Noirkid72  +  436413 Mon, 29 Oct 07 03:07 PM Hi, all Why do we use present continuous for sentences like "I'm always losing my keys." If the present simple is for habits and truths, why don't we say "I always lose my keys." Thanks SH Noirkid72 Joined on Wed, Oct 24 2007 Slovakia New Member 19 Question EVERYTHING! Present Continuous, Present Simple

	Doll  +  436439 Mon, 29 Oct 07 04:43 PM Yes yes, you are right but in this sentence there is a complaint rather than a habit. Doll Joined on Sat, Mar 10 2007 Senior Member 2,811

	Yankee  +  436520 Mon, 29 Oct 07 07:56 PM Doll is right.  This is a special usage of the present continuous.  The present continuous can also be used to complain about a habit (a habit that is unpleasant or annoying to the speaker).  Typically, the word 'always' (or sometimes a similar word) is also used in the sentence: - I am always losing my keys. (This habit causes problems for me. I wish I didn't have this habit!) - My teacher is always accusing me of doing things I didn't do. - John is forever running out gas and I'm always the one who has to drop everything to go pick him up. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,494 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Present Continuous

	MrPedantic  +  436583 Mon, 29 Oct 07 11:53 PM That's very interesting, Doll and Yankee. I hadn't noticed that before. Does the present simple convey a more benign attitude to the habit, do you think? e.g. 1. I always lose my keys. [Slightly complacent about the habit?] 2. My teacher always accuses me of doing things I didn't do. [Slightly amused?] 3. John always runs out gas and I'm always the one who has to drop everything to go pick him up. [Slightly amused resignation?] MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... Present Simple

	Doll  +  436764 Tue, 30 Oct 07 12:16 PM As for me, I can't say that they are so different. I mean, I can't say use present simple when there is a more bening attitude but use present continuous for the situations that are not bening etc. Even I am sure students will not understand what I mean.     I just can say that this is a special usage of present continuous as stated before and not to be surprised if they see such a structure. Doll Present Continuous, Present Simple

	English Toolbox Co.  +  437926 Fri, 02 Nov 07 12:56 PM Using the present continuous also minimizes the "always" factor more than using the present simple. If you say, "I always lose my keys," it implies exactly that: you ALWAYS lose them (in which case, you should probably never leave the house!). Changing it to "I'm always losing my keys" implies that it happens often, but not really "always." The same distinction applies to the other examples. English Toolbox... Joined on Thu, Aug 16 2007 New Member 41 Happy Teaching! The English Toolbox Co. Staff Present Continuous, Present Simple

	MrPedantic  +  438103 Fri, 02 Nov 07 11:06 PM I'm not so sure, Etc. For me, "I always lose my keys" has a slight air of exaggeration. MrP MrPedantic

	Kooyeen  +  438119 Fri, 02 Nov 07 11:43 PM - You lost your keys! - Hmm, so? - You lost them again! - What's the problem? - Whaat? You are always losing your keys, you jackass! - So what? I always lose my keys. I'm used to losing them, and I'm starting to like it. LOL Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,969 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts

	Philip  +  438172 Sat, 03 Nov 07 03:59 AM This is a very intersting discussion, as I have never been called upon to think about the difference in "attitude", using one tense or the other.  I'll keep it in mind and see how I use them, myself. That's one thing I love about this site:  I'm always learning something new, even though I'm a native speaker, and I'm often learning them from non-native speakers [note the use of the continuous!].  Philip Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005 Veteran Member 8,733 At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen Tenses