is it correct here to use "looking"here?
2006-07-04 03:44:15 · 12 answers · asked by sriram s 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
"he is good looking" is the accepted norm.
2006-07-04 03:48:26 · answer #1 · answered by r_e_a_l_miles 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Strictly speaking it is not grammatical. The 'senses' should not be used in the continuous tense, ie taste, see, look, smell, hear, think, etc., unless it is to describe something actually going on for a continuous period, eg I was looking at a magazine.
I am sure you would be surprised if somebody said to you,
" That soup is smelling good." or " I am thinking you are wrong."
However usage has the effect of bringing about changes in languages. This one is heard quite a lot and is therefore probably acceptable now, except to your English teacher!
2006-07-10 00:04:39 · answer #2 · answered by katwishi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is fine... - in answer to the previous respondent it is nothing like 'to boldly go' - most people have a problem with that because it is a split infintive (the infinitive 'to go' being split by the word 'boldly'). However the split infinitive is only grammatically 'incorrect' because some Victorian grammaticians decided it was... in some cases 'I tried to duck under the blow but failed to completely avoid it' (for example), the splitting of the infinitive 'to avoid' is the only way to convey the required meaning (that some lesser contact was made as a result of trying to avoid). If 'completely' is placed anywhere else, it changes the meaning of the entire clause.
2006-07-04 04:02:37 · answer #3 · answered by eriverpipe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are referring to what someone is wearing, then yes - especially if he doesn't normally! For example, you could say that he looks good with that haircut.
Another example is that he is looking good for someone who is very old
However, if you mean that he is handsome, then you would say 'he is good looking'
If someone is ill then you would say that he is looking well. Of course, he could be looking good for someone who has been flattened by a steam roller!
Hope all this helps!
2006-07-04 03:58:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is gramatically correct, there is nothing wrong with it, but it would be more common to say 'he looks good' in the present tense.
2006-07-04 03:49:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's a colloquialism
A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech or writing.
2006-07-04 05:07:43 · answer #6 · answered by lolasan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Theres nothing gramatically incorrect about that sentence. You could also say "he looks good" or "he is good looking".
You could also say "DAMN, that man looks fine!"
2006-07-04 03:52:50 · answer #7 · answered by lovethesun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
grammatically incorrect - i think it would fall into the same category as "to boldly go"
2006-07-04 03:50:47 · answer #8 · answered by v_farrow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
or you could say he was good looking
2006-07-04 03:49:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yup! its grammatically correct!!!!
2006-07-04 03:56:45 · answer #10 · answered by pooh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