English stative verbs ‘hope’ and ‘love’ and the progressive aspect: in examples from COCA

Abstract

Namen prispevka je nematerne govorce angleščine na podlagi primerov iz korpusa COCA seznaniti z rabo ne preveč priljubljenih struktur, kot sta I am hoping ‘upam’ in I am loving ‘ljubim’, v katerih so t. i. statični glagoli rabljeni v nedovršni obliki. Ti glagoli praviloma ne izkazujejo nedovršne oblike, kljub temu pa, kot kažejo primeri konkordanc s korpusa COCA, obstajajo posebne okoliščine, v katerih materni govorci angleščine (konkretno ameriške angleščine), omenjene strukture uporabljajo pri komunikaciji. Možne so le v posebnih okoliščinah, spodbudijo pa jih lahko leksikalni in slovnični razlogi ter govorne navade. Korpus COCA vsebuje številne situacije avtentične rabe angleščine, v katerih so omenjeni glagoli uporabljeni v nedovršni obliki, zato je v prispevku nanje opozorjeno.

The objective of the present paper is to introduce non-native speakers of English to COCA examples of usage of not very popular constructions, such as ‘I am hoping’ and ‘I am loving’, containing stative verbs in the progressive aspect. Stative verbs typically do not exhibit the progressive aspect. Nonetheless, as instances of COCA concordances demonstrate, there are ‘special’ situations in which native speakers of English, in this case American English, may communicate using the said constructions. Lexical and grammatical aspects plus speaking habits produce constructions which are sanctioned only in specific circumstances. COCA demonstrates numerous situations in which different sources of authentic English display the said stative verbs in the progressive aspect. Hence, the present article signals the said issues.