Constructions with _To be_ and _the Present Participle_ are used
colloquially, with the intention of vividness, in many cases where there
is no particular reason to stress the fact that a thought is just a
going on, a tendency especially characteristic of the Celtic-speaking
Englishman. The uneducated vulgus have a strong predilection for these
constructions and overdo them, as in the following examples, where there
is not any reason at all for using them:
I’d ’ave ’ad to wait a long time, _I’m thinking_, if I ’adn’t
come across this one ’ere. (T. T. T. 148. 18.)
_Uncultivated Londoner._
You don’t see many fish that size about here now, _I’m
thinking_. (Three Men In A Boat 221. 24.)
_A farmer._
_I am hoping_ it will be some sensible, pleasant woman. (Tommy
And Co. 164. 12.)
_A London gentleman with a strong liking for
vulgarism._
Adjectives, adverbs, and other words are often accompanied by a
pleonastic _-like_.
I stands respectful-like (T. T. T. 141. 9.)
I see him sitting up like (P. Kelver II. 236. 28.)
I was talking sarcastic-like ( » 250. 14.)
... he answers sulky-like (T. T. T. 157. 7.)
... says she, after considering-like (T. T. T. 127. 2.)
more cheerful-like (Sketches 201. 22.)
They met accidental-like (T. T. T. 144. 4.)
«Pity», she says, musing-like (T. T. T. 143. 3.)
Etc. Etc.
(_Such-like_ is quite normal. In fact, when the word is not attributive,
»such» would now be colloquial, e.g. »thieves and such» for »such-like»,
»the like».)
_Adverbs_ are often substituted for _adjectives_.