Having Drinking

[Stevenloan]

A: Where is she?
B: She's having coffee at Starbucks over there. / She's drinking coffee at Starbucks over there.

- Hi guys! Between the first answer and the second answer, which one sounds more suitable in this situation?

Thanks a lot!

StevenLoan

[Erik_Kowal]

To my ear, they're equally normal and acceptable.

The 'drinking' formulation would be preferable if you wanted to be specific about what she had intended to do. If she's 'having coffee', she might actually have ordered a cup of tea. That said, this is a trivial distinction.

[tony h]

The second sounds slightly odd rather than "She's drinking coffee at Starbucks over there" I would use "She's having coffee at Starbucks over there". To use "drinking" seem to provide an emphasis to the action that suggests it is an inappropriate action. "She's drinking coffee and she knows that she should not be having caffeine".


A variation is to accentuate difference. "They went to have drinks at the pub. She is the one drinking coffee."

[Stevenloan]

Erik and tony h : Thank you both very much for your help. I really appreciate it.

StevenLoan

[Bobinwales]

I prefer this construction, and note the "a".
She's over there in Starbucks having a coffee.
She's over there in Starbucks drinking a coffee.

[Stevenloan]

Bob : Thanks a lot for adding your two suggestions.

StevenLoan

[tony h]

I prefer this construction, and note the "a".
She's over there in Starbucks having a coffee.
She's over there in Starbucks drinking a coffee.

Your use of "a" gets around the point that Erik made earlier. "having coffee" may be tea and cake, "having a coffee" will be having a coffee. Albeit one of those cafeMochaLatteFrappeAmericano coffees.