[Grammar] Voluntary and involuntary action ...?

[alikhalili71]

Hi there,
What are the differences between voluntary action and involuntary action in grammar? Please give me some examples.

Thanks in advance

 

[Rover_KE]

There is only one difference: they are opposite in meaning.

Click here for examples, and then change the headwords to 'involuntary action'.

 

[alikhalili71]

Thanks for your reply. I know that they are opposite in meaning. I want to know why I can say "This food tastes delicious", but I cannot say "This food is tasting delicious". Is it because "tasting" is an involuntary action?

 

[MikeNewYork]

No. The sense of taste is neither voluntary nor involuntary. It is what it is. Some people love broccoli; other don't. The objection to using a continuous verb with a sensing/perceiving verb has been long standing, but that is changing. McDonald's helped spur this change with their "I am loving it" ad. I would not object to your sentence if the person was eating the food at that time.

 

[bhaisahab]

"This food is tasting delicious" is unnatural in most varieties of English. In Indian (South Asian) English, however, it is relatively common.

 

[emsr2d2]

Bear in mind that Indian English uses the present continuous much more frequently than most other variants.

This food tastes delicious - Statement of fact, and "tastes" is almost the same as "is".
I am eating delicious food - Explanation of what you are currently doing.