The Present Progressive in Discourse: Grammar Versus Usage Revisited

Certain uses of the present progressive in informal spoken English discourse remain difficult for even the most advanced ESL learners. This article focuses on the increasing frequency of the so-called stative verbs found in the progressive aspect. It is proposed that the use of stative verbs in the progressive is not necessarily exceptional or contrary to standard accounts of the English present progressive; rather, it is a predictable consequence of the meaning of the present progressive and the particular discourse contexts in which progressive statives are found. A consideration of the progressive from a discourse perspective provides a principled account of the discrepancy between grammar book and usage and offers a number of implications for ESL pedagogy.