ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: become tired/tires

Goodman — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:37:59 GMT

Huevo
Thanks for your post. I am aware of the usage but just wanted to verify if "she tires easily" equals to "she is tired". Before my earlier posts, I didn't see them as bearing the same meaning.
CJ explanation helped clarify a few remaining questions I had. I am ok now.

My grandmother tires easily, even from just walking a flight of stairs.
My grandmother is very tired from walking the stairs

Re: become tired/tires

Huevos — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:10:57 GMT

Goodman
If this is true then what you just validated was " I tire" bare the same meaning as " I am tired". This sounds utterly odd to my ears.

Goodman, to be tired is a state whereas to tire is the act of tiring or becoming tired.

Re: become tired/tires

Goodman — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:56:10 GMT

Thank you so much CJ,
Your explanations are always well written. I got it!

Re: become tired/tires

CalifJim — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:24:41 GMT

Goodman
By the way, does this rule apply to all the stative form of the verbs?

No! See my examples above. You have applied the rule faithfully, but to verbs that don't allow that treatment. There really aren't that many verbs that follow this pattern. And even those that do may seem more or less contrived, depending on the context.

*I interest easily won't do, of course, but yet I embarrass easily might work, as I tire easily does.

These verbs are particularly few and far between for those which use personal pronouns like I and you as subjects. The following examples are arranged from not very likely to very unlikely. Like so many other phenomena in English, I don't think it's a matter of yes or no but rather of a continuous shading between quite possible and quite impossible.

?I frighten easily. ??I puzzle easily. ???I console easily.

Re: become tired/tires

Goodman — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:04:47 GMT

Grammar Geek

Yes, I'm serious.

No, it's not the same. It's the same as "I am tired OF" or more accurately, "I am becoming tired of..."

To tire, as in, to become bored with, no longer interetested in.

I am becoming tired of his constant whining.

I tire of his constant whining.

Hi GG,

It's the first time I heard this use. I have always been taught that to show a physical or emotional state, a form of the "verb to be" must be used
together with a past particple. i.e. I am tired/ exahusted/ pleased. Thanks for the explanation. I have to check more into it
By the way, does this rule apply to all the stative form of the verbs?
If this rule applies, then saying "I interest in learning how to ski" would be correct and it bears the same meaning as "I am interested in learning how to ski"
based on your explanation on "tire"
Would that be a correct assumption? Thank for the reply.

Re: become tired/tires

CalifJim — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:56:35 GMT

Kooyeen
My dictionary mentions that usage, so it must be acceptable (at least to someone, in theory).

It's more than just theoretical.

I am tired of politics. (current state) ["stative"]

I tire of politics quite easily. (= I [get / become] tired of politics quite easily.) ["inchoative"]

The same pattern of stative (is) and inchoative (becomes) applies to several other verbs. The second sentence in each pair below has the inchoative meaning.

They're scared. They scare at the slightest noise.

You seem to be embarrassed. You seem to embarrass easily.

The leaves are dried. The leaves dry quickly once they are removed from the branches.

The pipe is ruptured. The pipe ruptures as soon as the pressure increases.

This plain is flooded. This plain floods nearly every year in the spring.

The balloon is inflated. The balloon inflates quickly with compressed air.

Re: become tired/tires

Kooyeen — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:54:19 GMT

My dictionary mentions that usage, so it must be acceptable (at least to someone, in theory). I'd never noticed or learned about it, anyway, but that's not surprising, since I still have a lot to learn.
Sooner or later he'll tire of politics. - (Longman Dictionary)

Re: become tired/tires

Grammar Geek — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:00:55 GMT

Yes, I'm serious.

No, it's not the same. It's the same as "I am tired OF" or more accurately, "I am becoming tired of..."

To tire, as in, to become bored with, no longer interetested in.

I am becoming tired of his constant whining.

I tire of his constant whining.

Re: become tired/tires

Goodman — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:04:58 GMT

Grammar Geek

What if you tire of...

Yes, I'd say that they have the same meaning.

Hi GG,
Just double checking...Are you serious about the correct use of "tire" in its bare form in this context?
If this is true then what you just validated was " I tire" bare the same meaning as " I am tired". This sounds utterly odd to my ears.

Re: become tired/tires

Goodman — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:48:25 GMT

If you are tired of the same food every night => that is to say the same old food makes you tired

Tired/ exhuasted/ pleased/ intoxicatd and many other past particples are commonly used as adjectives. Some call these stative partciples which are passive in nature.
What if you become/get / tired of this sports car 5 years from now?

Re: become tired/tires

Grammar Geek — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:37:29 GMT

What if you become tired of...

What if you tire of...

Yes, I'd say that they have the same meaning.

become tired/tires

New2grammar — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:20:28 GMT

What if you [become tired/tires] of this sports car after 5 years?

Are both choices equal?

Thanks