What is going on with 書けている? What is Potential Form+ている?


I'm having difficulty in understanding 書けている (initially observed from an
answer to "[パソコンが
得意だ/わかる/上手だ](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/6810/542)"). Also observed
from
[SPACEALC](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%91%E3%81%A6&ref=sa):

>   * この小説は上手に書けている。
>
>   * 最もよく書けている記事。
>
>   * いくつかのスペルミスを除けば、その小論文はよく書けている。
>
>

I thought that the sentence would have been この小説は上手に{書いている・書いてある}。instead.

**(Q1)** What is the difference between 書いている and 書けている? And what does 書けている
mean?

**(Q2)** What is the grammatical composition of 書けている? Is it potential
form+ている?

**(Q3)** Is this pattern of potential form+ている productive? I.e. can it be
arbitrarily extended to other verbs with a similar result?




Yes, it is the potential form of 書く in the progressive.

These phrases are often used in the form 上手に/よく+[verb in potential form]. By
itself, the potential form indicates that you are able to do something, and in
combination with 上手に/よく, it means you did it well.

> よく読めた (praising a primary school kid on his 音読 reading out loud)
>
> 上手にできた etc.

The progressive is used for saying that the result is well written. `よく書けたね`
would mean more the act of writing was well done, but says little about the
result... There have been questions on the usage of the progressive tense with
well-written answers. I'll try to find a link and post it here.




Yes, it is the potential form of 書く in the progressive.

These phrases are often used in the form 上手に/よく+[verb in potential form]. By
itself, the potential form indicates that you are able to do something, and in
combination with 上手に/よく, it means you did it well.

> よく読めた (praising a primary school kid on his 音読 reading out loud)
>
> 上手にできた etc.

The progressive is used for saying that the result is well written. `よく書けたね`
would mean more the act of writing was well done, but says little about the
result... There have been questions on the usage of the progressive tense with
well-written answers. I'll try to find a link and post it here.

