Timeline for What is the meaning of the word "have" in "we have a good time" & "we are having a good time"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jan 14, 2017 at 9:13 | history | migrated | from english.stackexchange.com (revisions) | ||
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:40 | vote | accept | Tom | ||
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:33 | comment | added | Catomic | Let us continue this discussion in chat. | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:29 | comment | added | Tom | so, you mean "we often have a good time whenever we are there"? | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:22 | comment | added | Catomic | Or, a couple: That place you sent us, it sucked! We'll never go there again. The other couple: Well, but we have a good time.... | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:17 | comment | added | Catomic | @Tom You mean the way the other examples (e.g. church) do not? Start by considering things like: We have a good time at the pool, not so much at the bar or Do the children have a good time? I know parents do. Would you think these refer to generalities? A bare thing like We have a good time is not intuitive. | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 14:06 | comment | added | Tom | but "we have a good time" sounds like for a particular time in a particular situation not for many times or in general. | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 13:54 | comment | added | Catomic | @Tom Yes. The pedantic way to put it is to say that one usage of simple present tense is to express habitual aspect. Things like I go to church or I drink coffee black or I never say never all have built-in often/always. | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 13:50 | comment | added | Tom | so you mean "we have a good time" is similar to "we often/always have good times" | |
| Jan 13, 2017 at 13:38 | history | answered | Catomic | CC BY-SA 3.0 |