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The phone's ringing. Who's it for, I wonder?

Or:

I wonder what time the store opens.

There are some materials I have made acquaintance with: https://youtu.be/BdaQ55-JlPg https://grammarhow.com/i-was-wondering-vs-i-am-wondering-vs-i-wonder/

The problem that all these and some other resources do not explain anything. They just state a fact: use present simple here.

The girl in the video explains:

We use "I wonder" when we're thinking out loud. But as we're thinking out loud we don't always want an answer or expect an answer.

So, this is not an exmpalation. This is just stating a fact.

From grammar point of view I could suppose the following explanations.

  1. Performative verb. You ask yourself a question. And as you ask it, the action is finished.
  2. Stative verb.
  3. A single action going on at the moment of speaking and which is not viewed in its progress.

Could you help me understand this? I mean why definitely the present simple, but not present progressive is used to express a question when we are thinking out loud.

I'm absolutely confused about this case.

Kifsif
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    Right now I’m wondering where you got the idea that you can’t use present progressive. – Jim May 02 '22 at 07:16
  • But I have announced the sources of information. They may be not that authoritative. But I have consulted my numerous textbooks on grammar (without any success though). And dictionaries. And I failed to come to understanding. That is why I asked the question. I may be wrong, I admit. But if you can explain the grammar here, I would be greatful. – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 07:35
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    Does this answer your question? Question mark when ending sentence with "I wonder"? J Lawler informs us that this is a mental perception verb. slim says the present tense is commonly met with in a Google books search. I'd say we have a durative rather than punctive usage, though 'I find myself wondering ...' and 'I suddenly wonder ...' complicate the analysis. – Edwin Ashworth May 02 '22 at 11:46
  • There is also the complication that 'I wonder' (with or without a content clause) is perhaps fossilising into a formulaic 'speech tag'. 'I ask myself' seems then a near-equivalent, and this is punctive. But 'wonder' still allows for the reverie broadening, so is harder to pigeonhole. – Edwin Ashworth May 02 '22 at 11:59
  • They are not authoritative sources of information. They are random and give random information. – John Lawler May 02 '22 at 15:36
  • The video to which you link says that the phrases I wonder, I am wondering, and I was wondering are virtually identical in meaning. So it appears that your question doesn’t reflect the source. – Xanne May 02 '22 at 19:35

1 Answers1

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The 'Grammarhow' examples with I wonder use several different tenses; it doesn't say that you may only use one tense.

I wonder why the family opposite chose to paint their front door purple.

I wonder what that man is doing.

I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

In the case of the sentence about the store, the speaker could have said

I wonder what time the store will open.

but we usually use the present tense when speaking of events scheduled to happen at a particular time (The store opens at 9.00; the train leaves at midday).

Kate Bunting
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  • So, what? You do not explain why the present simple is used in this particular case. Of course, the word "wonder" can be used in different tenses. But what value are you trying to share? – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 07:52
  • In which particular case? Your question doesn't make it clear exactly what you are asking; I thought you had interpreted the websites as saying that you must use the present simple with I wonder. – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 08:13
  • The question is written in the bold font. – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 08:23
  • Have edited my answer to comment on your second example. As for the first, why would a thought about a ringing telephone not be in the present tense? – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 08:36
  • Your answer does not clarify anything. In fact, it is useless. – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 08:55
  • Well, that's me told! However, it has just dawned on me - are you in fact asking when we use I wonder rather than I am wondering? As the 'Grammarhow' site explains, we use 'I am wondering' when we are actively pondering the answer to a question. You could say "I am wondering what time the store opens" if you were trying to decide whether to wait outside the door for ten minutes or go away and do something else. – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 09:41
  • So, what? I didn't ask about the case when we are actively thinking. I asked a question only about the case when we're thinking out loud. You seem to trying to answer some other question. Ok. I don't think that you will clarify it. And even whether you have understood the question. – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 09:49
  • I thought I had made it clear that I didn't understand exactly what you were asking! I was trying (politely!) to establish that. We usually say "I wonder..." when thinking out loud because that is the idiomatic way to say it in English. I don't think it's possible to give any other reason. – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 10:01
  • Can you show me any textbook which mentions anything about idiomatic use of tenses? I've never come across that. And would like to have a look. When textbooks say about set phrases or the like, it is always about articles or the like. But not tenses.

    And, please, don't try to cover lack of knowledge by something idiomatic. If you don't know, maybe you would better join the question and ask why it is like that. I admit that I don't know the answer and want to know it. There is no shame here. But trying to mention "idiomatic" in season and out of season makes no good.

     – Kifsif May 02 '22 at 10:08
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 11:18