English Grammar Lesson: Non-Progressive Verbs

This takoyaki tastes amazing!

This takoyaki tastes amazing!

I am writing this lesson on my laptop right now. I used the verb write in its progressive form (with the be verb) because I am writing now. We use verbs in the progressive form when we talk about actions that are happening right now. Here are some other examples:

  • I’m working until 10pm tonight.
  • Jack’s sister is staying at his house this week.
  • Jane is listening to music while doing her homework.

Most present actions are described using the progressive form. However there are several kinds of verbs that are not used in the progressive, even if we are talking about right now. Today, I want to show you this English grammar and give you some example sentences.

First of all, there are verbs that show mental states (such as believe, know, remember, want, etc):

  • I believe this is the correct answer. Not, I am believing ~
  • I know how to fix that computer problem.
  • Yes, I remember what he asked me.
  • I want to have pizza for lunch.

Next, there are verbs that show emotions (such as love, like, hate, prefer, etc)

  • I love pizza. I’m sure you already knew that!
  • Bob said he likes his new job.
  • I prefer coffee to tea.

Third, there are verbs of the senses. These verbs (feel, hear, see, smell, sound, & taste) are not used in the progressive when they refer to the action of the senses. Generally, the subject of the sentence is the thing being described:

  • This cup feels hot.
  • Does this milk smell right to you?
  • That music sounds so relaxing.
  • The cheesecake she made tastes great.

Lastly, there are some special cases that you need to remember:

  1. Have is not used in the progressive when it means possession or ownership, but it is used in the progressive in other meanings (like experience) or in certain collocations:
    1. I have an iPhone, but my sister has an Android.
    2. Everyone is having a great time at the party!
    3. Jane is having a baby!
  2. Feel can be used in the progressive when it describes using your fingers to check something:
    1. I am feeling this glass carefully for cracks or chips.
  3. Think is not used in the progressive when it means opinion but it is used in the progressive when it means using one’s brain. Compare these two sentences:
    1. I think studying English is a good way to expand cross-cultural communication.
    2. I am thinking about the answer to this math problem, but I can’t figure it out.
  4. Look is not used in the progressive when it means seem but it is used in the progressive when it means using one’s eyes. Compare these two sentences:
    1. That cake looks delicious!
    2. Why are you looking at me that way?
  5. Weigh and measure are not used in the progressive when we describe the weight or length of something, but they are used in the progressive when we describe the action of weighing or measuring:
    1. I am weighing the coffee to see how much is in the bag. It weighs 5 pounds.
    2. Jack is measuring the table. He says it measures three meters long.

Well, that’s a lot of English rules! I hope you don’t feel too tired. How about using the comment box below and writing some original sentences using this grammar. I’ll check them for you!



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English Grammar Lesson: Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

He said he liked pizza!

He said he liked pizza!

When you want to tell someone what another person told you, you can use reported speech. Here’s an example:

In the morning, you have this conversation with your friend Jack:

  • Michael: Hi Jack. What’s new?
  • Jack: I started a new job last week.
  • Michael: Really? How’ it going?
  • Jack: Oh, it’s pretty busy.

Later that day, you have this conversation with your friend Jane:

  • Michael: I talked to Jack this morning.
  • Jane: How’s everything going with his new job?
  • Michael: He said it was pretty busy.

A lot of students have a hard time with using reported speech. Today, I will show you how to use this English grammar:

We usually change the verb in the time clause to the past form:

  • “Oh, it’s pretty busy.” → He said it was pretty busy.
  • “I drink coffee every morning.” → He said he drank coffee every morning.
  • “I saw Jane this morning.” → He said he had seen Jane this morning.

This is the usual grammar, and I recommend you use the above grammar, especially if you have an English test in school. However, there are a few exceptions:

Exception #1: We don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that was just said. Imagine you are in a meeting, and the boss is talking. You may have a conversation like this with your coworker:

  • Joe: What did the boss say about the next meeting? I couldn’t catch it.
  • Michael: He said he wants us to meet next Tuesday.

