I have been told that 'you look good' is the perfect compliment to give. Because 'you are looking good' is not colloquial. How correct is it?
For example, if I have to ask others about myself:
- How do I look?
- How am I looking?
(This would be incorrect I guess)
Having said that, I've come across 'you're looking good / nice' kind of dialogues in English movies.
How to differentiate the uses of both?
Best Answer
How do I look?
How am I looking?
Both the sentences are grammatical.
If you are asking about your appearance or the way you are doing something at the present time; at the time of speaking, you can use either, without any difference in meaning. However, the use of the presrnt simple is more common than the present continuous. Nevertheless, many people use the present continuous for emphasis.
On the other hand, if you are asking about how you always or generally look, you should invariably use the former (the present simple).
The verb "look" in the sentences is a stative/linking verb used in the sense of the verb seem or appear.
According to grammar, we don't normally use stative verbs in the continuous form. But, sometimes, some stative verbs like "look" can be used in the continuous form depending whether the situation or condition we mean is permanent or temporary. You use the present simple for a permanent condition and the present continuous for a condition that's temporary or for a short period of time. For example:
If we say "This shirt is looking nice on you", it's a temporary situation limited to the period of time you are wearing this shirt. However, if we say "you look just like your father", we are referring here to a permanent situation. In the former example, we can use either the present simple or the present continuous, but in the latter example, we use the present simple. (John Eastwood Oxford Practice Grammar).