Verbal meaning and the progressive

– the progressive usually occurs with verbs in dynamic use ( some verbs are used in dynamic and stative according to meaning and context):   e.g. measure, bold, etc.

     * he is measuring the court.        * the court measures one hundred meters.

1. Dynamic verbs can be classified into :

2. activity verbs: ask, drink, write, etc.

3. process verbs : change, grow, etc.

4. verbs of bodily sensation verbs: feel, hurt, etc. 

5. transitivity event verbs : arrive, land, fall, etc. 

6. momentary verbs  : kick, jump, hit, nod, etc.

7. Stative verbs: can be classified into :

8. verbs of inert perception and cognition ( feeling, thinking, wants, perception, and so on ): know, mean, etc.

9. Relational verbs: belong to, concern, include, etc.

10. 36: Future has three meanings, on this base we use the future syntactic  form.

11. to express prediction, we use either will or Be going to, as in the example below:

            – according to the weather, it will rain cloudy tomorrow.

            – according to the weather, it is going to rain cloudy tomorrow.

2. to express a prior plan, use only Be going to + infinitive, such as:

            – I am going to paint my room next week.  

3. to express willingness, use only will, as in

      – I will leave within five minutes.

      – we all think Iraq will win the match.

* Future can be obtained from the following sources:

1. will / shall + infinitive:    the guests will arrive tonight.

2. Be going to+ infinitive:  we are going to have an exam next week.

3. present simple: the workers start their job on Friday.

4. present continuous: they are watering the plants later.

5. will / shall + progressive : Richard will be acting properly in the coming play.

6. Be + to infinitive, this form has three meanings:

7. arrangement ( plans): the government is to help the needy.

8. command ( order):  You are to do your homework before you watch T.V.

9. contingent future: if we are to pass the exam, we must work hard.

10. Be about + to infinitive ( imminent fulfillment): The passengers are  about to go in the bus.

    * some adverbs can be used with this form, as in:

           -He is certainly to address the meeting.

          -She is unlikely to participate in the festival.

3.44. Future time in the past ( structures): some future constructions can be used in the past tense to express time which is in the future when seen from a view point in the past. Thus, it can be obtained from the following sources:

1. would + infinitive: In Berlin, he first met the woman whom he would marry one day. ( there is a reference to the past, met )

2. Be ( past) going to + infinitive: these lawyers were going to retire after a long time work.

3. past progressive, Be( past) v. + ing : I had no time to shop because I was leaving to Baghdad in two hours. ( there is a reference to the past, had )

4. Be ( past) + infinitive.  ( formal = was arranged): 

                 I went to have a look at the room where I was to talk that afternoon. 

5. Be ( past) about to+ infinitive. The elephant was about to fall in the river.

    The following table may clarify the above explanation: