Page 1 of 1 [ 1 post ]
02 Aug 2016, 10:20 pm
We used to use "The house is building", but now we use "The house is being built":
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2903
However, the phrase "The house is a-building" remains understandable, though it comes across as very much a vernacular. I'm going to try using it. I think the form "is being built" can sometimes be excessively wordy, and I know I have some frustration sometimes when I use it in an otherwise long sentence whether speaking or writing because of the extra effort to add the "being" and conjugate the verb to the passive/past participle.
Maybe if we use it enough, we can make it the standard. 
