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[Verb forms #8]

Task (1): Search for the expressions have a good time and having a good time and give one example of each ("have" and "having" should be part of a finite verb phrase).
Task (2): Use the examples to explain if and why there is a meaning difference between the two verb forms when used in the same expression with a good time.
Task (3): Have can be used in progressive verb forms despite its status as an inherently stative verb. Use the corpus to find out which of the following stative verbs have been used in the progressive: believe, be, like, own, hate
Task (4): How do you explain the use of progressive verb forms with stative verbs?



Suggested answer:
(1) Example of have/having a good time:
(a) But when I'm out I make sure I have a good time.
(b) Mikhail and I are having a good time sitting here talking.

(2) In both examples (a) and (b) the present tense has been used, viz. have and are having. In example (a) the simple verb form have has been used and suggests that the person regularly has a good time; it is a recurrent situation, i.e. he/she is out to have a good time. The present progressive form, on the other hand, suggests that they are having a good time at the moment of speaking, descibing their current situation. The situation of having a good time is in progress, so to speak. The contexts in the two examples are different and require different verb forms.

(3) The following stative verbs have not been used in the progressive in the corpus: believe, own

The following stative verbs have been used in the progressive in the corpus: be, like, hate
I am being completely maudlin certainly.
'They won't be liking it if you're late.'
They may be hating the sight of each other...

(4) Stative verbs refer to states and are not normally used in the progressive. But when they are used in the progressive, they have a more dynamic or active meaning, as seen in the examples under (3); when stative verbs of emotion, e.g. like and hate, are used in the progressive they may indicate tentativeness, a temporary process, or change.

Read about the progressive and stative verbs here, about the progerssive aspect here.
Terminology: progressive, stative verb, dynamic verb, finite verb

Last updated 4 October 2023, SOE
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