Why cannot we not say “I have been having a dog”? The Next CEO of Stack Overflow“How long have you [had/been having] this?” - Cont. or Simple?Is it correct to say “ have been not” in English?have been + V ing vs have been + V edWhat is the grammatically correct way to say “Have you ever been shot at?”“Should never have been” or “should have never been”?Can't have (been) V.S. couldn't have (been)have / having something + -en formOne of the main reasons I picked up a guitar(English Grammar ) reason why my answer is wrong why it is not has been visiting , why is answer is have been visitedIs it correct to say “proud of having met you”, or should it be “proud to have met”?
Can I cast Thunderwave and be at the center of its bottom face, but not be affected by it?
My ex-girlfriend uses my Apple ID to login to her iPad, do I have to give her my Apple ID password to reset it?
Is it OK to decorate a log book cover?
How dangerous is XSS
What happens if you break a law in another country outside of that country?
Fastest algorithm to decide whether a (always halting) TM accepts a general string
Small nick on power cord from an electric alarm clock, and copper wiring exposed but intact
Traveling with my 5 year old daughter (as the father) without the mother from Germany to Mexico
Raspberry pi 3 B with Ubuntu 18.04 server arm64: what pi version
Could you use a laser beam as a modulated carrier wave for radio signal?
How exploitable/balanced is this homebrew spell: Spell Permanency?
Can Sri Krishna be called 'a person'?
Is it correct to say moon starry nights?
Horror film about a man brought out of cryogenic suspension without a soul, around 1990
Compensation for working overtime on Saturdays
How do I secure a TV wall mount?
It it possible to avoid kiwi.com's automatic online check-in and instead do it manually by yourself?
What are the unusually-enlarged wing sections on this P-38 Lightning?
Is it reasonable to ask other researchers to send me their previous grant applications?
Another proof that dividing by 0 does not exist -- is it right?
Physiological effects of huge anime eyes
Finitely generated matrix groups whose eigenvalues are all algebraic
Compilation of a 2d array and a 1d array
Why cannot we not say "I have been having a dog"?
Why cannot we not say “I have been having a dog”?
The Next CEO of Stack Overflow“How long have you [had/been having] this?” - Cont. or Simple?Is it correct to say “ have been not” in English?have been + V ing vs have been + V edWhat is the grammatically correct way to say “Have you ever been shot at?”“Should never have been” or “should have never been”?Can't have (been) V.S. couldn't have (been)have / having something + -en formOne of the main reasons I picked up a guitar(English Grammar ) reason why my answer is wrong why it is not has been visiting , why is answer is have been visitedIs it correct to say “proud of having met you”, or should it be “proud to have met”?
So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
grammar
New contributor
|
show 3 more comments
So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
grammar
New contributor
3
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
1
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
grammar
New contributor
So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
grammar
grammar
New contributor
New contributor
New contributor
asked 3 hours ago
HannahHannah
91
91
New contributor
New contributor
3
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
1
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
3
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
1
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago
3
3
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
1
1
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
Question: So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
Answer:
To play a guitar is an activity. It can have started in the past and
be going on until now. Active verbs can be used progressively (with to
be and ing).
To have a dog means to own a dog. The verb to "have" in the sense of possess is not usually used in the progressive tenses. It is not an active verb like play and does not take a direct object. (Though in some circumstances it is used progressively, let's ignore that for now.) If you want to show the fact your owning a dog began when you were six and is still part of your life, you have to say:
I have had a dog since I was six. You have to use the present perfect.
That's the formal answer for you.
(please note: there is an idiom in the English language which is: to have a cow, which means to express the fact you are upset. That can be used progressively: She's pretty angry. She's having a cow.]
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
add a comment |
The present continuous is not normally used with stative verbs such as "be", "have" (possession), "want", "cost" etc.
- He has a wife and two children. YES
- He is having a wife and two children. NO
- He has been married since 2015 YES
- He has been being married since 2015 NO
- She has played the guitar since she was six. YES
- She has been playing the guitar since she was six. YES
- I have had a dog since I was six [years old] YES
- I have been having a dog since I was six [years old] NO
add a comment |
The verb "having" implies that you are experiancing, enduring, or undergoing something.
The sentence is gramatically correct, however, the present perfect tense usage coupled with the verb "having" implies that something isnt right. I believe its because the verb "having" implies that there are factors outside of your control or that you are experiancing . Like: having a heart attack, having a baby, having a bad day, having an epiphany...
New contributor
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Because you can say "I am playing guitar", but you can't say "I am having a dog". (Please, no irrelevant comments about eating hot dogs.)
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
|
show 9 more comments
StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);
else
createEditor();
);
function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);
);
Hannah is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e)
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom))
StackExchange.using('gps', function() StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', location: 'question_page' ); );
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
;
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f492185%2fwhy-cannot-we-not-say-i-have-been-having-a-dog%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Question: So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
Answer:
To play a guitar is an activity. It can have started in the past and
be going on until now. Active verbs can be used progressively (with to
be and ing).
