Verbs used in the present dynamic

Only about a dozen verbs, such as "contain, consist, matter, pos­sess, prefer, presume, suppose" are not used in dynamic forms in the sources analysed. The following verbs from those commonly said not to be used so¹ have been found in the Present Dynamic (figures in brackets indicating the total number of instances for each verb): see (30)²; happen (20); expect (16); hope (14); hurt (13); want (12); long (8); hear, imagine (7); count (on), find, rely (4); have (to), like, love, mean, wish (3); believe, consider, contribute, realize, recognize (2); admire, be (able to), belong, dare, intend, know, owe (be indebted), trust, un­derstand (1).

To See. Instances of the verb to see used in the senses to view as a spec­tator and escort have not been counted. From other meanings the most frequent one is to perceive with the eyes (ACD), for example:

1. "The scientists say this is the oldest coast in the world. They say it was here that the earth emerged from the chaos. Maybe life also emerg­ed here, too. We're probably seeing the same thing before our eyes now as happened on the first day of creation" (G. Jenkins) (The captain, the speaker, and his mate are watching an eruption of undersea volca­noes: Model II); 2. When you and I write, it is almost always in the hope of enabling someone else to see what we are seeing with our eye, or with our mind's eye (L. Strong) (Model II); 3. It won't take long. If only I could do it without doing it, be here while I'm over there. I'm not listening, I'm not seeing, I'm not feeling (J. Lindsay); 4. "You're just seeing things," said Mrs. Bell (B. Botkin); 5. "Two cottages and two houseboats! Or are we seeing double?" (Th. Dreiser); 6. "I'm afraid I am not seeing so well this morning" (A. Cronin) (Model III).

The Present Dynamic of the verb to see used in some other senses:

1." It's the most terrible thing I've ever seen in my life." —"I agree. But you're seeing only your fiance's problem, and your problem. I have to see all the other problems" (D. Cusack) (You are considering, thinking of only your fiance's problem); 2. "What's he doing?"—"He's seeing if everything is alright" (G. Greene) (He is making sure if everything is alright); 3."Don't worry, it will. That's what Jill is seeing to" (J. Lind­say) (That's what Jill is giving her attention to).

To Happen: 1. "What's happening at the front?" (E. Hemingway); 2. "Tell people in Britain what is really happening in Spain today" (D. Worker); 3. The man who tells a story thinks not about grammar, but about his characters and what is happening to them (L. Strong); 4. "If" is rapidly winning favour over "whether" in informal English. In formal English, however, this is happening more slowly (C. Kegel).

To Expect: l."Will you see if the mail has come? I'm expecting an important letter" (M. Mitchell); 2. I'm a nurse. I'm twenty-two, married, and expecting my first baby this August (D. Worker); 3. "Are you ex­pecting to stay here for a while?" (Th. Dreiser).

In the first two examples the verb to expect is used in the meanings await, look forward to, for which dynamic forms are common. In the third example the meaning of the verb is to suppose (ACD). The use is rare (1 instance from 16) and can be explained by Model IV.

To Hope: 1. "He will get my wire tonight. I'm hoping we shall see him tomorrow" (P. Wodehouse); 2. "Are you married yet?" —"No. As a matter of fact I'm hoping to get special leave" (G. Greene); 3. "Natu­rally, we are all hoping for his speedy recovery and return" (Th. Dreiser).

The verb to hope combines the meanings expect and desire (expect and desire — ALD; implies a wish that an event may take place and an expecta­tion that it will — ACD). In the Present Dynamic it is always used to re­present the process denoted by it in its development, going-on (Model II).

To Hurt: 1. "Now how do you feel in general? Is your back hurting you?" (H. Walpole); 2. "I'm shot," he said.— "You're just scared." — "No, sir. I'm shot. And I'm hurting bad" (E. Hemingway); 3. "I shall be all right. My hand is not hurting now" (D. du Maurier); 4." You are hurt­ing my arm." —"And you know I love you, don't you?" —"But you are still hurting my arm" (M. Arlen).

The verb to hurt means to cause or suffer pain and is used above in the Present Dynamic by Models II; II; II or III; I—respectively.

