"Understand" and "realise" in the progressive

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Rachel Adams

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Hello.

I hope it's OK to start a new thread. Since the book does not explain the difference well, I wanted to post a question about "understand" and "realise". I am not sure I understand correctly but I think these verbs can be used in the progressive when there is an idea of change but not when we are talking about a current trend/limited duration. For example "We are slowly realising how serious the problem is" or "We are understanding that the crisis will lead to serious results." I mean the they are slowly understanding or they are starting to understand.
In my previous thread, I used "realise" in the progressive because I thought it's a current trend/limited duration.

"Every year thousands of children go to the doctor because of back pain and in fact this kind of problem is rapidly becoming one of the most common childhood complaints. And what exactly is causing this outbreak of back strain and muscle fatigue? Most people simply don't realise what is happening to their children."
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/282751-The-simple-present-or-the-progressive
 
Last edited:
Hello.

I hope it's OK to start a bew thread. Since the book does not explain missing word well missing punctuation I wanted to post a question about "understand" and "realise". I am not sure I understand correctly but I think these verbs can be used in the progressive when there is an idea of change but not when we are talking about a current trend/limited duration.

For example, "We are slowly realising how serious the problem is." < incorrect punctuation here

incorrect capitalisation here> Or "We are understanding that the crisis will lead to serious results." I mean the they are slowly understanding. <incorrect punctuation here
incorrect capitalisation here > Or they are starting to understand.

In my previous thread missing punctuation I used "realise" in the progressive because I thought it's a current trend/limited duration.

"Every year thousands of children go to the doctor because of back pain and in fact this kind if problem is rapidly becoming one of the most common childhood complaints. And what exactly is causing this outbreak of back strain and muscle fatigue? Most people simply don't realise what is happening to their children."

Please see above. I have marked all the careless errors (I have not corrected them). Your written English is usually better than this. Please rewrite your post correcting those errors.
 
Please see above. I have marked all the careless errors (I have not corrected them). Your written English is usually better than this. Please rewrite your post correcting those errors.

Corrected. I hope I didn't miss anything.
 
Please give a link to said book and previous thread.

I don't have a link to the book. I will post the link to the thread. I posted the link.
 
Please tell us the name and author of the book. Reply to this post with that information.

Oh, OK. "English Grammar in Context" by Michael Vince.
 
Oh, OK. "English Grammar in Context" by Michael Vince.

Give this information in post #1 in every thread. [Don't give us a link unless it's absolutely necessary.]
 
Give this information in post #1 in every thread. [Don't give us a link unless it's absolutely necessary.]

OK. I will.
 
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