Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Ask for help > I need some help.     

I need some help.



ttuffl
Korea, South

I need some help.
 
Hi teachers. 
The textbook says They encourage other people to work well... They are motivating.
My question is if you really say 
(1) I am motivating or (2) I am a motivating manger
in everyday conversations?
I found  a thread about motivating and motivational but it doesn �t explain enough. 
Help me. 

2 Jul 2014      





MoodyMoody
United States

This illustrates one of the grammatical issues of English: the use of the present participle (-ing form) with the verb "to be" can either express the present continuous/progressive tense, or a predicate adjective.
 
Am I confusing you? With a direct object, confusing is used in the present continuous verb tense.
 
It �s a confusing situation. Confusing is obviously an adjective in this context.
 
It �s so confusing! I would say this is a predicate adjective, because "it" is not actively being confusing; confusing describes the condition.
 
Going back to your example, I would say that "motivating" here is used as a predicate adjective. Motivate is a transitive verb, which means that it requires a direct object. There �s no direct object, so it isn �t a present continuous.
 
Yet another example of crazy English!

2 Jul 2014     



ttuffl
Korea, South

Thank you Moody, Every language may have its crazy parts I guess. I consider it the beauty of language or English will drive me to crazy. Happy Summer ^___^

3 Jul 2014     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

To add to MM�s excellent answer, no, you wouldn �t say, �I am motivating �, or �I am a motivating manager � in everyday conversation. You would say something like �I can motivate people �. 
 

3 Jul 2014     



ttuffl
Korea, South

Thank you Always!! Google shows a lot of usages of �motivate � and �motivational � but the book I teach says �they are motivating � so I needed Some help. ^__^

3 Jul 2014