On the telephone and in the diary

Two of the phrases here sit either side of a line English cannot see. Ser puntual takes ser, because it says what somebody is like. Estar liado, estar localizable and estar comunicando all take estar, because each is a state that will be over by Friday. English has one verb for both and therefore no way to go wrong and no way to feel the difference: « he is punctual » and « he is tied up » look identical. The test that survives contact with real sentences is not permanent-against-temporary: ser answers what a thing is, estar answers how it is doing. A line that está comunicando is not a busy line by nature — it is a line busy right now.