Mental Processes and Present Progressive Verb Usage

Mental Processes: Participants and Subtypes

Mental processes are constructed with main participants: the Experiencer (or Senser), the mental process itself, and the Phenomenon. These are processes of experiencing or sensing.

Subtypes of Mental Processes

• Perception: (see, hear, feel). Behavioural processes distinguish between non-volitional acts (see, hear) and volitional acts (look, watch, listen).
• Cognition: (know, understand, believe).
• Affection: (like, love, admire, miss).
• Desideration: (hope, desire, fear, want, wish).

There is always a conscious participant, the Experiencer or Senser, who perceives, knows, or likes. There is usually a second participant, the Phenomenon—that which is perceived, known, or wanted.

Present Progressive and Lexical Aspect

The Present Progressive (also called the Present Continuous) is used to describe actions happening now. Its meaning varies according to the lexical aspect of the verb:

Common Uses of the Present Progressive

1. Actions happening at the moment of speaking: (e.g., "Peter is reading a book now," "She's listening to the radio.")
2. Fixed plans in the near future: (e.g., "She is going to Basel on Saturday.")
3. Temporary actions: (e.g., "His father is working in Rome this month.")
4. Actions happening around the moment of speaking: These are longer actions (e.g., "My friend is preparing for his exams.")
5. Trends: (e.g., "More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.")
6. Repeated actions irritating to the speaker: Often used with always, constantly, or forever (e.g., "Andrew is always coming late.")

State Verbs and Meaning Shifts

Verbs that express states are normally not used with the Present Progressive. When they are used, the meaning changes:

• Simple Present: "They love being together." (A general state; they are not necessarily together now.)
• Present Progressive: "They are loving being together." (They are together right now and enjoying it.)

Multi-Word Verbs and Idiomaticity

Idiomaticity is a matter of degree. Phrasal verbs and multi-word verbs are categorized into three levels of idiomaticity:

• Non-idiomatic: The meaning of the whole can be deduced from its parts (e.g., go down meaning descend, get in meaning enter).
• Semi-idiomatic: The verb conserves its literal meaning, but the particle acquires a marginal or aspectual meaning (e.g., cut up, wash out).
• Fully idiomatic: The meaning of the whole cannot be deduced from the individual parts (e.g., catch up meaning to understand or reach, break up meaning to disperse).