行っています versus 行きました


The 1993 4級 test had this vocabulary question:

> ちちは いま、しんぶんを ＿＿＿＿ いって います。
>
> １ ぬぎに ２ よびに ３ ききに ４ かいに

Am I right to say that the answer is 4, かいに, with the sentence as **My dad
went to buy a newspaper** (Now, he is in the process of going to buy a
newspaper)?

**If so, would it be the same as saying ちちは いま、しんぶんを かいに いきました。?**




The correct answer would certainly be 「買{か}いに」. The sentence would make
practically no sense with any of the other three phrase choices.

So we have:

> 「父{ちち}は今{いま}、新聞{しんぶん}を買{か}いにいっています。」

What does this sentence mean (and imply) exactly? It is saying:

> "My father went out some time ago to buy a newspaper **_and he has not
> returned yet_**."

The last part in bold is what is implied by 「いっている」 and it is what the English
sentence " ** _My Daddy went to buy a newspaper_**." does not necessarily
imply.

The Japanese sentence above with no further words or context "says" without
fail that Daddy has **_not_** returned at the time of utterance.

The English sentence feels different in that it can mean daddy has already
returned. At the time of utterance, for that matter, this may even be about
Daddy's action from weeks or years ago.

This may be a very small difference but my understanding is that SE is a place
to discuss subtle differences.

> Would it be the same as saying 「父は今、新聞を買いにいきました。」?

This sentence is closer in meaning to the one using 「いっています」 than the English
sentence is because it uses 「今」. It is, however, still unclear whether or not
Daddy has returned at the time of utterance. It would be completely natural if
you said that Japanese sentence **_after_** your daddy has returned home.




The correct answer would certainly be 「買{か}いに」. The sentence would make
practically no sense with any of the other three phrase choices.

So we have:

> 「父{ちち}は今{いま}、新聞{しんぶん}を買{か}いにいっています。」

What does this sentence mean (and imply) exactly? It is saying:

> "My father went out some time ago to buy a newspaper **_and he has not
> returned yet_**."

The last part in bold is what is implied by 「いっている」 and it is what the English
sentence " ** _My Daddy went to buy a newspaper_**." does not necessarily
imply.

The Japanese sentence above with no further words or context "says" without
fail that Daddy has **_not_** returned at the time of utterance.

The English sentence feels different in that it can mean daddy has already
returned. At the time of utterance, for that matter, this may even be about
Daddy's action from weeks or years ago.

This may be a very small difference but my understanding is that SE is a place
to discuss subtle differences.

> Would it be the same as saying 「父は今、新聞を買いにいきました。」?

This sentence is closer in meaning to the one using 「いっています」 than the English
sentence is because it uses 「今」. It is, however, still unclear whether or not
Daddy has returned at the time of utterance. It would be completely natural if
you said that Japanese sentence **_after_** your daddy has returned home.

