Is or is being?

[irenah]

Test No. incompl/elem-10 "Present Tense", question 7

Why ......... late every time we arrange to meet?

(a) is he
(b) he is
(c) is he being

Test No. incompl/elem-10 "Present Tense", answer 7

Why is he late every time we arrange to meet?

Correct answer: (a) is he

Your answer was: incorrect
Why is he being late every time we arrange to meet?
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why is that incorrect?
Please can you give me an explanation for that?

irenah

[Alan]

Here you need is because late is a single/static situation. Sometimes you can use the verb be in the countinuous form to suggest something that always happens and makes you annoyed as in: He is being stupid just to make you angry.
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Guest]

[Guest]

These columns are being watched.
Why is he here?
Is he being watched?
Why is he being watched?

[Vesna]

Alan wrote:
Here you need is because late is a single/static situation. Sometimes you can use the verb be in the countinuous form to suggest something that always happens and makes you annoyed as in: He is being stupid just to make you angry.

I thought that situation in this sentence always happens: ''Why is he being late every time we arrange to met?''

[Alan]

Hi,

I think the point here is that 'late' doesn't describe a way of behaving or of adopting a particular attitude. This would be a requirement in sentences like: He is being stupid just to make you angry.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Khurshid]

Hi!
Thank you for your explanation Alan. But, anyway can I use 'Why is he being late every time we arrange to meet?' Or Must I use 'Why is he late every time we arrange to meet?' because of the word every time stands there?
And another question is:
Can I use or is there any verb or word that i can use in the Simple Present? mybe some exceptions...or...i don't know...you know it better than me.

[Rosie27]

Hi Alan

thanks for the explanation about{ is he he is} it makes me crazy and confuse

[Ppd]

Hi Torsten

I got all the answers correct. Yet i am a little confused on the question # 7.
I read Alan's explanation. Still i don't get it. Please can you explain it to me a little more please.
Thank you
Padma

[Alan]

Hi Ppd,

Let's start again. When we use 'is', we are talking about a state or a condition that is true/actual/real all the time as in: The house is red She is forty years old He is clever. We can also use 'is being' where we describe a temporary state or condition, in other words describing a state that only lasts for a period of time. We say: He is late because that is a fact - it is a description of a true state. We can say: He is bad tempered when we describe a state that is permanent, in other words he is always bad tempered because that is his type of character. We can also say: He is being bad tempered because here we mean that is his behaviour at the moment but he is not always bad tempered.

Hope that helps.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[Alicealice_Kavi]

i dont know wher is being is used.

[Rudy]

Hey Allen,

That's a holistic explanation.

Thanks,
Rudy.

[Rudy]

Hey Allen,

That's a holistic explanation.

Thanks,
Rudy.

[Torsten]

Hi Rudy, Who is Allen? Maybe Woody Allen ;-)?

TOEIC listening, talks: Promoting the benefits of a corporate computer course

[RussianBear]

Hi Alan!

In a word: Do you consider the "is he being" variant wrong from the standpoint of English grammar or is it just less preferable?