English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I have been told that 'you look good' is the perfect compliment to give. Because 'you are looking good' is not colloquial. How correct is it?
For example, if I have to ask others about myself:
(This would be incorrect I guess)Having said that, I've come across 'you're looking good / nice' kind of dialogues in English movies.
How to differentiate the uses of both?
How do I look?
How am I looking?
Both the sentences are grammatical.
If you are asking about your appearance or the way you are doing something at the present time; at the time of speaking, you can use either, without any difference in meaning. However, the use of the presrnt simple is more common than the present continuous. Nevertheless, many people use the present continuous for emphasis.
On the other hand, if you are asking about how you always or generally look, you should invariably use the former (the present simple).
The verb "look" in the sentences is a stative/linking verb used in the sense of the verb seem or appear.
According to grammar, we don't normally use stative verbs in the continuous form. But, sometimes, some stative verbs like "look" can be used in the continuous form depending whether the situation or condition we mean is permanent or temporary. You use the present simple for a permanent condition and the present continuous for a condition that's temporary or for a short period of time. For example:
If we say "This shirt is looking nice on you", it's a temporary situation limited to the period of time you are wearing this shirt. However, if we say "you look just like your father", we are referring here to a permanent situation. In the former example, we can use either the present simple or the present continuous, but in the latter example, we use the present simple. (John Eastwood Oxford Practice Grammar).
Both are grammatical and fine to use in conversation. I use "looking good" when I'm encouraging someone to keep doing whatever it is they're doing. For example, "You're looking good! The time you're spending at the gym is making a difference." or "You're looking good in the ring Ali, just watch out for Frazier's left hook." (a boxing reference if it's not clear)
If I am commenting on the way something looks that I don't expect to change because of some action that's in process, I would use "look" instead of "looking". For example, "You look good! That color is very flattering." or "I haven't seen you in years. You look good!"
I have been told that 'you look good' is the perfect compliment to give. Because 'you are looking good' is not colloquial.
In order for the phrase “You are looking good” to be really colloquial, the subject and the auxiliary should be contracted: You're looking good is the form preferred, and native speakers will contract words, especially auxiliaries, whenever possible.
“You look good” cannot be contracted in writing, but in speech the words you and look will slide and merge until you get the following result:
Y'look (/jə'lʊk/) good
I'm not 100 % sure I transcribed that in eye-dialect or IPA correctly, so please edit.
Both exclamations, or pleasantries if you prefer, are grammatically acceptable because it's how the majority of English speakers express themselves today.
The OP has also been told that the perfect compliment is the latter but I'm not sure I would agree, the following praise:
You look stunning/amazing/gorgeous/hot tonight
is the perfect compliment for any woman :).
Good is a fairly bland, and nondescript adjective in my "book". Nevertheless, both ‘You look good’ and ‘You're looking good’ share the same advantage, they have no social or gender barriers, they can be said to both men and women, adults and children, friends and distant family members alike.
To me, you're looking good sounds more emphatic, and more enthusiastic than you look good, and used when a person you haven't seen in a while, has improved their physical appearance.
On the other hand, ‘you look good’ is often used in conjunction with the verb make when a person needs to create a positive and favorable impression of themselves; e.g.
Notice that while you're complimenting others, you're not supposed to be self-deprecating. You don't want to make yourself look bad, you want others to look good. [...] "But what if my boss is a jerk?" you ask. It's still in your best interest to make him or her look good. Believe it or not, it will make you look good. — Career Coach
It's my job to make you look good, and it's your job to make the company look good.” “Then we make a great team. With you taking care of my wardrobe, I should be vice president in no time.” “I hope so.” — Does She Love You?
He is your employee, who needs your help to become a good employee and make you look good. It's pretty simple. To be a good manager, you need to understand management rights and responsibilities, create good standards for your ... — Management Experience Acquired
In none of the examples I cited above, does look good mean to be physically attractive.
