Difference???

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Anonymous  #179088  Wed, 04 Jan 06 10:47 PM

Hello,I´m an intermediate student in English and I would like to know if anybody can explain me the difference between a sentence in the present simple with always ( which is a habit, as fas as I know), and a sentence in the present continuous with always as well ( which I reckon it is a repeated situation, as I´ve been taught).

After all the examples I´ve seen, I´ve deduced the difference is that the present simple is normally accompanied by a frequency (I mean, every two hours or every day) and the present continuous is not, although it can br accompanied by "all the time". Is this correct?

  
paco2004  #179176  Thu, 05 Jan 06 02:47 AM
Hello

It depends on what kind of verbs you use. Furthermore you can use the same verb sometimes in the simple present and sometimes in the present continuous.
       (EX) She always looks young. [look: stative verb]
       (EX) She is always looking forward. [look: dynamic verb]

paco
  
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CalifJim  #179199  Thu, 05 Jan 06 05:00 AM
He always knows the right answer.
*He is always knowing the right answer.  (Impossible with certain stative verbs.)
?He knows the right answer all the time.
??*He knows the right answer every day.

*He always reads.   (Impossible with certain activities.)
He reads all the time.
He reads every day.

He is always reading.
?He is reading all the time.
He is reading every day.

He always reads cheap paperback novels.
He reads cheap paperback novels all the time.
He reads cheap paperback novels every day.
He is always reading cheap paperback novels.
He is reading cheap paperback novels all the time.
He is reading cheap paperback novels every day.

He always wins.
?He wins all the time.
He wins every day.
He is always winning.
?He is winning all the time.
?He is winning every day.

The exact words seem to make a big difference.  I'm not sure there's an explanation that covers all the cases.

CJ

[P.S.  "explain to me", not "explain me".]
  
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Anonymous  #179309  Thu, 05 Jan 06 12:40 PM

Ok, thank you very much for your reply. I think that explanation has helped me quite a lot. So, it all depends on the verb you use, doesn't it?

In the case of the stative verbs, it must be used in the present simple, as it doesn´t allow the present simple (e.g.: He never believes anything I say) , and in the case of the dynamic verbs it can be used in the present simple if it is accompanied by a frequency (e.g.: He always washes his teeth on Saturday afternoon.) or in the present continuous if it is a repeated situation which has either always or all the time and may annoy you (e.g.: He's always raising his hand in class or He´s always washing his teeth, it´s the only thing he does.).

If this is what you mean, thank you very much and you needn´t post another reply; if not, please post me another reply explaining to me what you mean a little bit more detailed.

Thanks a lot

  
Anonymous  #179319  Thu, 05 Jan 06 01:03 PM

Dear Mr Paco, thank you for your reply.

With your reply, I have understood that the stative verbs cannot be used in the present continuous even though they have got a continuous meaning, as in this example: He always believes me even if I deceive him from times to times. But in the dynamic verbs, which is my main concern, can be used either in the present simple, when it is accompanied by a time (e.g.: He always washes his teeth on Saturday mornings) or in the present continuous when it is a repeated situation which is only accompanied by always or all the time (e.g.: He´s all the time raising his hand, it seems he knows everything  or You´re always washing your teeth).

Is that what you are trying to explain to me? If it is, you needn´t post a reply, simply thank you. If not, it would be grateful if you could post a reply giving me your opinions as well as some examples.   

Thank you very much, Anonymons.

  
Anonymous  #179387  Thu, 05 Jan 06 05:50 PM

Dear Calif Jim,

I think I haven´t understood it at all. Can you use the same sentence with dynamic verbs and it means the same or there is a change in the meaning?

For example, what´s the difference between the following sentences you have written:

-He always reads cheap paperback novels.      -He´s always reading cheap paperback novels.

-He always wins.                                               -He´s always winning.

Thank you

(P.D.; thank you for correcting my mistake about the structure explain to sb)

 

  
Kyawphonehlaing  #179421  Thu, 05 Jan 06 07:36 PM

Well, I think, there is a little bit difference between "He always reads cheap paperback novels," and "He is always reading cheap paperback novels".

First sentence indicates his hibitual action. He never reads expensive novels. He reads only cheap paperback novels.

Second sentence indicates annoying or irritating. ( I told him not to read cheap paperback novels several times, and he never listens to me ), he is always reading cheap paperback novels.

See more examples :

He always reads a book in class. ( He never plays or talks or does anything except reads a book in class.) His habbit is reading a book.

Don't ask Michael to play or to talk, I don't want to talk with him anymore because he is always reading a book in class.

  
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Anonymous  #179809  Fri, 06 Jan 06 11:25 PM

Dear Kyawphonehlaing,

Thank you very much for your interest, but the thing is that I´ve also read in some books that the present continuous doesn´t necessarily have to be annoying or irritating, even though it could be.

For example, what can you tell me about this sentence which I found in a text book to explain the phenomenom?: She´s always giving me presents. (In this example, it doesn´t cause annoyance to the speaker).

I would be pleased if anybody could explain me the difference with complete certainty, better it it was a native speaker or an advanced member. But I would also be pleased if anybody who isn´t advanced in English but knows about it confidently can tell me the difference. 

Thank you very much for everybody´s help.  Arturo (which is my real name)

  
CalifJim  #179877  Sat, 07 Jan 06 03:04 AM
-He always reads cheap paperback novels.
-He´s always reading cheap paperback novels.
-He always wins.
-He´s always winning.


The simple tense is emotionally remote, I'd say.  It seems only to state a fact.
The continuous tense adds a sense of immediacy.  It gives the impression that the speaker may have personally observed or been involved with the situation being reported -- more so than its simple tense counterpart.

1 (They say that) he always reads cheap paperback novels when he's bored.
2 He always wins because he is the best player.

3 He's always reading cheap paperback novels every time I see him.
4 (I've noticed that) he's always winning prizes.  He certainly is lucky.

By the way, you would not say 1 as "They say that he is always reading cheap paperback novels when he's bored".  And you would not say 3 as "He always reads cheap paperback novels every time I see him".
The ones with "wins"/"is winning" are slightly more interchangeable.  I cannot explain why.  Tongue Tied [:S]

CJ
  
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