Exception #2: We don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that is a general or usual truth. Here is a conversation from a cooking class:

  • Jack: What did the teacher say about fresh cream? I couldn’t catch it.
  • Michael: She said it is usually fresh for just one week.

Exception #3: We usually don’t change the verb in the time clause when we report something that we believe is still true about someone’s feelings or a situation. There are a lot of examples of sentences like this from pop songs:

  • “She says it’s cold outside…” – Matchbox Twenty, 3AM
  • “She says she love you…” ­– The Beatles, She Loves You
  • “He says I am beautiful…” – Candice Glover, I Am Beautiful

Even though there are these three exceptions, most English teachers follow the basic rule that says to change the verb in the time clause to the past. I’ve checked a few text and reference books and all of them say that we “usually” change the verb. This is a case where there is no clear cut answer, so just try to remember the basic rule and the three exceptions. If you have any additional ideas about using reported speech, why not leave a comment?



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English Grammar Lesson: Using Want

I want pancakes!

I want pancakes!

I want to eat something different for breakfast. Almost every day, I eat the same thing: Greek yogurt and granola cereal. It’s healthy, but getting boring. So I went to the diner today. For those who are not living in the USA, a diner is a restaurant that is usually open all day and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes all day long. If you visit New York, I want you to think about going to a diner. I think I either want pancakes or a waffle. I want bacon too. I usually don’t eat bacon, but today I want to have it.

Today, I am going to show you the different ways we use want in English. I used these grammar patterns in the opening paragraph, so please take a look at that again and then check out today’s lesson.

We use want + [noun] to talk about the thing we desire:

  • I want pancakes for breakfast.
  • Jack said he wants a new laptop because his is running Windows XP.
  • Everyone who comes to the meeting will want a copy of the meeting minutes.

We also use want + to verb with the same meaning:

  • I want to eat pancakes for breakfast.
  • Jack said he wants to buy a new laptop because his is running Windows XP.
  • Everyone who comes to the meeting will want to have a copy of the meeting minutes.

Finally, we use want [someone] + to verb when we talk about an action we want another person to do. This grammar is also used to give a command or order:

  • I want you to study English hard and practice this grammar!
  • Jenny wants her husband to get her a new laptop.
  • We want Chris to stop smoking.

Now it’s your turn to try. How about trying to write an original sentence using with and one of the patterns I just explained above. Use the comment box below and I’ll check your answers.



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English Grammar Lesson: Using Feel

He feels so soft!

He feels so soft!

Yesterday, we I showed you the different ways to use seem. Today, I want to help you with another verb that can be tricky to use: feel.  I’d like to show you how we can use this verb in everyday English. There are several grammar patterns using feel, so let’s have a look at them.

First, we use feel + adjective to describe mental or physical states:

  • I feel hot. Can you please turn on the air conditioner?
  • Jack said he feels sick, so he is going to leave the office early.
  • This pillow feels soft! I love it!

We also use feel + like + noun to describe mental or physical states:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel like a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels like a brick. I want a softer one.

In a similar way, we can use also use feel + like + subject + verb:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel like I am a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels like it is a brick. I want a softer one.

It is also possible to use feel + as if & feel + as though with the same meaning:

  • I didn’t sleep well last night. I feel as though I am a zombie today.
  • This pillow feels as if it is a brick. I want a softer one.

We can also use feel like to mean want. After feel like you can use a gerund or noun:

  • I feel like eating ice cream.
  • We were talking about lunch and Jack said he feels like pizza. How about you?

We use feel + noun to talk about a physical perception or the sense of touch:

  • I felt something on my leg and it was a spider! Yuck!
  • Jack felt her forehead and realized she has a fever.

Well, I think I’ve covered everything. If you know another way to use feel, let me know. In the meantime, how about trying to use some of these patterns? Write a sentence or two in the comment box below!



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