Questions tagged [past-continuous]
Questions related to the past continuous or past progressive, which expresses an action that was ongoing in the past.
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1answer
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drove or was driving?
Is it true that if I say "Joe got a ticket because he drove too fast", this means that Joe drove too fast as a habit and instead I should say "Joe got a ticket because he was driving too fast"?
Is ...
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1answer
55 views
Why using the past continuous tense when the action has already finished?
Past continuous tense
The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now,
which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking.
In other words, it expresses ...
3
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1answer
27 views
“Words were different when they (lived / were living) inside of you”
“Words were different when they lived inside of you.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Shouldn't it be "...when they were living inside of you."?...
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1answer
47 views
Past Progressive + BEFORE/AFTER + Gerund
Tom Cruise was thinking of a career in the church before finding job in the movies.
Tom Cruise wasn't thinking of a career in the church after finding job in the movies.
Please tell me, why is ...
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1answer
38 views
weren't going vs didn't go [duplicate]
I already asked a question about “weren’t playing” vs. “didn’t play”. I’m not sure if the same rules apply in an example like this one:
The weather was very bad, so we didn't go north.
vs
The ...
6
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2answers
796 views
weren't playing vs didn't play
Did your team win the football match yesterday?
The weather was very bad, so we weren't playing.
vs
The weather was very bad, so we didn't play.
Is the first one not correct? Why is it?
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vote
1answer
36 views
past simple/continuous with a specific time
I was driving too fast last night.
I drove too fast last night.
I want to know if the past simple and continuous can both be used in this case, because usually the past continuous is used for ...
1
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1answer
18 views
Equality of continuous and perfect tenses (in a certain context)
Would they be both correct and equal in the same context (just to mention the fact) if I said TODAY:
(1)It has been raining all day.
(2)It is raining all day.
Would they be both correct and ...
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1answer
29 views
Can I use past continuous here?
A:..Then I sent you a message from the cafe to to say where I was
last night.
B: I didn't get any texts from you yesterday! I tried to phone
you but there was no answer.
I have two ...
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vote
1answer
20 views
Past Continuous with while
The sentence:
The boy stole / was stealing the apples while nobody was looking / looked.
Question: Which variant is more appropriate?
2
votes
1answer
36 views
Past Simple Passive vs Past Simple with 'follow'
Here is an extract from my grammar practice book.
A young man was walking through a supermarket. Suddenly he noticed that
he (follow) by an old lady.
As far as I understand, in that situation we ...
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0answers
16 views
Past Simple VS Past Continuous(within the period of time in the past)
Alexander Fleming became interested in the control of bacteria while he was working as a doctor during the First World War.
This summer the pool worked only from June till August.
I wonder, doesn't ...
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1answer
37 views
Past Continuous vs Past Simple difference in meaning
Could you, please, help me understand this dialogue from my English textbook?
A: Why was Ann crying before?
B: She had been training for the finals for over a week before she found out she had ...
1
vote
2answers
190 views
Is “I was wanting to know” grammatically correct? [duplicate]
Is the following sentence grammatically correct:
I was wanting to know if I could sent you a link.
It does not sound correct to me.
1
vote
1answer
28 views
“the thing someone did was do something” or “the thing someone did was doing something”?
Here is what I have found in Crash Course US history at 13 minute and 4 second, and it really confused me.
Whereas if you are an american arguably the most important thing the leader of this era ...
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2answers
420 views
Past Simple and Past Perfect. “I had seen” or “I saw” him a few days before he left
Yesterday I saw this sentence in some test without any context:
I ... (see) him a few days before he ... (leave).
My answer was "I'd seen him a few days before he left", but it was wrong.
Right ...
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1answer
41 views
using past continuous tense with tomorrow
What does this mean?
like I wasn't dreading tomorrow enough having to give it back to him
I saw this in friend's series and I don't understand it.
0
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1answer
39 views
Why did the author use past continuous in that sentence
I came from a scene that is more punk than the garage scene. The first concerts I was going to were punk, like at the MIROITRIE.for a year Then I went to Canada for a year
Why "was going"? Why past ...
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1answer
40 views
past continuous or present perfect continuous
If I play football since I was eight years old and still I am playing football I should say I have been playing football since I was eight.
But if I started playing football when I was eight and then ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
it is possible to combine present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous in a sentence?
Can we describe a continuous action after/before another continuous action in the same sentence using different continuous tenses?
For instance something like that:
Before I have been reading ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
How to express something that is happening in the future
If something is being written in the past tense, is it correct to say:
He was graduating high school in June and entering college in August?
How should it be stated?
3
votes
1answer
35 views
Past Perfect Continuous vs Past Continuous difference in meaning
In my grammar text book there is a sentence describing Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Continuous difference. I understand the difference between those two tenses, but there is another thing that makes ...
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2answers
79 views
Past Perfect Continuous vs Past Continuous/Past Simple
Doing a grammar task I found this:
A: Did you go out last night?
B: No, 1) _____(work) all day, so I 2) _____(stay) in and 3) _____(watch) TV.
The key says that the only option here is
1) had been ...
