other words, only a participle (driving, driven, having driven) or an infinitive (to drive) is used as a verb form, or, in some rare cases there is no verb form at all (When in southern California, visit the Universal Studios. = When you are in southern California, visit the Universaltudios.)

I think in the Anglo-Saxon world the term 'reduced clause' is at least sometimes used to mean the same thing as a clause equivalent.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

Cool BreezeIf the two actions are simultaneous, the continuous tense (is speaking) is usually the natural choice.

Thank you. I appreciate your enlightenment on that.

Cool BreezeYes, it's fine because while driving is what in Scandinavia is usually called a clause equivalent

It is really hard for me to understand all these grammar rules, but I think I learned something.

My question is that is it OK to have some present continuous words in sentences that are written as general rule or facts, since most of them are formulated in the simple present form?

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