What is the difference between the following two sentences?
- I have had a headache since this morning.
- I am having a headache since this morning.
Asked
Active
Viewed 6,548 times
1
2 Answers
5
I've had a headache since past.time.point is normal, idiomatic, and grammatical.
*I'm having a headache since past.time.point, however, is ungrammatical,
because the present progressive construction ('m having) refers to the present moment,
while the prepositional phrase (since past.time.point) refers to a length of time in the past,
starting at past.time.point and continuing to the present,
rather than directly to present.time.point, which is what the present progressive needs. Thus,
I'm having a headache right now/today/at the moment are all OK, for instance.
As Barrie points out, today morning is not grammatical in British or American English;
the idiom there is this morning instead.
John Lawler
- 107,887
2
Neither is grammatical in British Standard English, where what you want is I've had a headache since this morning. However, I believe today morning is found in Indian English.
Barrie England
- 140,205
-
Barrie I have edited my question. – Jacob Sep 03 '13 at 19:32
-
I'm not saying 'today morning' is wrong. It just isn't found in American or British English. – Barrie England Sep 03 '13 at 19:41