http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/2/cwrgw/Post.htm#206742Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206742MrPedantic0http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/2/cwrgw/Post.htm#206742http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206742.xml* Do you enjoy this exercise? — Your friend likes to exercise. In particular, he likes press-ups. One day, you're watching him do press-ups. He has reached 756. Sweat pours from his brow. He gasps for breath. The muscle strain is audible. It seems remarkable that anyone should voluntarily endure such discomfort. At last you can restrain yourself no longer. "Tell me," you say, "do you enjoy this exercise?" (At that moment he expires. You never learn the answer to your question.) * I look forward to receiving your reply. — Fine. Cf. "I look forward to hearing from you": very common at the end of a letter. * When do you come back? — Fine. Just as common, in BrE: "When are you back?" MrPhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206737Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206737pieanne1http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206737http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206737.xmlI see Goodman is offline... The "have to" here is synonym with "must", and you don't use it in the continuous form in that meaning. (Perhaps someone will come up with exceptions, though...)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206726Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206726Diamondrg2http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206726http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206726.xmlGoodman wrote: * Do you enjoy this exercise? It makes more sense to use "did". If the question is "do you enjoy exercicing?" then it's fine. But the way it's formed, is not quiet correct because of the tense. THe pperson has to finish the excercise before he could answer your question, right? If so should it be past tense? Hi, Goodman, Does he/she reall have to finish the exercise before answering? Doesn't "simple present" indicate that he/she does it regulary? Why then does he/she have to wait for the exercise to finish?http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206668Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206668pieanne3http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206668http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206668.xmlI'll just add that when the present continuous is used to refer to the future, the time when the action is taking place is always stated.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206537Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206537Goodman4http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206537http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206537.xmlHi Dax, I just want to clarify something about present progressive. If we are engaged in a conversation and you and I are having a cup of tea, then "are having" refers to now. If I ask you " what are you doing this weekend ?", I am asking you "do you have any plan this weekend" or " what will you be doing this weekend ". So present progressive has a unquie property which can be used at the present and a defined future time.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206534Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206534Daxiaoaixad5http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206534http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206534.xmlHi Goodman, I got your answer. So the time is very important. If it indicates the furture, one should use present progressive instead of present simple. But what about the sentence: The plan leaves for india tomorrow. ? Goodman wrote: Hi Dax, As the others already pointed out, the time reference dictates how the sentenece should be contructed. That said, I took the liberty to revised your questions. * Do you enjoy this exercise? It makes more sense to use "did". If the question is "do you enjoy exercicing?" then it's fine. But the way it's formed, is not quiet correct because of the tense. THe pperson has to finish the excercise before he could answer your question, right? If so should it be...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206501Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206501Goodman6http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206501http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206501.xmlDaxiaoaixad wrote: Hi there, I have following sentences: * Do you enjoy this exercise? * What do you do this evening? * I look forward to receiving your reply? * When do you come back from your vacation? My question is whether they are correct? And why? Hi Dax, As the others already pointed out, the time reference dictates how the sentenece should be contructed. That said, I took the liberty to revised your questions. * Do you enjoy this exercise? It makes more sense to use "did". If the question is "do you enjoy exercicing?" then it's fine. But the way it's formed, is not quiet correct because of the tense. THe pperson has to finish the excercise before he could answer your question, right? If so should it be past tense?...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206467Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206467pieanne7http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206467http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206467.xmlYou also use the present continuous for planned actions in a more or less near future, like your "what are you doing this evening?"http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206462Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206462Philip8http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htm#206462http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206462.xmlDaxiaoaixad wrote: Hi there, I have following sentences: * Do you enjoy this exercise normally? OR: Are you enjoying this exercise (now)? * What do you normally do in the evening? OR: What are you doing this evening (now, or very soon)? * I look forward to receiving your reply? OR: I am looking forward to your reply. (The first is more common, probably to express the "regularity" implied.) * When do you come back from your vacation? OR: When are you coming back from vacation? My question is whether they are correct? And why? The basic difference is one of time. Simple present to express actions that occur with some regularity. Progressive to express current action. There obviously is some overlap, but I hope this helps. Happy...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htmSat, 24 Jan 2009 12:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:206456Daxiaoaixad9http://www.englishforums.com/English/SimplePresentSimpleProgressive-Tenses/cwrgw/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-206456.xmlHi there, I have following sentences: * Do you enjoy this exercise? * What do you do this evening? * I look forward to receiving your reply? * When do you come back from your vacation? My question is whether they are correct? And why?