I know that in most cases, verbs such as smell, taste, see are not used in progressive form, but
some grammar books say that if it is only temporary, you can use progressive form.
Examples are:
He is kind. (meaning he is always kind)
He is being kind.(meaning he is usually not kind, but right now, he is kind)
So, my question is, if it is temporary, can you say "My feet are smelling bad now"?
Or , "My feet smell bad now." is natural.
Thank you for your help in advance.
Both are possible.
I would say "my feet small bad now" if I suddenly notice it.
"I didn't want to pay for genuine leather shoes, but these ones don't 'breathe.' My feet smell bad now."
I would say "my feet are smelling bad now" if I am worried about excessive foot odor and am trying out odor-fighting creams and insoles. I am checking my feet for odor all the time. Hence it is appropriate to use the continuous tense.
"Sometimes my feet smell more than at others. I thought that these insoles would help. For several days my feet have been smelling OK, but they are smelling bad now."
The simple present would be more natural, but the continuous form is possible, especially if you are suggesting that this is a temporary situation.
"Woah my feet are smelling bad now!" (Just noticed a step change from a previous bad smell to a worse smell)
Thank you all so much for such quick responses.
I really appreciate it.
