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Hey, did you spot the present continuous tense again?
I’m spending more time outside in the yard.
Here it has a slightly different meaning. Rather than meaning “at this particular moment” (as in “I’m sending” in Dialogue 1), it means the general time frame around now. So Lia is not out in her yard right now (she is in the township office talking to Mr. Farkel!) but she is out in the yard more often, in general, around this time of year.
Remember those stative verbs (see unit 4)? Although she is talking about time around now, some verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense. Examples are the verbs to know and to want. They are stative verbs. Look at these examples from the dialogue.
| Correct Examples: |
Not: |
| I don’t know what to do about them. |
I’m not knowing what to do about them. |
| I don’t really want kittens in my yard. |
I’m not really wanting kittens in my yard. |
| I don’t know who can help me. |
I’m not knowing who can help me. |
Fun Fact!
Okay, you know what’s coming. What do we call that favorite vehicle with a large open space in back for carrying just about anything you need to move? Yes, it’s a pickup truck!
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