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For example: I am still to see that happening

RealAnyOne
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3 Answers3

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It may be grammatically correct but it would be unusual for a native speaker.

The word 'still' is used for something that used to occur, and continues to occur. So if there was a thing you hoped had gone away but hasn't, it would be correct to say:

I still see that happening.

The word for something that did not happen in the past and does not in the present (but hopefully will in the future) is 'yet'. So if you had hoped to see some new behaviour but don't you would say:

I have yet to see that happening

DJClayworth
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Yes, it is. That employs what's called the periphrastic future with future-plan modal (i.e., be + to). It uses the conjugation of "be" followed by "to" in order to cast what follows into the future of whatever the conjugation of "be" is.

Another Example:

I am still to be your teacher come fall.

You can insert "going" before "to" and have it mean the same thing. Also, "still" isn't a requirement of the periphrastic future with future-plan modal. I only included it in the example above because you use "still" in your sentence. That is to say, one can say, "I am to be your teacher come fall," albeit that wouldn't mean the same thing as it does with "still" inserted.

Other examples:

  • He is still to come.
  • We are to see proof before deciding.
  • John is yet to arrive.
  • They are to call us when it's done.
  • You are to sit there and be quiet until your mother picks you up.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/myl/languagelog/archives/004529.html

Billy
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  • It sounds right to me -- I am still to... -- but in your case maybe the usage works because it is the verb "to be" (I am still to be...). Does it work in "I am still to see this specific something happening"? I ask because I had 2 answers saying it's not correct :P – RealAnyOne Aug 24 '18 at 20:49
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    @RealAnyOne - In answer to your question, yes, it does work. See my other examples. The periphrastic future with future-plan modal only requires the verb "to be" before the "to." After the "to," you can use whatever verb you like, not just "to be," which my other examples illustrate. – Billy Aug 24 '18 at 20:52
  • "I am still to be your teacher" is a very different sentence than "I am still to see that happening"; the former indicates the teacher was planned to be your teacher, then there was doubt as to whether that would change, and now the teacher is reaffirming that they still plan to be your teacher; the latter indicates that someone hasn't seen something but doesn't necessarily rule it out as a possibility in the future. It may not be incorrect, but a native English speaker would say as "I have yet to see that happening" as opposed to using the odd phrasing "I am still to see that happening". – 3D1T0R Aug 24 '18 at 21:04
  • I provided multiple examples that illustrate the construction is correct, but you're right, different sentences do mean different things. Also, "I have yet to see that happening" is another way to say the same thing. That, too, is absolutely right. As they say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat." – Billy Aug 24 '18 at 21:10
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I have still to see that happening.

means: I have not yet seen [something occur].

It is idiomatic.

I have still to understand how he manages to do so much work in such little time.

Lambie
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