That’s it really – getting grey.
I heard a lady at work say one of animated characters was looking a little old and was ‘getting grey’ – not ‘going grey’, getting. And there we have once again, the difference in verb tense. Or perhaps there’s more of an achievement in becoming grey here – something you attain, rather than simply do. No, that’s probably too deep, it really is just a different tense than standard English uses.
A great deal of Indian English is in the present perfect tense – the gerund. Not a tense I know a great deal about to be honest – the internal technical side of English is not an area I’m particularly hot on. Although I do know that when the Celts speak English – both in Scotland and Ireland, we spend a lot more time in the gerund
English English – will you have a drink?
Scots English – will you be taking a drink?
Irish English – would you be having a drink?
Indian English – I am asking if you would be liking a drink?
If I was smarter with my grammar terminology I’m sure I could discuss exactly why all this is different. I’m not, so I’ll just leave it at this. Interesting though… veeery interesting…
Please add more erudition to my lax grammar via the comments area below.
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Dead pent subject matter, Really enjoyed reading through.
It’s also very common to use the continuous tenses in Hindi, which I suppose has spilled over into Indian English.
Enjoying your blog, although reading so many things that I had been intending to write myself is reducing my motivation somewhat! 🙂
Here are some of my favourite expressions.
Thanks Chris – and your own blog looks lovely! Sadly your link doesn’t seem to work for me – could you put it in long hand so to speak.
And it would appear we’re both Bangalore types.. which would make us kind of neighbours. how nice!
You’re welcome. I’m excited to be tracking your gerunds haha!
V x
Ooh er! Carry on up my comments then! x
OK this is gonna sound pedantic but you did ask… 😉
Your examples are present participles rather than gerunds. Gerunds are verbs used as nouns as in “it’s in the asking” or “it’s yours for the taking”
The English Celtic constructions probably derive from the Celtic languages’ tendancy to use the present continuous “I am drinking” where english would us “I drink.” Just a theory! Not sure about the Indian side of things.
V x
Ah ha! Thank you Vaughan – see I knew I knew nothing about gerunds and the inner bits of grammar.
But loving the fact you’re keeping track… and can keep me on track. And I can see how I got confused. It happens so easily, and frankly so often!
thanks V, much appreciated x
God, I feel like I sohlud be takin notes! Great work