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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > I ´m lovin ´it    

I ´m lovin ´it



Anneclaire
Italy

I ´m lovin ´it
 
Hi!
I ´ve always had a question about the continuous form of LOVE. I ´ve always known that it ´s a verb that can ´t be used in the progressive form. But a famous fast food chain uses it in this way. Can one of you explain me if it ´s possibible to use these kind of verbs with a progressive form in some cases?
Thanks a lot!Smile

25 Jul 2012      





ueslteacher
Ukraine

Yep, it ´s used as a stylistic device though it ´s not grammatically correct.
From a famous song for example "I ´m still loving you"
Sophia

25 Jul 2012     



yanogator
United States

I thoroughly disagree with the Grammar Girl article, as far as "love" goes. When we use it to mean something like "enjoy", it is definitely not purely a stative verb. "I ´m loving the weather this week" is definitely grammatically correct, because I ´m not talking about an ongoing feeling, just a feeling that is happening this week.
 
I ´m loving my vacation. I wish it wouldn ´t end!
 
I ´m loving getting to know ESL teachers from around the world.
 
Bruce

25 Jul 2012     



Anneclaire
Italy

Thx  a lot!

25 Jul 2012     



ueslteacher
Ukraine

That ´s from an American point of view.
Isn´t it different for Brits though?
Sophia

25 Jul 2012     



Zora
Canada

I ´ve got to agree with Bruce here.

The ´problem � is lexical, not grammatical.

"I ´m lovin � it" means nothing else than "I ´m enjoying it very much".

Which works just fine in the progressive. This doesn ´t really break a grammatical rule, it ´s a new meaning for the word ´love �.

In fact, the OUP says that ´love as affection - to love somebody or something � is not used in the progressive... however, when OUP talks about love as ´enjoy � (which comes as another entry), it mentions nothing of the sort.



25 Jul 2012     



alexcure
Poland

Let ´s wait for a Briton´s opinion, Sophia, I guess the meaning ´enjoy � is American, all of my British dictionaries as well as grammar books and the online dictionaries such as:  http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/love?showCookiePolicy=true, for instance, don ´t mention ´enjoy �. 

I remember my American teacher of conversation many years ago during my university time teaching us that I´m loving sth is an American invention ;-) (I mean it´s an American use). Can anyone else confirm it? 

[update: I have just found an interesting post exchange here: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=224731, btw. Wordreference.com is a fantastic linguistic source!)

25 Jul 2012     



ueslteacher
Ukraine

@Linda: I must have been reading the wrong forumsConfused
I was sure it ´s a NAm use because it sounds fine to me. I speak NAm English which sometimes makes it tricky to teach using BrEn textbooks. For example, to me the verb fit has three identical forms - fit, fit, fit, so when a student asked about it for a multiple choice test for a sentence which demanded a past form, my answer was fit, alas, the key had fitted:)
BTW OALD (which has both variants AE & BE) has the "enjoy" meaning of love, and yes, it doesn ´t say anything about it not possible to be used in the progressive in that very meaning, although it doesn ´t give an example of such use either.
Sophia

25 Jul 2012     



Zora
Canada

Hi there Sophia,

I know what you mean, my first years teaching were ´odd � to say the least since I had to stick to BE. I still have problems (I start giggling inside) when I hear ´rubber �, ´fag �, ´pissed � (as in drunk), ´cock �... and a few others that have surely escaped me at this moment.


Regarding the past tense of ´fit � - ´usually � (and I say this because both forms are correct) when fit means ´adjust or put in �; we tend to used the past form ´fitted �.

The house was fitted with new windows. / She fitted him for the new suit.


Linda

25 Jul 2012     



afrodite
Italy

Ciao, c ´è un articolo che tratta proprio di questo argomento sulla rivista "Speak Up" di Maggio 2012, prova a dare un ´occhiata! Ciao, e buona estate!
Elena

25 Jul 2012     



ueslteacher
Ukraine

@Elena: Hi Elena,
If your message is meant for Anneclaire only, it ´s better to send it by pm. If it is in the forum, then use English please.


@Linda: thanks for getting back to me and thanks for a tip on "fitted" I think it´s because it has a passive connotation and I know that´s the form to use in the passive, eh?

Sophia

25 Jul 2012     

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