Tense in BE

[Dennis Preston]

The traditional explanation is that stative verbs (know, love, have,
etc...) do not "take" the progressive.

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I've heard "I've *been* knowin' that!" from younger white speakers
>in East Tennessee, though only one or two of them.
>
>Have we ever discussed the (formerly?) regional use of the present
>progressive for the simple present in certain verbs that
>traditionally don't use it?
>
>E.g., the current MacDonald's slogan, "I'm lovin' it!" instead of SE
>"I love it!"
>
>East Tennesseans were saying "I'm lovin' it/ this!" at least thirty
>years ago.  It still sounds weird to me.
>
>JL
>
>
>Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote: ----------------------
>Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society
>Poster:       Dennis Preston
>
>Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Margaret,
>
>I remember quite distinctly "I BEEN knowing this" (with remotive
>stressed BEEN) from Black speakers (Louisville area) from some time
>ago (50s). As I recall, however, the context was "Why are you telling
>me what I've known for a long time?" The remotive plus progressive is
>not at all rare, and this could be the source for the "knowing this"
>for you cite, but in your memory it seems to be a simple agreement
>marker while I remember it as a slightly annoyed response to old news.
>
>I know; this breaks Preston's law of sociolinguistics #2. But since
>both my laws are broken daily here, I can't resist.
>
>dInIs
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society
>>Poster:       Margaret Lee
>>Subject:      Re: Tense in BE
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Wilson Gray  wrote:    When I was stationed in
>>Berlin ca.1961, I used to hear some black GI's
>>say "knowin' this" instead of "fuckin' A" or "I'm hip." At the time, I
>>figured that this was local slang brought from home, wherever that
>>was.
>>
>>
>>And the cool way to say it was with the stress on the first
>>syllable, "know' in this," used to indicate that you agree with what
>>someone has just said.
>>
>>    Margaret
>>
>>
>>---------------------------------
>>Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles.
>>Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center.
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Got a little couch potato?
>Check out fun summer activities for kids.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org