Is it grammatically correct to say: I'm taking a shower today?
I've read that we can use present continuous with today, these days, etc.
I appreciate your help very much.
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2What do you think? We generally do not answer "is this correct" questions. Anyway, why wouldn't it be right?– LambieSep 11 at 14:02
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I've got the answer. Thank you.– FBMSep 11 at 14:29
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The important point is that although "I'm taking a shower today" uses the progressive aspect, its meaning cannot be accounted for in terms of progressive aspectuality. See my answer.– BillJSep 12 at 11:06
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2 Answers
The OP's example is fine. But note the difference between...
1: I'm going to work today (I will go to work soon, but I'm not yet at work)
...and...
2: I'm having a day off work today (something I'm probably currently / already doing).
With those examples it's fairly clear whether the reference is to something current, ongoing or future, planned. But...
3: I'm taking a shower today
...the speaker probably isn't currently showering, so it's more like my #1 above, whereas...
4: I'm wearing casual clothes today
...might mean either currently OR in the near future (maybe I haven't even got dressed yet! :)
Usually, context makes it obvious whether the action/activity specified using Present Continuous is ongoing OR planned, and whether it's a relatively brief action, OR something that lasts "all day".
It's purely a personal opinion, but I have the feeling we're at least slightly more likely to use Present Continuous for an "extended" activity (that might take all day) if such a statement is adverbially modified by, for example, today. Hence...
5: I'm lighting fireworks today
6: I'll light a firework today
...are arguably more likely than...
7: I'll light fireworks today
8: I'm lighting a firework today
...but not everyone will necessarily agree with me on that point of style.
answered Sep 11 at 13:24
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Shouldn't the action take all that period of time for us to be allowed to talk about it in that way? For example for being allowed to use present continuous with " these days " should the action be repeated in all those days or it's okay for it to happen in one of those days?– FBMSep 11 at 13:32
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1I'm having sex at least twice a month these days is fine, even though it's strongly implied that I'm not currently having sex on most days. Don't overthink this one. Sep 11 at 13:50
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Yes. The real world nature of the action, how long it takes or might last, affects our interpretation of the sentence. "I am sick today": I'd take that to mean that you are sick now and expect to be sick all day. "I am working today": I'd guess you mean that you are putting in a normal work day, 8 hours or so. You may or may not be working now. "I am drinking a cup of coffee today": I wouldn't suppose that you mean that you are going to slowly sip on one cup of coffee and drag it out all day. More like, sometime today you will spend a few minutes, maybe half an hour, drinking coffee.– JaySep 11 at 19:37
[1] I'm taking a shower today.
Yes: it's grammatically correct.
It's important here to distinguish the syntactic category of aspect and the semantic category of aspectuality. There is a difference.
Although [1] uses the progressive aspect ("be"+ing verb), its meaning cannot be accounted for in terms of progressive aspectuality.
In other words, it doesn't mean that my showering is in progress right now, but that I intend to take a shower later today. Grammarians call this the progressive futurate.
Similar examples of progressive aspectuality include:
[2] I'm phoning her tonight.
[3] She's having her operation tomorrow.
[4] Ed is having dinner tonight with Gill.
[2]-[4] are like [1] in that they too have a future time reference.
