Part of learning a language is making mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes, if taken literally, can be nonsensical, hilarious, bizarre, and entertaining.

This is an actual mistake from one of my ESL students, and my interpretation:

Quote: “I am having six years old daughter”







Of course, my student meant to say “I have a six year old daughter”.

I hope.

Grammar stuff: We know “I am having” is incorrect here, and that it suggests the process of bearing a child rather than the state of being a parent. The reason is that the verb “have,” when used to show possession, is a non-action verb. Non-action verbs cannot be used in the progressive tenses (basically any tense ending in -ing). When “have” is used in a progressive tense, as it is in this incorrect example, it becomes an action verb. Action verbs (naturally) suggest action (I am having a shower, I was having lunch, she will be having a baby in a few weeks, etc).