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Question Tom and Betty walk to school (right) now.

hirashin

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Dear native English speakers,
I think (a), (b), and (c) are correct. But how about (d), (e), and (f)?
(a) Tom and Betty are walking to school now.
(b) Tom and Betty are walking to school right now.
(c) Tom and Betty walk to school every morning.
(d) Tom and Betty walk to school now.
(e) Tom and Betty walk to school right now.
(f) Tom and Betty are walking to school every morning.
 
I agree. d, e, f are あやしい
 
D is OK because "now" can mean "this general time" , not only "right now", e.g "I used to get the train to work but now I get the bus", just like any typical "everyday action" sentence.
 
Michael2 said:
D is OK because "now" can mean "this general time" , not only "right now", e.g "I used to get the train to work but now I get the bus", just like any typical "everyday action" sentence.
Click to expand...
I agree that D is OK but such a sentence usually involves some context. For example. Where do you work? I work at home now
In other words, I used to work at a office but since late March I have been working from home because of the virus.

Or
Tom and Betty walk to school now. When they were younger I drove them to school but now they are old enough to go by themselves.

For that reason I don't think D is a good sentence to use as a standalone sentence for your students.
 
Michael2 and Lothor, thank you for the help.

I'd like to know whether all the following questions are valid or not.

Question: Circle the most suitable word in each parentheses.
1 ( Were / Was / Do / Does / Did ) your father ( go / goes / went ) to America last month?
2 My parents ( speak / speaks / speaking ) English fluently. (fluently =流ちょうに、すらすら)
3 ( Are / Is / Do / Does ) Mike ( watch / watched / watching ) TV every day?
4 ( Are / Is / Do / Does ) Judy and Nancy ( walk / walks / walking ) to school every morning?
5 ( Do / Does / Did ) your uncle ( visit / visits / visited ) this temple last Sunday? (temple =寺)
6 That bird ( fly / flies / flying / is fly / is flying ) here every morning.
7 ( Are / Is / Do / Does / Did ) your sister ( play / plays / played / playing ) tennis yesterday?
8 ( Are / Is / Do / Does ) Fred ( speak / speaks / spoke ) Japanese fluently?
9 ( Are / Is / Do / Does ) Bob and Mike ( come / comes / coming ) here often?
10 ( Is / Are / was / Were ) you ( run / runs / running ) here at that time?
 
No problems with any of the sentences.

Be aware that 4) could have two answers under some circumstances.

Bob (Judy and Nancy's dad): "My car has broken down"
Bob's friend: "So are Judy and Nancy walking to school every morning?" (i.e., at the moment because Bob cannot drive them).

That's for your benefit rather than your students. I think the question can be used assuming that your students won't think of such subtleties.

For 10), I'd change it to "...at the park at that time" - it makes the sentence a bit more student-friendly".

By the way, I'm sorry that nobody got round to checking your test last week. It was rather long (which is an observation, not a complaint!), and with a full-time job correcting English and doing a few similar side jobs for friends, I don't always have the energy to tackle long jobs.
 
Thank you for the help, Lothor. In that case, I should change (4). Is this OK?
4' ( Are / Is / Do / Does ) Judy and Nancy ( walk / walks / walked ) to school every morning?
How about 3? Is it impossible to say "Is Mike watching TV every day?"
Oh, Lothor. You don't have to apologize. I know I'm asking too much of you all. I'm always grateful to you all.
 
It's possible to ask Is Mike watching TV every day under special circumstances, as in 4.
As I said, leave 3 and 4. You're a busy man and teaching basic grammar. The two sentences would not be said under normal circumstances but someone with your level of English should know about the special circumstances so I brought them to your attention.
 
Thanks, Lothor. It's complicated. I still don't fully understand it.
 
hirashin said:
Tom and Betty walk to school now.
Click to expand...

"Tom and Betty walk to school now" means "Tom and Betty recently started walking to school." This is Obscure English Grammar and is rarely, rarely used. (I do not see any need to teach this to your students.)
 
Buntaro said:
"Tom and Betty walk to school now" means "Tom and Betty recently started walking to school." This is Obscure English Grammar and is rarely, rarely used. (I do not see any need to teach this to your students.)
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I don't think it's that obscure. It looks strange in isolation but with some context it makes perfect sense.
How about "we walk every day now."
 
Do you ever say, "Tom and Betty walk to school these days"?
 
hirashin said:
Do you ever say, "Tom and Betty walk to school these days"?
Click to expand...
No I wouldn't say that because I don't know Tom or Betty.

Just kidding. I think this is perfectly ok.
 
Hahaha. Thanks. Then how about this?
Tom and Betty are walking to school these days.
 
Buntaro said:
"Tom and Betty walk to school now" means "Tom and Betty recently started walking to school." This is Obscure English Grammar and is rarely, rarely used. (I do not see any need to teach this to your students.)
Click to expand...
I don't think it's particularly obscure but I agree with Buntaro that it does not need to be taught.

To be honest Hirashin, I think you're generating a lot of unnecessary work for yourself by overthinking things. I would stick with the standard form of the English grammar then ask us questions when a student comes out with something that you're not sure about rather than worry about every possible meaning or nuance of a sentence. I'm not saying this because I mind answering your questions but because I'm worried about the amount of work you are doing.
 
Thank you, Lothor. I'm asking a lot of grammar questions partly because I want to know the depth of English, not only for teaching.

The textbook we use are not suitable for the students here. Most of them even don't know the basic grammar. [Am I saying it right?]

So I make exercises for the low-level students. But it is hard for me to make good simple sentences because I have never lived in any English-speaking countries and don't know everyday English. That's why I often ask about simple sentences.
 
I've also given up becoming a master of English. Did you give up learning Japanese about twenty years ago? Why had you been learning Japanese? Did you live in Japan?
 
hirashin said:
I've also given up becoming a master of English. Did you give up learning Japanese about twenty years ago? Why had you been learning Japanese? Did you live in Japan?
Click to expand...
I started in college just because it was interesting to me. Studied for 3 years then lived in Japan for 6. I left Japan 20 years ago but still use it every day at home and often at work.
 
mdchachi said:
I started in college just because it was interesting to me. Studied for 3 years then lived in Japan for 6. I left Japan 20 years ago but still use it every day at home and often at work.
Click to expand...
You wrote "Studied for 3 years then lived in Japan for 6. Is it possible to omit "years"? Oh, you use Japanese at home and at work now. What kind of job are you engaged in if I may ask? (Does it sound right to say "are you engaged in" in this case?) And why do you use Japanese at home? Is your wife Japanese?
 
I don't know if it's possible to omit but I did it. In Japan I worked in Tokyo as a software developer for an American bank. Now I work for a Japanese automotive supplier. Yes my wife's Japanese. The language between us is Japanese. (Yes, engaged in sounds fine.)
 
Thanks for sharing your personal information, mdchachi.
 
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