Is it correct to say - "I've been wanting to call you all week, but I have simply not had the time." Or - "I'm having to tend to petty issues all the time, and don't get to do my work."
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1Yes, but note that the verbs are just "want" and "have". The "to" is part of the verb phrase that follows them. – BillJ Oct 28 '21 at 06:54
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Thank you for your response. But I am still not clear on this. Are these two words used as semi-modals and are the "ing" forms acceptable? – Mark Durston Oct 28 '21 at 07:46
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Though "want" and "have" are basically stative, when they combine with the progressive they yield a dynamic interpretation. – BillJ Oct 28 '21 at 11:15
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2Does this answer your question? "Wanting" or "want"? (Stative verbs: participial clauses; present continuous usages?) Or this? Using stative verb 'want' in progressive ... – Edwin Ashworth Oct 28 '21 at 11:56
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There are regional nuances about this. In the UK there are variations. For instance, in Scotland it is common to hear "I am/was wanting to", however this is rare in the South of England.
The use of the continuous tenses appear regionally in Scottish English, Irish English, Indian English, Nigerian English, East-African English, as well New Zealand and Australia.
They are not often seen in standardised written form (unless it is reported speech), though it is commonly heard in the speech of many native speakers, including highly-educated professionals. As a personal anecdote, I have heard this variation in English secondary teachers and lecturers in Scotland.
Siegmund does describe these as "stative verbs". However, there is no hard-and-fast rule here because the progressive tense is found across all standardised English for some verbs of state, too. For example: "I'm just tasting this to see if it is good enough."
(Varieties of English: A Typological Approach, Siemund, 2013)
Wolpertinger
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