AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public college. Some members of the English department recommend me to their students. I offer assistance in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraph development. My master`s thesis concerns William Faulkner`s tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
What’s the difference between the two sentences? Is “being” used as a stative verb or an (dynamic) action verb?
2.
Ex: She becomes nervous in front of a group.
She is becoming nervous at the thought of speaking in front of the class.
What’s the difference between “becomes” in first sentence and “becoming” in the second sentence?
Is “becomes” used as a stative verb and “becoming” a dynamic (action verb)?
3.
Ex: She is becoming nervous at the thought of speaking in front of the class.
She became nervous when she stepped on the stage.
Can I change “becoming” to “becomes” or “became” in the first sentence?
Can I change ‘became” to “was becoming” in the second sentence? Or can I say,” She was becoming nervous as she stepped on the stage.”?
4. Are the sentences below grammatically correct?
He will leave in an hour.
He won’t leave for an hour. (Do both sentences have the same meaning?)
He has a lively memory of his childhood.
He has a lively remembrance of his childhood. (Do both sentences have the same meaning?)
He was the sole manager in charge of this project.
There is a hole in (or on?) the sole of his shoe.
I always walked to school when I was a child.
He deiced to take on this new job.
Please check up (on?) the information.
Please check up (on?) the references.
The mother who brought up five children alone must have been a great woman.
The office manager prefers her coffee with cream, but he doesn’t like it with sugar.
Answer Dear Oppo:
Subject: Grammar
Question:
1.
Ex: She is nice.
She is being nice.
What’s the difference between the two sentences? Is “being” used as a stative
verb or an (dynamic) action verb?
**** Any form of the verb "to be" CANNOT be an action verb. It can only be used as a "verb of being," which is probably what you mean by "stative."
The difference between the two sentences is this: (1) This is a general assessment of her personality. She is a "nice person." (2) This one is a little different, because you are referring to her present action of "being nice" OR "exhibiting nice qualities." #1 does not need any specific qualifications; it is just a general statement. #2, however, applies to JUST what her actions are RIGHT NOW. Does that imply that she IS NOT ALWAYS a "nice person," but she is just "being nice" at this moment? We don't know the answer. I presume that, if this sentence appeared in some context, we would know for certain why "She is being nice" is worded in this particular way. Suppose, for example, that the "she" is a 5-year-old girl, who frequently has temper tantrums or fits of anger. Someone might ask, "How is Mary acting today?" The response -- if Mary is currently behaving herself -- is "She is being nice."
2.
Ex: She becomes nervous in front of a group.
She is becoming nervous at the thought of speaking in front of the class.
What’s the difference between “becomes” in first sentence and “becoming” in the
second sentence?
Is “becomes” used as a stative verb and “becoming” a dynamic (action verb)?
*** She becomes nervous -- It is habitual; she is ALWAYS nervous when she must appear before a group.
She is becoming nervous -- This is a process, in reference to one particular time -- namely, for having to speak in front of the class. "Is becoming" is the progressive form, so I call it a "process." I mean that her nervousness is getting more intense. The first sentence does not use the progressive form, so there is no "process" involved. The first sentence says that she ALWAYS gets nervous in front of a group.
"Becomes" is NOT a verb of ACTION; it, too, tells about her "being," as in your very first group of sentences.
3.
Ex: She is becoming nervous at the thought of speaking in front of the class.
She became nervous when she stepped on the stage.
Can I change “becoming” to “becomes” or “became” in the first sentence?
*** You can change "IS becoming" to either "becomes" or "became." Remember that the helping verb "is" goes with the progressive form "becoming."
Can I change ‘became” to “was becoming” in the second sentence? Or can I say,”
She was becoming nervous as she stepped on the stage.”?
YES, you can.
4. Are the sentences below grammatically correct?
He will leave in an hour.
He won’t leave for an hour. (Do both sentences have the same meaning?)
YES, THEY DO, AND THEY ARE BOTH CORRECT.
He has a lively memory of his childhood.
He has a lively remembrance of his childhood. (Do both sentences have the same
meaning?)
YES
He was the sole manager in charge of this project.
YES
There is a hole in (or on?) the sole of his shoe.
IN -- THAT'S THE CORRECT PREPOSITION. You can't have a hole ON something.
I always walked to school when I was a child.
YES
He deiced to take on this new job.
HE DECIDED . . .
Please check up (on?) the information.
Please check up (on?) the references.
**** USE "ON" FOR BOTH SENTENCES AND THEY WILL BE CORRECT.
The mother who brought up five children alone must have been a great woman.
CORRECT
The office manager prefers her coffee with cream, but he doesn’t like it with
sugar.
**** OPPO! Is the office manager a "her" or a "him." You are changing the sex in the middle of the sentence. Otherwise, the sentence is correct. The only thing [the "antecedent"] in the sentence to which your two pronouns CAN refer is "office manager. But you are referring to this office manager as both a "her" [prefers her coffee with cream] AND a "him" [he doesn't like it with sugar.]
[I had to read it a few times to figure out what you meant!]