The BBC states:
Stative verbs describe states or conditions which continue over a period of time, so like, love, hate, want, need, hear and see would all be examples of stative verbs. These verbs are not normally used in the progressive form.
However, some stative verbs are occasionally used in the progressive form when they describe something with a definite beginning and end. For example:
- I am smelling coffee; there must be a coffee shop nearby.
- I'm thinking of going to my friend in the evening.
- I am feeling that this is going to be a hard day.
Some stative verbs can be used in the continuous form but their meaning might change. For example:
Think
- Do you think so? (Stative - Is that your opinion? Is that the state of your belief?)
- He's thinking about his friends in Poland (Dynamic - The action of thinking. His friends are in his thoughts, in his mind right now but he might be thinking of something else soon).
Have
- He has got brown eyes (Stative - He possesses brown eyes. The colour is unlikely to change).
- He's having a pint of beer (Dynamic - The action of drinking. He might be drinking something else soon).
See
- I don't see what you mean. (Stative - I don't understand what you mean).
- She is seeing him next week. (Dynamic - She is meeting him).
The BBC has a good lesson about "Using stative verbs in continuous tense":
Many state verbs have two different forms (a state one and a dynamic one) with a change in meaning:
- Mike's usually so energetic! (a personality trait).
- Why's he being so lazy? (current behaviour).
We can use the present continuous with forever, always and constantly to show annoyance about a repeated habit:
- You're forever interrupting me.
- I know I quit, but I’m constantly wanting a cigarette.
State verbs can be used in the continuous form to make requests and questions more polite and less direct:
- Sorry to interrupt. I was wanting to borrow the car.
Sometimes we use a state verb in the continuous form to emphasise a strong feeling at the moment of speaking:
- I'm loving this party!
- I don’t care how long the chef took to cook it. I’m not accepting that.
Some idioms and set phrases use state verbs in the continuous form:
- I just don’t know what to do about this situation. It's really weighing on my mind.
- I've been seeing my boyfriend for a few months now.
In most cases the '-ing' form of the verbs shows a sense of something being temporary.
Notice: For an "unchangeable state" you cannot use the continuous tense:
Another good use of "looking good" you may find interesting.
"[You're] looking good" is an idiom, existing outside the normal rules of grammar.
"You look good" generally implies here-and-now, particularly with regard to social presentation (clothing, hair, etc). Its purpose is usually to reassure, not to compliment.
"[You're] looking good!" is usually a compliment, especially as an exclamation without the "you're". It's not usually meant to reassure except in a general way; it's appreciative. It tends to be used more for physical qualities than grooming, but there's no clear dividing line.
Corpus evidence brought by tunny is what you would consider by far descriptive and what you need is a prescrpitive approach.
I would say the progressive form is rather colloquial.
When describing a situation and in particular the appearance of a person
You look good.
is a statement about some or all of a person's appearance often with the emphasis on "good", the phrase tends to always be part of a sentence
Those shoes look good with that outfit.
That dress looks good on her.
The feeling is static, as in "run a long distance".
whereas
Looking good.
can be used as a stand alone statement, specifically for effect, especially when "looking" is emphasized. It has a more active, progressive feel as in "running a long distance"
She is looking good in that dress tonight.
Q: How do I look?
A: Looking good!
it also has more of a feeling of "sexual attractiveness" than "look good", and that there may be other possibilities as the night progresses.
One possible way to see the difference is to invert the two words
She has good looks.
She is good looking.
The first is the possession of a characteristic (static), the second is a way of being (dynamic). Possibly most people would rather be "good looking". A quick search of "would you rather look good or be good looking" or "would you rather have good looks or be good looking" reveals that most of the comparisons are against "good looking", e.g. "Would you rather be rich or good looking?"
In general "looking good" has the feeling of
things are looking up
things will only get better
Both forms are equally valid. Different nuances may be achieved by using the alternate forms: (Emphasise the capitalised words)
"YOU look good" "You look GOOD" "You ARE looking good"