To have a dog means to own a dog. The verb to "have" in the sense of possess is not usually used in the progressive tenses. It is not an active verb like play and does not take a direct object. (Though in some circumstances it is used progressively, let's ignore that for now.) If you want to show the fact your owning a dog began when you were six and is still part of your life, you have to say:
I have had a dog since I was six. You have to use the present perfect.
That's the formal answer for you.
(please note: there is an idiom in the English language which is: to have a cow, which means to express the fact you are upset. That can be used progressively: She's pretty angry. She's having a cow.]
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
add a comment |
Question: So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
Answer:
To play a guitar is an activity. It can have started in the past and
be going on until now. Active verbs can be used progressively (with to
be and ing).
To have a dog means to own a dog. The verb to "have" in the sense of possess is not usually used in the progressive tenses. It is not an active verb like play and does not take a direct object. (Though in some circumstances it is used progressively, let's ignore that for now.) If you want to show the fact your owning a dog began when you were six and is still part of your life, you have to say:
I have had a dog since I was six. You have to use the present perfect.
That's the formal answer for you.
(please note: there is an idiom in the English language which is: to have a cow, which means to express the fact you are upset. That can be used progressively: She's pretty angry. She's having a cow.]
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
add a comment |
Question: So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
Answer:
To play a guitar is an activity. It can have started in the past and
be going on until now. Active verbs can be used progressively (with to
be and ing).
To have a dog means to own a dog. The verb to "have" in the sense of possess is not usually used in the progressive tenses. It is not an active verb like play and does not take a direct object. (Though in some circumstances it is used progressively, let's ignore that for now.) If you want to show the fact your owning a dog began when you were six and is still part of your life, you have to say:
I have had a dog since I was six. You have to use the present perfect.
That's the formal answer for you.
(please note: there is an idiom in the English language which is: to have a cow, which means to express the fact you are upset. That can be used progressively: She's pretty angry. She's having a cow.]
Question: So I can say "I have been playing the guitar since I was 6" but "I have been having a dog since I was 6" sounds incorrect. Why?
Answer:
To play a guitar is an activity. It can have started in the past and
be going on until now. Active verbs can be used progressively (with to
be and ing).
To have a dog means to own a dog. The verb to "have" in the sense of possess is not usually used in the progressive tenses. It is not an active verb like play and does not take a direct object. (Though in some circumstances it is used progressively, let's ignore that for now.) If you want to show the fact your owning a dog began when you were six and is still part of your life, you have to say:
I have had a dog since I was six. You have to use the present perfect.
That's the formal answer for you.
(please note: there is an idiom in the English language which is: to have a cow, which means to express the fact you are upset. That can be used progressively: She's pretty angry. She's having a cow.]
answered 1 hour ago
LambieLambie
7,6261933
7,6261933
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
add a comment |
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
You can also say things like "I'm having a bit of a problem with this task," although I'm struggling to think of a context where you can would use progressive "have" with a non-abstract object
– Azor Ahai
4 mins ago
add a comment |
The present continuous is not normally used with stative verbs such as "be", "have" (possession), "want", "cost" etc.
- He has a wife and two children. YES
- He is having a wife and two children. NO
- He has been married since 2015 YES
- He has been being married since 2015 NO
- She has played the guitar since she was six. YES
- She has been playing the guitar since she was six. YES
- I have had a dog since I was six [years old] YES
- I have been having a dog since I was six [years old] NO
add a comment |
The present continuous is not normally used with stative verbs such as "be", "have" (possession), "want", "cost" etc.
- He has a wife and two children. YES
- He is having a wife and two children. NO
- He has been married since 2015 YES
- He has been being married since 2015 NO
- She has played the guitar since she was six. YES
- She has been playing the guitar since she was six. YES
- I have had a dog since I was six [years old] YES
- I have been having a dog since I was six [years old] NO
add a comment |
The present continuous is not normally used with stative verbs such as "be", "have" (possession), "want", "cost" etc.
- He has a wife and two children. YES
- He is having a wife and two children. NO
- He has been married since 2015 YES
- He has been being married since 2015 NO
- She has played the guitar since she was six. YES
- She has been playing the guitar since she was six. YES
- I have had a dog since I was six [years old] YES
- I have been having a dog since I was six [years old] NO
The present continuous is not normally used with stative verbs such as "be", "have" (possession), "want", "cost" etc.
- He has a wife and two children. YES
- He is having a wife and two children. NO
- He has been married since 2015 YES
- He has been being married since 2015 NO
- She has played the guitar since she was six. YES
- She has been playing the guitar since she was six. YES
- I have had a dog since I was six [years old] YES
- I have been having a dog since I was six [years old] NO
answered 1 hour ago
Mari-Lou AMari-Lou A
62.4k57224462
62.4k57224462
add a comment |
add a comment |
The verb "having" implies that you are experiancing, enduring, or undergoing something.
