ESL Blogs

The English Language is like a vast ocean.  It isn't uniform, and it contains a lot of variety with many possibilities lurking out of sight, hidden away under its murky waters.  In some places its depth is shallow and easily understood while in other areas it may go very deep indeed - deeper than even experienced ocean voyagers may realize.

As you are fishing in its depths where you are, you may not catch every possibility.  The rule you have reeled in may not be uniform; it may have some snags attached called exceptions (and probably does).  The word you hooked is likely not the only species in the English Ocean.  There may be other words better tasting than the one you have caught.  The person who has been your navigator may have taught you all they have learned and know, but they may have only learnt the straits around where they are and as a result may not be familiar with what lies beyond or even the deeper depths in the straits they do know.  They may even have fears that if they venture too far into the Ocean they will fall off the edge, so they hug the shorelines they know. So you learn the limited area they know.  So someone who has experienced a different part or perhaps a greater region of the English ocean will have an understanding that your navigator doesn't.

 I don't think it is possible for any one person to know all there is to know about this vast realm.  I certainly do not.  People who navigate upon its waters are always learning or they become stale and obsolete.  However, those who grew up fishing its waters, mining its depths for treasures, roaming its shores and living on its and sustenance have an advantage over those who are just discovering it or even those who discovered it years ago but weren't nurtured on it from conception.  If an educated Native English Teacher tells you that something is or is not true about this Ocean, more than likely you can take it to the bank even if it is not what you have previously been taught.  Rules seldom are absolute.  They are merely tools to help people learn.  Substance is more important than form.

For example many of you will have been taught the following:

“We can use action verbs with the continuous, but state verbs are not normally continuous.”

Oxford Guide to English Grammar John Eastwood p. 79

In other words you have been taught that words such as understand, believe, love, want, see

should not be used in the progressive /continuous tense.  You have been taught that “State” verbs such as these are not used in the continuous or progressive form .  A rule intended to help but which leads to a false understanding; a misunderstanding of English.

This is an example of learning a rule both incompletely and without learning the substance. First it is not an “absolute” rule.  Note the use of “normally”.  Also it is more of a British English rule than an English rule since American English uses many of these “State” verbs in a continuous manner fairly frequently, especially compared to their use in British English.  But even in British English, the substance is what matters, not the rule.

The substance is that the rule only applies to an unchanging state. 

Here is the part you probably missed or was never taught:

“We can use the continuous with some state verbs if we see something as active thinking or feeling for a period of time, rather than a permanent attitude.

I love holidays. (permanent attitude)”; I'm loving every minute of this holiday. (active enjoyment)” 

Oxford Guide to English Grammar John Eastwood p. 80

 This latter statement accurately reflects the substance of English.  “I am wanting something to eat” is not wrong if it is an ongoing, continuous state rather than an unchanging state.  “I am not understanding you” is correct when used to talk about the ongoing present situation.  Context in English is everything.  Rules are just tools.  Barron's 501 English Verbs lists continuous aspects for many of the "State" verbs.  Only a few are NEVER used in a continuous aspect.  

 Without knowing the rules, Native Speakers know how the language is used.  They know that many "State" verbs are in fact used in the continuous aspect.  They use them in their daily lives.  They have no prescriptive rules barring them from using the language correctly.  So before you tell the Native English speakers they are wrong, consider the possibility that the rule you have learned is incomplete.  

Native English Speakers have a built-in advantage.  They have always known the English language ocean.  They have an innate knowledge that those coming to it years later struggle to comprehend.  There will be aspects of it they may not fully know, but their instincts will usually guide them true.  The better educated they are, the more likely this homing instinct is to be inerrant.   Can Native Speakers be mistaken?  Yes.  Many are lost in the Grammar Seas of English. Being a Native Speaker is not equivalent to speaking, knowing and using English well, but the better educated ones will tend to be excellent guides.  There is a real good possibility that the latecomer will actually have a better knowledge of the maps than the Native Speaker because the Native Speaker will seldom use one; they will only consult a map if they are in unfamiliar territory.  But once the Native Speakers consult a map, the Native Speakers will again be at an advantage understanding the map.  They will know landmarks and details that aren't shown on a map.  They may even know some areas not shown on the map or where the map is not entirely correct or up to date. 

So cast your nets fearlessly into the vast English Ocean. The more you plumb its depths, the more you will discover, and the more you discover the more confident you will become and the farther you will venture out upon the waters  to reach new destinations.   Learn your rules BUT try to discover the reason for the rule.  Rules can be great tools but also try to learn the substance.  That way, you will know when the rules apply, how they apply and, just as importantly, when when a rule is not applicable.   If you wander off course or get sideswiped by a wave, look around and see if  someone who has more experience navigating the waters is around to come to your rescue. If they give you advice, hearken to it.   Only a fool rejects good advice. 

 Some quotes I like tossed into your nets for free:

"Do not be discouraged by what you do not know — but be encouraged by what you can learn." Unknown

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make a mistake” Rowan Ahmed 

"Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words." Mark Twain

"One learns grammar from language, not language from grammar.” Lomb Kató,