Sentence: I'm getting my hair cut.

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello everyone,

I’d like to express an idea of the barber is cutting my hair now. So, does it make sense if I say: I’m getting my hair cut or I’m having my hair cut? Thank you very much! :slight_smile:

Please let me know if any mistake is found in my post. :wink:

2

Hey,

Sure it does.

3

Hi SkiIuck,

Thank you for your kind help. :slight_smile:

4

You could use those sentences while it is happening; however, without context, they both sound (to me) more like you will get/have your hair cut in the near future. The -ing form + “to be” (and I don’t mean “I am going to” here) is sometimes used for the near future. I don’t know why or when - perhaps with verbs that are unlikely to be happening while you are talking about them?

You could say “I am having my hair cut at this moment / right now”, that would be clear.

5

Hey Cerberus and all, I was taught that “to have” does not have its -ing form under a context of possession. So why do people usually say “I am having something” on the internet, which is obviously under a context of possession? e.g I am having so much fun here at the end of the semester.

6

Well, are you truly possessing fun? Perhaps you should take the possessing more literally, like something being your property (money, a house) or belonging to you (a big nose, an open mind).

Examples:
[b]# She had 10,000 pounds in her safe.

They have a great, black dog.

You have wrinkles under your eyes.[/b]

Even when the context is truly of possession, you could use the -ing from, as long as it is not part of a continuous form (“I am having”). It is possible with the gerund and when used attributively, respectively:
[b]# You have a lot of money, don’t you? - My having a lot of money is none of your concern.

Why does Alexander stink? - People having dogs usually stink.[/b]

  1. The reason is that true possessing has duration but does not have an expected ending. Verbs (or, better: predicates) that have a duration but no logically expected natural ending cannot have the continuous.
    As a test you could try to add “several times” to the sentence “she has a large house”: if you cannot, it has no expected ending. You should be able to add “for a while” to such predicates, but not “several times”.

  2. A predicate that has an expected ending but no duration, such as “to choose death”, cannot have the continuous either. You cannot say words “while choosing death”. If you can, you are using the predicate in a different way that does have duration.
    As a test you should be able to add “several times” to the predicate, but not “for a while”.

  3. A predicate that has both a duration and an expected ending, such as “to fight your enemy”, can have the continuous. You can say words “while fighting your enemy”.
    As a test you should be able to add both “for a while” and “several times” to the predicate.

But why cannot a predicate of class 1 (without expected ending but with duration) have the continuous? First, take a predicate that can have it: “I frequently travel to England” (class 3). The simple present is often used for a frequent action, a habit. So that, when I say this, you don’t know whether I am actually travelling at this moment. I could very well be between two trips. That is why the continuous is useful for this predicate: to indicate that it is happening now.

Possessing cannot be an action that is frequent. You do it all the time during a period, not several times. That is why the continuous is not needed for distinction, and only the simple present (or some other non-continuous form) is used. If you possess money, you must possess it now, and you have probably also possessed it some while ago.

Choosing can have a frequency, but it simply cannot be now. You cannot speak while choosing at the same time: if I say “I am choosing death” the choosing must take as least as long as the speaking of those words. That means it must have a duration during which other things may happen: it must then fall under class 3.

There are many verbs that may have the continuous when they have one meaning, but may not when they have another. Different meanings may mean different classes.

The explanation here given is of course very rough, it is hardly proof of anything. I’m sure anyone could find exceptions. But it might give a clue as to the underlying causes.

7

Thank you so much, Cerberus. I just don’t know how to express my gratitude. I do really appreciate your kind help and your detailed information.( Does ‘do’ here necessary? )

8

Hey,

“Is ‘do’ here necessary?” It is not necessary, but it shows emphasis.

‘I really do…’

Regards

9

Hi SkiIuck,

Thanks your for your reply and for your correction as well.