て形＋ばかりいる　ｖｓ　て形＋いるばかり

Lomaster

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Ten-year veteran

4 Apr 2014

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• 16 Mar 2017

• #1

I don't think i notice any difference between the two. I've seen both being used in negative, interrogative and whatnot. As for textbooks, i don't recall て形＋いるばかり being covered in ones i've been studying with. And now i feel uneasy about choosing one or the other, shall it appear on JLPT.
Can someone enlighten me on the subject please?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

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Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

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• 17 Mar 2017

• #2

～ているばかり means "only to do it and not to do anything than that", as same as "present form of verb/adjective + ばかり". It's close to だけ "only/just".
e.g.
その迷子は泣いているばかりで（＝ 泣くばかりで）、名前も話せなかった。

～てばかりいる can be used for custom, "often to do it".
この子は泣いてばかりいる（＝ いつも泣いている）。

ばかり is a bit tricky. There are some other usages ～たばかり "has just finished", ～するばかり "to be about to do", "approximately", and so on.
e.g.
たったいま日本に着いたばかりだ。
準備も終わって、あとは試験を受けるばかりだ。
荷物が届くのにあと2日ばかりかかる。

 

Lomaster

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Ten-year veteran

4 Apr 2014

672

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• 17 Mar 2017

• Thread starter
• #3

Toritoribe said:

～てばかりいる can be used for custom, "often to do it".

Click to expand...

May i assume that てばかりいる is used to describe habits, traits and the like, while ているばかり describes actual behavior and actions which can be observed at the moment?

And thanks for reminding me of those other ばかり patterns.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

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Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

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• 17 Mar 2017

• #4

Ooops! I meant "habit" by "custom".

Basically, yes. 今日はずっと～てばかりいる and いつも～ているばかりだ both can be valid, so not always so, though. ～ているばかり suggests "to do nothing other than that" more strongly.

 

Lomaster

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Ten-year veteran

4 Apr 2014

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• 17 Mar 2017

• Thread starter
• #5

I see. Well, hopefully after hearing/reading it in many different contexts the understanding will come naturally over time, as it usually does.