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by topkek 4514 days ago
No, lis is right. Germany is stopping problems right now. It's valid because it's vague enough to refer to this year, this month, etc.

Also, your sentence

> Yes, because we actually stop at them!

> stop at them!

> at them!

Muphry's law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry%27s_Law
1 comments
fit2rule 4514 days ago
The sentence: "yes, because we are actually stopping at them" is in reference to the subject: "the traffic lights". The originator of the sentence was intending to convey the meaning that Germans - in general - stop at the traffic lights, whereas non-Germans, generally, do not.

Ask yourself this question: Are they stopping at the traffic lights right now in the present-progessive sense? Is the speaker talking about doing this 'right now'?

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/pres_pro.htm

.. or is it .. in the Simple Present form?

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/simple_present_form...

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michaelmior 4514 days ago
Based on your link, use number 4 of the present progressive fits the OP's original statement: "actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions)"
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fit2rule 4514 days ago
In that case, the sentence would be properly formed thus:

"The Germans do stop at traffic lights. Non-Germans, do not."

Notice the difference?

Final Edit: the German-formed sentence I was correcting:

    "Yes, because we (Germans) are actually stopping at them!"
.. becomes:

    "Yes, because we (Germans) do actually stop at them."
Now, we can certainly look at the downvotes I've earned as a result of my personal foul use of language, but for the German-native speakers who make this mistake, it makes a huge difference in how well they are, actually, understood by English visitors. Please re-read, and see for yourself.
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PavlovsCat 4514 days ago
This is off-off-topic, but I wish forums allowed users to state that they would be happy to have their grammar and spelling corrected by ticking a checkbox, and that every comment could have a sub-discussion just for that, on its own page. That would be useful, or? (<-- joke :P) Because otherwise whatever you do, it's wrong: making a correction makes you seem like a jerk, and not making a correction makes you feel like a jerk (because you know something they don't, and you're not sharing it).
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