Lesson 7. Grammar Item #1

Sue is studying. (Lit., There is tentatively a state where the event of Sue’s studying culminates.　The action is now in progress.)

· Studying

à べんきょうして

benkyous-ite

study [Verb Base]-ing

______________________________________________________

there is tentatively (a state)

à

い[Verb Base]；います；いて

N.B. The event described with verb /i/ ‘tentatively is’ consists of one role, which is a state, described with /(i)te/-phrase.[1]

______________________________________________________

１）スーさんは　べんきょうして　います。

a) Takeshi is reading a book in English.

b) Won’t you be playing tennis?

c) Takeshi studied at the coffee shop, and then was there.

Sue’s older sister is married. (Lit., There is tentatively a state where the event of Sue’s marrying someone culminates. The result of the change of the event remains in effect. The event cannot have its action in progress, for example in this case, because it is too instantaneous.[2])

· married

à けっこんして

kekkons-ite

marry [Verb Base]-ing

２）スーさんのおねえさんは　けっこんして　います。

d) Professor Yamashita knows English.

e) Tom is a little bit overweight, (lit., Tom has gained a little weight).

f) Sue has a lot of money, (lit., Tom has possessed a lot of money).

g) Mr. Yamada wears a T-shirt.

---

[1] We learned the verb /i/, as in /zyon-ga soko-ni i-mas-u/ ‘John is there’, that is semantically different from the verb in the text. The event described with this verb consists of two roles: one role ‘animate object’ described with /ga/-phrase, and the other role at-on-in location relation. These two verbs are syntactically and morphologically the same.

[2] This is confirmed by the fact of the inappropriateness of #Sue’s older sister marries someone for two hours.