alexclx  +  575187 Fri, 10 Oct 08 04:11 PM Hi,  I am wondering about the meaning of the following three sentences: 1. The tall man grew impatient. 2.The tall man became impatient. 3.The tall man was impatient. Do they have the same meaning?       Please help.    Thanks a lot. alexclx Joined on Wed, Oct 8 2008 New Member 12

	Grammar Geek  +  575190 Fri, 10 Oct 08 04:14 PM Hello alex, and welcome to English Forums. In the first one, it seems a gradual process. He wasn't initially impatient, but got more and more so. As each minute passed, he grew increasingly impatient. In the second one, something happened to make him impatient. 1 and 2 are very similar. In the third one, it simply describes the man. Maybe he's impatient all the time. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,506 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	alexclx  +  575194 Fri, 10 Oct 08 04:40 PM Thank you for your help. Grammar Geek “ In the first one, it seems a gradual process. He wasn't initially impatient, but got more and more so. As each minute passed, he grew increasingly impatient. In the second one, something happened to make him impatient. 1 and 2 are very similar. In the third one, it simply describes the man. Maybe he's impatient all the time. ” May I understand them in this way: 1 and 2 imply a dynamic process and 3 a stative one? Thanks again.  alexclx Grammar

	Grammar Geek  +  575253 Fri, 10 Oct 08 07:53 PM With the second one, something changed - whether it was gradual or not (as "grew" implies to me) I don't know. You can say that 3 is stative. It simply describes him. Grammar Geek