Think verb /progressive perfect

Think verb /progressive perfect
Message from lemage posted on 22-11-2013 at 16:04:59 (D | E | F)
Hi everybody,

I wrote a piece of text in a blog with the aim to be friendly.
Here is a paste : "After reading your good writing I have been thinking about the spirit of Blues music: despite complicated lives people provide wonderful songs.
I hope you have a better tomorrow, you have a kind heart."
This afternoon I am learning a bit of English grammar (assimil) and it is said that "Be + ing" form is not allowed with the verb think.
Can you help me about "I have been thinking about", I have a doubt.
Thanks in advance for the help.

-------------------
Edited by lucile83 on 22-11-2013 18:26

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from gerondif, posted on 22-11-2013 at 16:23:59 (D | E)
Hello,
there are "two" verbs to think
I think you are right, I consider you are right, I suppose you are right, I acknowledge you are right: ok, no ing here.

But If to think means to reflect on a subject, or if it is an action verb, then ing is possible:
I have been thinking(pondering) about your problem and here are the solutions I have come up with.
I am contemplating buying a naw car. I am thinking of buying a new car.I am about to buy a new car.
Hey! I said "Schweppes" not "sex"! What did you expect? = What were you thinking of ? (in reference to a commercial about that drink)

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemagemasque, posted on 22-11-2013 at 17:44:14 (D | E)
Hello (lemage )!

I wouldn't use the present perfect continuous since the act is dated ("After reading your good writing")
I would say "After reading your good writing I thought about the spirit of Blues music".

See you!

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemage, posted on 22-11-2013 at 21:10:36 (D | E)
Thanks for your help.
I will take care about the subtle verb "think" which can mean more than two sences things. I probably made a (small) mistake about proper tense.
It seems the sentence "After reading your good writing I thought about the spirit of Blues music." is better.

-------------------
Edited by lucile83 on 22-11-2013 22:16

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemage, posted on 23-11-2013 at 10:43:08 (D | E)
Lucile (83), you are the good eye from angel grammar team.

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from sherry48, posted on 23-11-2013 at 12:36:57 (D | E)
Hello.

After reading your good writing I thought about the spirit of Blues music might indicate a brief period of time thinking about it. If you want to indicate a longer time, constantly thinking, you could use have been thinking. I suggest: Ever since I read your good writing, I have been thinking about the spirit of Blues music.

Sherry

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemage, posted on 23-11-2013 at 15:57:06 (D | E)
Thanks Sherry,

Your comment is "subtle phrase approved".
I will strive to rank "ever since" among my list of English words.
I wanted to be warm for the good clever person who manages a blog named "lovely bicycle". She is located close to Boston town.

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemagemasque, posted on 23-11-2013 at 16:33:24 (D | E)
Hello!

About what sherry said:
Ever since I read your good writing, I have been thinking about the spirit of Blues music.
You mean you read the writing and now you are still "thinking about the spirit of Blues music". You just can't get rid of it!
You're thinking of it, at any time! You are into it!

After reading your good writing I thought about the spirit of Blues music
You mean you did "think about the spirit of Blues music" when you read the writing but you don't any more.
"Ever since" is a kind of emphasis.
See you!

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemage, posted on 23-11-2013 at 20:12:28 (D | E)
Hi lemagemasque,

Short time or continuous time, it's a question. I pasted a piece of my small prose, it's not really easy to guess my own feeling.
In fact you are right, I have had a short period of empathy. The best choice for me is "After reading your good writing I thought about the spirit of Blues music".
We can see different effects from tenses on phrases.
Very interesting.

---

Re: Think verb /progressive perfect from lemagemasque, posted on 24-11-2013 at 13:54:48 (D | E)
Hello!

Yes, you're right! It's really difficult to choose the right tense in a sentence because it depends on what you mean:
I can see them/I'm not seeing them
I saw children jump/I saw children jumping
I always lose my keys/I'm always losing my keys
...

See you!

---

[POST A NEW REPLY] [Subscribe to this topic]

Forum > English only