How can I explain these?

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ESL forum > Ask for help > How can I explain these?

How can I explain these?

subzeroking

How can I explain these?

hi people,
need some help here please! Smile

Smile

one of my students asked me why in these questions, both options are correct. Since he�s a beginner I have a little difficulty explaining it in simple terms. If anyone could help me to come up with some solid grammatical reasons, it �d be super!
Here are the questions:
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1 - Don �t pay attention- he ____ stupid.
a) is just
b) is just being
c) Either could be used here.

2 - He _____ silly questions.
a) always asks
b) is always asking
c) Either could be used here.
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------

And as long as I�m asking for help, here is another one:
Look at these sentences:

3. Although we went to the zoo, we�ve been there before.

4. We went to the zoo although we�ve been there before.

I�m finding sentence 3 quite odd and I�m not sure why exactly! Is it correct? Is it used like this?

Thanks in advance

15 Oct 2010

Lina Ladybird

If you use "he is just being stupid", you mean that he �s only being stupid at the moment.

If you say "he is stupid", you want to express that you think that person is stupid all the time. ;))

Normally, I would go for answer b) though:

Don�t pay attention - he is just being stupid.

If you use "he always asks silly questions", you want to express that he never asks a `normal� question, only stupid ones, and that he does it every day, for example.

If you say "he �s always asking stupid questions", this would mean that he never stops asking questions - which is not really possible, is it? ;) Who asks questions night and day without ever stopping??

So I would always choose answer a) first:

2 - He always asks silly questions.

3 - We went to the zoo although we�ve been there before.

---> You�re right - the first option makes no sense.

15 Oct 2010

viccxx

This is how I see it:

Don �t pay attention. He is just stupid --> correct, you are expressig a permanent situation, so you can use Present Simple

Dont pay attention. He is just being stupid --> correct again, you can use Present continuous with always, but only for actions that are repaetedly annoying

The same goes for the other sentence too

15 Oct 2010

pilarmham

Question 2:

1. He always asks silly questions means that he has that habit.

2. He is always asking silly questions insists on the fact that it is an annoying habit.

Question 3:

1. We went to the zoo although we �ve been there before is the correct form, because the fact is there was a "problem": that we had been there before, and that is stated after although. That is the contrast.

Hope it �s useful!

16 Oct 2010

el_profe55

1- BOTH OF THEM ARE POSSIBLE

2- BOTH OF THEM ARE POSSIBLE

3- THE SECOND ONE IT �S CORRECT

16 Oct 2010

For sentence 3 I would write:

We went to the zoo although we HAD BEEN there before.

They went a first time (past perfect) and then a second time (simple past).

16 Oct 2010

cs1980

I agree with Lina!

16 Oct 2010

subzeroking

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your help! Hug

Hug

16 Oct 2010