To Want: 1. "But what are you thinking about?" she cried in pained astonishment.— "I'm not thinking about anything. Not thinking only wanting" (A. Huxley); 2. I know you shouldn't keep telephoning them. When you do that, they know you're thinking about them and want­ing them and that makes them hate you (D. Parker); 3. " I'm not wanting to go. I've got that band round my brow again" (A. Cronin); 4."What is it you're wanting?" —"Come outside and speak to me" (H. Walpole).

The verb to want means to feel a need or desire for (ACD) and the Pre­sent Dynamic with it is used above by Models II; II; III; III or IV.

To Long. To long means to have a prolonged or unceasing desire (ACD) and is used in the Present Dynamic by Model II. Examples:

l."I'll put the kettle on. Are you longing for tea?" —"No. Not long­ing."—"Well, I am" (K- Mansfield); 2. "You must tell us".—"I'm longing to (K. Mansfield); 3."I am longing to see you again, my darling boy" (G. Gordon).

To Hear: l."The girl is hearing the song of the first lark. She knows that it means spring has come" (Th. Wolfe) (Model II); 2. "You under­stand you're hearing this under the Topsecret label" (P. Anderson) (Model II); 3. "Am I really hearing what you're saying?" —"Yes, you are" (D. Worker); 4. "Never heard of it? Well, you're hearing it nowl" (D. Carter) (Model III).

To Imagine: 1. "Agatha, there isn't any one here. Truly there isn't. You're imagining it" (H. Walpole); 2."Then," said Eugene slowly, "I'm imagining all this? Are we here talking together or not?" (Th. Wolfe); 3. "Hush!" he said quietly. "You are excited and imagining things that are not true" (E. Voynich).

Count (on), Rely (on): 1. "I gave my promise. She's counting on it" (W. Faulkner); 2."I'm counting on you to stay in good health" (W. Sa-royan); 3. "I'm relying on you, Alex" (A. Cronin); 4. "Harry is relying on you being sensible" (J. Lindsay).

To Find: 1. "Hullo. I noticed you were throwing your packs of cards

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into the sea. Giving up playing? Are you?" —"Yes, I'm finding a new occupation" (E. Wallace); 2. "How is he doing in that terrible job with the.dance band?" —"He's finding his feet, is Simon" (J. Pudney); 3."In Marylebone we are finding it possible to unite many different types of people" (D. Worker).

To Have to: Millions of workers in France are having to live on 30 pounds a month, while hundreds of thousands have to make do on 20 pounds a month (D. Worker); Coypus enjoy eating the growing sugar-beet and oats, so farmers are having to take action against this destruc­tion (D. Worker) (Model III; Model III).

To Like, To Love: l."And how, my dear boy, are you liking our little community?" (A. Cronin); 2. "How are you liking the Piedmont Hotel, Professor?" (J. Galsworthy); 3. "Tell me about Ann. Is she still liking England?" —"Loving it" (J. Galsworthy); 4. "He's only in love with books and things, but I've got a real live woman in my arms that's loving me all the time she's kicking about over the traces" (J. London).

The Present Dynamic of the verb to like is used by Models IV (Exam­ples 1 and 2: The question is about the relation between the subject and the object at the moment of speaking, the relation being in the process of formation, changing) and III (Example 3: The question is about Ann who had ccme from America; the relation between her and England is represented as changing — the speaker knows that Americans commonly like England when they come to it and dislike it after they have stayed there for some time); that of the verb to love by Model II (the process of loving one in its going-on).

To Mean, To Wish: 1."Madam, if you are meaning me, you are wrong" (E. James) (if you, while speaking, are in the process of referring to me — Model II); 2. "I'm a lazy man. I'm always meaning to pull myself up. But I'm too old for improvement" (H. Walpole) (Model II); 3. She picked up the goblet of wine and proceeded to kiss the rim. "See, I am wishing into it" (Th. Dreiser) (I am in the process of saying my wish); 4. "I'm not wishing to talk about it" (Th. White) Model IV, or III).

