jogging

Which is correct:
1-This month, I jog every day.
2-This month, I am jogging every day.


3-This week, I work at the library.
4-This week, I am working at the library.

navi said:

Which is correct:
1-This month, I jog every day.
2-This month, I am jogging every day.


3-This week, I work at the library.
4-This week, I am working at the library.

I am jogging every day this month.
I am working at the library this week.

You use the present progressive (continuous) because the month/week is not over yet.

You would use the present simple if you were not indicating the time period during which you are performing the action. That is, you would simply say "I jog every day." (Yes, you do say "every day," but you are not saying when you started and when you will stop jogging every day.) Likewise, you would say "I work at the library." (You are not saying when you started or stopped working at the library). Basically, by saying "this week" and "this month," you are indicating that you are doing something for a limited period of time, which has not come to an end yet. You are therefore still in the process of habitually performing the action; hence, present progressive.

I placed the time indicators at the end of the sentence because it sounds better that way.

I hope this explanation is clear. If not, please ask more questions. Also, I'm sure other people will be able to explain things in a different light.

SIDENOTE: I think "I have been jogging every day this month" and "I have been working at the library this week" sound better; but they do not necessarily indicate an intention to continue performing the action for the remainder of the time period. And anyway, that wasn't your question; you asked us to choose between the present progressive and the present simple.

Hi Navi,

What fun do you have for us now?

navi said:

Which is correct:
1-This month, I jog every day. It would sound better to say, "I jog every day this month." You might prefer to say, "I will jog every day this month." but that is a different meaning.
2-This month, I am jogging every day. Turn it around, for stylistic reasons:
I am jogging every day this month. This is less ambiguous than #1.


3-This week, I work at the library.
4-This week, I am working at the library.

For the second example, I would also reverse the order, putting 'this week' at the end of each sentence. In the library examples, #3 implies that you work elsewhere some other weeks. #4 simply states that you are performing an action at a place in a specific time frame.

#1 sounds awkward. The others are fine.

regards,
Cuchu

cuchuflete said:

Hi Navi,

What fun do you have for us now?



For the second example, I would also reverse the order, putting 'this week' at the end of each sentence. In the library examples, #3 implies that you work elsewhere some other weeks. #4 simply states that you are performing an action at a place in a specific time frame.

#1 sounds awkward. The others are fine.

regards,
Cuchu

Thanks for the clearer explanation, Cuchu. I should have mentioned that the present simple wasn't totally wrong; it just gives a different shade of meaning. Although I agree that #1 sounds awkward.

navi said:

Which is correct:
1-This month, I jog every day.
2-This month, I am jogging every day.


3-This week, I work at the library.
4-This week, I am working at the library.

4. is the only one of these that sounds natural to my ears. I would say something like:

1. I have jogged every day this month. (You really cannot say till the month is over.) But you could say, "I plan to jog every day this month." or "I am going to jog every day this month."

2. I am working at the library this week.

Edwin said:

4. is the only one of these that sounds natural to my ears. I would say something like:
1. I have jogged every day this month. (You really cannot say till the month is over.) But you could say, "I plan to jog every day this month." or "I am going to jog every day this month."

2. I am working at the library this week.

I completely agree. I'd use the present tense only in 4, and the future tense in the first three. ("To go jogging" sounds more natural, at least to my ears.)

1,2- This month, I will go jogging every day.
3- This week, I will be working at the library. ("I will be working at the library this week" sounds even better.)
4-This week, I am working at the library. (Ditto: I am working at the library this week.)

Thanks a lot to all of you.

Can't one use the simple tense if one is announcing a programme though, or giving an order:

A)You don't go out this week.
B)Today, we discuss Darwin's theory. (that's the programme)
C)I only eat vegetables this week.
D)He stays home and does his homework tonight.

1-This month, I jog every day.

This is OK if used in the correct context. For example: You are discussing an exercise program with a friend.
This month, I jog every day. Next month, I jog every other day.

navi said:

Thanks a lot to all of you.

Can't one use the simple tense if one is announcing a programme though, or giving an order:

A)You don't go out this week.
B)Today, we discuss Darwin's theory. (that's the programme)
C)I only eat vegetables this week.
D)He stays home and does his homework tonight.

I think you are right about that.

navi said:

Thanks a lot to all of you.

Can't one use the simple tense if one is announcing a programme though, or giving an order:

A)You don't go out this week.
B)Today, we discuss Darwin's theory. (that's the programme)
C)I only eat vegetables this week.
D)He stays home and does his homework tonight.

I would say

A) You won't be going out this week.
B) Today, we discuss (or will be discussing) Darwin's theory.
C) I am going to eat only vegetables this week.
D) He will be staying home and doing his homework tonight.

To me, except for example B, the construction will + be + -ing or going + to be + -ing sound more natural in these contexts.

Actually, even in example B, the simple present tense carries a slightly different connotation.

-Today we discuss Darwin's theory. (That is on the program; I didn't necessarily choose that, but that's what we're going to be doing.)
-Today we will be discussing Darwin's theory. (Neutral; either I chose that or that's just what's on the program.)

In the other examples it seems more likely that the speaker is making these decisions, and that's why I would go with the future progressive form.