Exploring -ing: The progressive in English as a lingua franca

This book offers a case study of the progressive aspect in English as a lingua franca (ELF). Using authentic spoken ELF data from the VOICE corpus, more specifically from the speech event type ?conversation', this volume explores the forms in which the progressive is used and the functions it can have in ELF interactions. The study reveals that the progressive is not used exclusively to express the traditional functions described in grammars based on native-speaker usage but also functions to communicative effect in other ways, such as adding emphasis or immediacy to what is said. It is argued that all functions are actualizations of the same underlying criterion of meaning that can be realized in different ways. With reference to many examples from the corpus, the volume discusses the different functions of the progressive in ELF in detail, trying to uncover what might motivate ELF speakers to use this form.