To Believe, To Consider, To Contribute, To Realize, To Recognize:-l."I'm believing you when you say you came here with the best inten­tions" (P. Abrahams) (Model IV); 2. "But I didn't do such a thing. You are believing what he said. He was drunk. I tell you" (G. Gordon) (Mod­el IV or III — the speaker hopes he can convince the listener); 3."As a matter of fact I'm considering seriously joining the Communist Party" (A. Saxton); 4. The structural linguistics are contributing a new kind of analysis of languages (J. Hook) (Model II); 5. "I think the country is realizing that one cannot laugh too much at the things we feel very deeply" (D. Worker) (The country is in the process of realizing — Model I); 6. We are recognizing five modes, and we are recognizing eight Tenses rather than six (R. Long) (Model I).

To Admire, To be (able to)¹, To Belong, To Dare, To Intend: l."And if anyone comes, say that you are admiring the beautiful Indian bird" (G. Meredith) (Model II); 2. "I'll have what's belonging to me today" (Th. Dreiser) (Model III); 3. "Are you daring to call me a gatecrush-

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er?" —"Well, aren't you?" (M. Arlen) (Model IV); 4. "Are you intend­ing to marry her?" (G. P. Snow) (See the verb want).

To Know, To Owe (be indebted), To Trust, To Understand: 1. " But

I do just want to say this, Roger. That woman utterly deserves — well, anything she got." —"I know she did," Roger said not without emo­tion. "And that's just why I'm not knowing anything at all" (A. Berkley) (Model III: Roger who knows who killed Ena tells his friend that he has been assuring the police he knows nothing); 2. "Well, he's owing the Third National and the Lake City as much, if not more" (Th. Dreiser) (Model III); 3."But I can do more. I am doing more. I am trusting you" (J. Conrad) (Model III); 4."Yet all the time deep in me I have an awful fear that they're right. But don't say I'm understanding. I don't begin to understand what he's after" (W. S. Maugham) (Model III).

The Verbs To Be, To Feel, To Look, To Think. Each of these verbs, as it is rightly stated in most textbooks, is common in the Present Dynamic.

To Be: 1. "I'm not being quite honest," he said at last.— "No?" — "I really came to see you" (G. Greene) (Model III); 2. "Oh, you are just being mean!" (S. Lewis) (Model II, III, or IV); 3."He is being quite firm about it. Though he is desperately in love with her" (R. Macaulay) (Model Ц: He is always showing firmness whenever we speak of it); 4." Isn't Dick being a long time?" —"He is, rather." —"He's been gone ages" (K. Mansfield) (Model III: The speaker hopes that Dick will soon come); 5. "His wife is being confined today" (G. Gordon) (Model III).

To Feel, To Look. The frequent use of the Present Dynamic of these verbs to refer to mental and bodily states is readily explained by the fact that such states are likely to change (Model III).

To Think. Most frequently the verb to think in dynamic tenses re­presents a process of meditating in its development, as in "Are you thinking carefully of what you are doing?" —"All the time" (Th. Drei­ser).

In Irish English, however, the verb to think in the Present Dynamic is also common in the variant meaning "to be of an opinion", as in:

1. "St. Paul. That'll be Minnesota, I'm thinkin'" (E. O'Neill); 2. "She'll come to her senses, I'm thinkin'" (Th. Dreiser); 3. "It's getting colder, I'm thinkin'" (Th. Dreiser).

The Present Dynamic of Some Other Verbs. Examples of the Present Dynamic of some other verbs which are also commonly said not to be used in dynamic tenses:

1. "You're just advising us to behave like beasts." —"I'm advising you to behave like human beings" (A. Huxley); 2. "Are you aiming to leave it lying there?"—"I aim to show it to ma" (W. Faulkner); 3." George, why do you exaggerate so? To drive us all wild?" —"I'm not exaggerating, Cassie" (J. Updike); 4. "I'm fearing you have the right of it for once" (E. O'Neill); 5. "If your oath is not proper oath at all, I'll have to be taking your naked word for it and have you anyway — I'm needing you that bad" (E. O'Neill); 6. "Here, sister, never mind about the fish. It'll save, I reckon." —"I ain't minding it. I'm going to milk before it sets in to rain" (W. Faulkner); 7. "The one mystery is, what

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are we remembering?'' (J. Updike); 8. "I am wondering if that dance is open now," he said to her (Th. Dreiser); 9." I'll go — don't you worry."— "I'm not worrying. Tosh. I've got more to do with my time" (K- Water-house).

A study of ever increasing amount of sources leads one to conclude that, theoretically at least, any verb having Participle I can be used in dynamic tenses.