The sentence is gramatically correct, however, the present perfect tense usage coupled with the verb "having" implies that something isnt right. I believe its because the verb "having" implies that there are factors outside of your control or that you are experiancing . Like: having a heart attack, having a baby, having a bad day, having an epiphany...
New contributor
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The verb "having" implies that you are experiancing, enduring, or undergoing something.
The sentence is gramatically correct, however, the present perfect tense usage coupled with the verb "having" implies that something isnt right. I believe its because the verb "having" implies that there are factors outside of your control or that you are experiancing . Like: having a heart attack, having a baby, having a bad day, having an epiphany...
New contributor
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The verb "having" implies that you are experiancing, enduring, or undergoing something.
The sentence is gramatically correct, however, the present perfect tense usage coupled with the verb "having" implies that something isnt right. I believe its because the verb "having" implies that there are factors outside of your control or that you are experiancing . Like: having a heart attack, having a baby, having a bad day, having an epiphany...
New contributor
The verb "having" implies that you are experiancing, enduring, or undergoing something.
The sentence is gramatically correct, however, the present perfect tense usage coupled with the verb "having" implies that something isnt right. I believe its because the verb "having" implies that there are factors outside of your control or that you are experiancing . Like: having a heart attack, having a baby, having a bad day, having an epiphany...
New contributor
edited 1 hour ago
New contributor
answered 1 hour ago
user342390user342390
212
212
New contributor
New contributor
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
1
1
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
I'm afraid this makes no sense at all.
– TonyK
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Because you can say "I am playing guitar", but you can't say "I am having a dog". (Please, no irrelevant comments about eating hot dogs.)
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
|
show 9 more comments
Because you can say "I am playing guitar", but you can't say "I am having a dog". (Please, no irrelevant comments about eating hot dogs.)
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
|
show 9 more comments
Because you can say "I am playing guitar", but you can't say "I am having a dog". (Please, no irrelevant comments about eating hot dogs.)
Because you can say "I am playing guitar", but you can't say "I am having a dog". (Please, no irrelevant comments about eating hot dogs.)
answered 2 hours ago
TonyKTonyK
1,984310
1,984310
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
|
show 9 more comments
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
You can't say "I am playing guitar" and you can say "I am having a dog". While it may be a localism to some places, countable singular nouns need determiners. As for "I am having a dog", having refers to eating, so it's grammatical, much like I am having a milkshake is.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
1
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
@Lordology: "I am playing guitar" is perfectly acceptable, as Google Ngram Viewer attests. As for "I am having a dog": I did ask you to leave hot dogs out of this, but you seem to have ignored my request. Oh well.
– TonyK
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
I don't care. Whether you are or aren't "allowed" to mention hot dogs, you can't avoid the fact it's grammatical.
– Lordology
2 hours ago
1
1
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
@Lordology how many people do you know have been eating only one type of food, continuously or intermittently since they were six years of age? This has nothing to do with dietary preferences. The OP is clearly asking about owning a pet dog.
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
2
2
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
@Lordology - Please explain why You can't say "I am playing guitar"!!!
– Hot Licks
1 hour ago
|
show 9 more comments
Hannah is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Hannah is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Hannah is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Hannah is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e)
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom))
StackExchange.using('gps', function() StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', location: 'question_page' ); );
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
;
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f492185%2fwhy-cannot-we-not-say-i-have-been-having-a-dog%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e)
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom))
StackExchange.using('gps', function() StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', location: 'question_page' ); );
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
;
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e)
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom))
StackExchange.using('gps', function() StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', location: 'question_page' ); );
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
;
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
var $window = $(window),
onScroll = function(e)
var $elem = $('.new-login-left'),
docViewTop = $window.scrollTop(),
docViewBottom = docViewTop + $window.height(),
elemTop = $elem.offset().top,
elemBottom = elemTop + $elem.height();
if ((docViewTop elemBottom))
StackExchange.using('gps', function() StackExchange.gps.track('embedded_signup_form.view', location: 'question_page' ); );
$window.unbind('scroll', onScroll);
;
$window.on('scroll', onScroll);
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
3
"Having", in that sense, implies repeated actions rather than a continuous action. "I have been having a hot dog for breakfast since I was 6."
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
1
Too many "nots"... "Why can't we say...?" or "Why can we not say...?"
– Mari-Lou A
2 hours ago
[Why can't we say or why don't we say]
– Lambie
2 hours ago
The right question is not "Why can't we say" etc. because you can say anything you like. The question is what does it mean when I say A or B.
– Lambie
2 hours ago
@TonyK enough. I will bring this to moderator attention and see this through. You do not go around putting people down and using language some would consider bullying. Delete the comment now or I will raise this.
– Lordology
1 hour ago