I ll be seeing a lot of you,

"I'll be seeing a lot of you,"

I see/I've been seeing/I'm seeing a lot of you/these days...
 Thread starterhesitate  Start dateAug 17, 2012
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#1
Hi,

I see a lot of you these days/this month/this week/today/this year/
I've been seeing a lot of you these days/this month/this week/today/this year/
I'm seeing a lot of you these days/this month/this week/today/this year/

Do all of the sentences mean the same?

gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#2
Hi hesitate

The first and third sentences strike me as definitely the same. And yes, I would say the second one means the same as well. However, in regard to the first, you can only say, "I see a lot of you these days." All the other endings (this month/this week/today/this year/) would not work.
Agree Reactions:sitifan
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#3
gramman said:
Hi hesitate

"I see a lot of you these days." All the other endings (this month/this week/today/this year/) would not work.

Would you tell me why?
will3154
will3154
Senior Member
chinese,Harbin
Aug 17, 2012
#4
They sound similar. I prefer the last one as it is clearly more natural.:)
Last edited: Aug 17, 2012
Wildcat1
Senior Member
Amer. English
Aug 17, 2012
#5
gramman said:
However, in regard to the first, you can only say, "I see a lot of you these days." All the other endings (this month/this week/today/this year/) would not work.
hesitate said:
Would you tell me why?
Because the simple present ("I see") refers to a general ongoing situation and is inconsistent with specific time periods like "this week". But "these days" refers not to certain specific days, but rather a general "present". (Admittedly this is a subtle point, but I basically agree with gramman.)

will3154 said:
They sound similar. I prefer the last one as it is clearly more natural.:)
I don't agree with this. Even if the last is the most natural, I certainly don't see it as clearly the most natural. I see all as natural, in slightly different contexts. (Lesson to take away from this: native speakers disagree, so it's a difficult question you're asking!)
Agree Reactions:sitifan
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#6
Thanks! What about these ones?

I see a lot of you recently/lately.
I have been seeing a lot of you recently/lately.
I'm seeing a lot of you recently/lately.

I'd use the second one. What's the difference between them?
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#7
>>Would you tell me why?

Hmm. Something about matching tense with time expressions. "I see" is a simple present verb tense, while "this month/this week/today/this year/" are … progressive? Someone that has a better handle on grammar may be able to provide a more authoritative answer. (And what wouldn't be more authoritative than that? :eek: )

Check out this chart of verb tenses from the University of California-Irvine.
Wildcat1
Senior Member
Amer. English
Aug 17, 2012
#8
By the way, "to see a lot of you" is ambiguous:

1. The more literal meaning: "to see many of you".
Ex.: Teacher to students: "I see a lot of you in the library these days. That's good, but I wish it were all of you."

2. More idiomatic meaning: "to see you a lot, to see you often":
Ex.: "Monday at the play, yesterday in the store, today here... boy, I'm seeing a lot of you these days!"

My guess is you meant #2, but you could ask the same question about either.
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#9
Could somebody check the sentences in the fifth post?
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#10
I suggest you apply the logic offered by Wildcat1. In "I see a lot of you recently/lately," see is simple present. Do "recently/lately" apply to general or specific times?

Uh-oh. That logic may lead you in the wrong direction. I guess we'll need to wait for a true grammarian.

+++++

Perhaps it's wrong because "recently/lately" refer to the past.
Last edited: Aug 17, 2012
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#11
These grammar exercises may be useful to you (and me ;) ).
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#12
If you want to have more "fun," you might check out this WordReference thread: Does present simple substitute present perfect here fairly? I'm sure there are many others.

I should tell you that I think very few Americans understand these concepts. They would recoil from a discussion of things like "present perfect continuous tense." :eek:
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#13
I see a lot of you recently/lately. - incorrect
I have been seeing a lot of you recently/lately. - correct
I'm seeing a lot of you recently/lately. - correct

This is my logical 'analysis'.
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#14
Can you tell us why? ;)
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#15
gramman said:
Can you tell us why? ;)

I think the first sentence is incorrect because of the present simple. I don't know. I may be wrong. Ha, I thought this would be easy peasy for you, since you're a native speaker. :)
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#16
Hey, I get the sentences right. :p What, I'm supposed to understand what I'm doing? Where's the fun in that? :rolleyes:

Being more specific, I think the first one is wrong because the present simple verb does not match the nature of recently/lately, which require present perfect simple, …
often used with expressions indicating that the activity began in the past and comes up to now, such as: for 10 years, since 1995, all week, all the time, always, lately, recently. — from those grammar exercises I linked to in post #11

hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#17
I have come across this sentence: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carrie_l_hale/4460209838/

But lately I see her ribbons and her bows. Oh, I'm so confused. -.-
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#18
I think he means "But lately, I see (that) her ribbons and her bows have fallen from her curls." I suppose this may somehow be correct grammatically. In any event, lyricists can get away with a lot of things, especially those as talented as Robert Allen. :cool:
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#19
Here's what I have read on another forum:You shouldn't use simple present with these days/lately/recently. Then how can the first sentence in the original post be correct? :O

Here's what I have also read on this forum: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2136301
Actually, take a look at the second post.
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#20
>>how can the first sentence in the original post be correct?

The first post in this thread does not include recently/lately. Post #13 does, and, as you noted, their association with simple present is incorrect. That other thread seems to confirm this.
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#21
gramman said:
>>how can the first sentence in the original post be correct?

The first post in this thread does not include recently/lately.

Yes. It does include these days, though.
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#22
See Wildcat1's reply in post #5: "these days" refers not to certain specific days, but rather a general "present"
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#23
OK. And what do you, as a native speaker have to say about these ones?
Let's put grammar aside for a second. Which ones would you use?

I see a lot of you recently/lately.
I have been seeing a lot of you recently/lately.
I'm seeing a lot of you recently/lately.
gramman
gramman
Senior Member
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
American English
Aug 17, 2012
#24
First, let me note that you observed in post #19:
I have read on another forum: You shouldn't use simple present with these days/lately/recently.
The full quote is:
So I shouldn't use simple present with these days/lately/recently.
It's meant as a question, and it was posed by the person who started the thread. You need to be careful about how you read forum posts. And, as is often noted by the staff and experienced members of this community, you should always provide a reference to the material you're quoting, something more than "another forum."

I would use "I have been seeing a lot of you recently/lately." And I would abbreviate it to "I've been seeing a lot of you recently/lately." I would definitely not use the first sentence, and I hope you know why! Some people would use the third, and no one would notice the difference.

In fact, I'd probably use "I've been seeing you a lot recently/lately," with an emphasis on "lot."
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#25
Thanks! Negative ones would be:

I haven't seen you lately/recently.
- How about the second one?
______

About the first post.

I don't see a lot of you today.
I haven't seen a lot of you these days/this month/this week/today/this year/
How about the third one? I think it's a bit odd to say; I'm not seeing a lot of you these days/this month/this week/today/this year/
hesitate
Banned
Serbian
Aug 17, 2012
#26
About the first post. And questions.

Do you see him today? Do you see a lot of him today? - I think they sound odd. - Would you use them?
Have you seen him these days/this month/this week/today/this year/- I'd stick with this one. What do you think?
Are you seeing a lot of him these days/this month/this week/today/this year/ - I wouldn't use this one, either.