Tense

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Tung Quoc

#281620 Mon, 16 Oct 06 01:05 PM

Hi,

What is the subtle difference in meaning btw:

1. He looks awful.

2. He is looking awful.

Tung Quoc

Joined on Sun, Sep 17 2006

Regular Member (870)

Marius Hancu

#281642 Mon, 16 Oct 06 01:51 PM

I would use better titles, more indicative of the matter. Perhaps:
tense: look/looking

IMO, 2 is wrong here:
[link]
while 1 is correct, with the meaning of "having a bad appearance."

He is looking at something right now.
is correct though.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Verbs, Tenses

Yoong Liat

#281663 Mon, 16 Oct 06 02:57 PM

Tung Quoc wrote:

Hi,

What is the subtle difference in meaning btw:

1. He looks awful.

2. He is looking awful.

Q

Where did you get sentence 2 from?

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (6,100)

Yoong Liat

Grammar Geek

#281807 Mon, 16 Oct 06 06:50 PM

"is looking" emphasizes the temporary nature of his appearance. It's not the more natural of the two.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (16,101)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

CalifJim

#281810 Mon, 16 Oct 06 06:54 PM

1. An instantaneous judgment. His appearance is now awful.
He looks awful wearing that hat.

2. Observation of a more long-lasting, yet transient, state. His appearance has been (regularly) awful [these days / lately].
He's been in chemotherapy this month, and he is looking awful because of it.

I find it hard not to add "these days" to the second one. The second is almost a substitute for the equivalent present perfect form.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,794)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Present Perfect