1
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1answer
35 views
is the past continuous with a duration better than the past perfect continuous in that case?
I was looking for him for 8 hours when I have found him
I had been looking for him for 8 hours when I have found him
Are both sentences equivalent in meaning? I think the second one stress the ...
3
votes
1answer
397 views
I was meeting vs. I met
I was meeting some friends at a bar.
I met some friends at a bar.
was meeting - past continuous
met - simple past
In my opinion, I prefer to use the latter sentence because I don't normally hear ...
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2answers
281 views
Past Progressive and Simple Past with the Time Clause (While)
While he was taking a shower, his dogs were eating his steaks.
(That is the correct sentence according to the website that I visited.)
We use the past progressive with the past progressive to show ...
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0answers
30 views
meaning of combinations of “past continuous tense” with “past simple tense”
When I was cooking the food I sang songs. (past continuous + past simple)
When I cooked the food, I sang songs. (past simple + past simple)
When I was cooking the food I was singing songs. (past ...
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vote
1answer
695 views
I was going to say
Joe: Y’know, I don’t think that people really appreciate their parents until they get older. I mean, at least I can say that about
myself. And I think it’s true of, y’know, here in America.
...
2
votes
3answers
182 views
Why wasn't “When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I *have sunbathed* a lot” a good answer?
When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I .... a lot
A) Have sunbathed B) Was sunbathing C) Would sunbathe D) Sunbathed
why it can't be "have sunbathed" as verb sunbathe means to make the skin brown or ...
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1answer
53 views
is there any difference between saw or was seeing in this example?
If someone was treated by a psychiatrist, is there any difference between : He saw a psychiatrist or he was seeing a psychiatrist? Can either be used?
2
votes
2answers
157 views
past simple, past continuous and past perfect continuous
Am I correct?
Yesterday lunchtime we had a bust-up.
This is just stating a fact. The bust-up happened at lunchtime.
Yesterday lunchtime we had been having a bust-up.
This is emphasizing the ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
“When I was born my mother WORKED / WAS WORKING as a nurse” – interrupted event or…?
When I was born my mother worked as a nurse.
or
When I was born my mother was working as a nurse.
Is there any other difference than the job being permanent/temporary? Is this an example of an ...
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1answer
28 views
is the past simple possible here?
This is an example from a grammar book:
When I was learning to drive I was living with my parents.
Is it possible to say:
When I was learning to drive I lived with my parents?
Usually ...
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2answers
38 views
Aspects of the past continuous
"In July she was working at MacDonald's."
I am not sure which aspect of the past continuous applies in this case. Action in progress around a specific time = in July she was working there, we don't ...
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2answers
234 views
is it correct to use past simple in a moment in the past?
There is a sentence that makes me confused about using cases of past simple and past continuous.
one of the past continuous definition is that it's used to describe actions happening at a moment in ...
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2answers
60 views
Can I use “Have been” with “Until” in this sentence?
My intention is to explain that I used to be stressed and depressed but then I read an article about stress relief techniques and that helped me.
Is this sentence using "Have been" and "Until" ...
2
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1answer
316 views
is it possible to use the past continuous with before?
Is it possible to use the past continuous with before? For example: We were watching television before you arrived last night.
Or is simple past the only option?
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1answer
2k views
the sun shone or the sun was shining
I would like to know which one is preferable, or are both possible? It is raining now but this morning the sun was shining brightly or it is raining now but this morning the sun shone brightly.
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1answer
128 views
How to undsestand “hence the name by which they are known and ending with the Lateran Treaty of 1929”?
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Rome
The whole sentence is:
The agreements were signed in the Lateran Palace, hence the name by which they are known and ending with the Lateran ...
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2answers
43 views
Why is past continuous used instead of simple present in this general statement?
This is exactly the kind of question ELL is hoping to avoid. We don’t want to become a proofreading service, where we are bombarded with sentences or paragraphs from resumés, school essays, technical ...
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1answer
46 views
past continuous vs past perfect continuous
What is the difference between these two sentences?
I took my car to the garage because it wasn't working properly. This means that at that moment my car wasn't working properly.
I took my car to ...
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1answer
52 views
difference between past continuous and simple past in this case
I have another question about the use of the past continuous and simple past.
These are both examples from grammar books, and I want to know why in the first example, the past continuous is used, and ...
3
votes
2answers
5k views
I lived Vs. I was living
In 1999, I was living in Cuba.
In 1999, I lived in Cuba.
Do both sentences seem grammatically correct?
My teacher had told that the first sentence, which is with past continuous, is incorrect. ...
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vote
1answer
322 views
“Two years ago I studied/was working…” – difference in meaning
I would really like to know the difference between these two sentences:
Two years ago I was working in New York.
Two years ago I studied English in England.
The way I interpret them:
...
3
votes
1answer
56 views
Past Continuous and past perfect continuous for native English speakers
According to Martin Hewing's Advanced English Grammar:
The difference between past continuous and past perfect continuous is as follows:
When we met Simon and Pat, they had been riding.(=we met ...
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1answer
53 views
Past SImple vs Past Continuous
While practising past tenses I have encountered a couple of confusing dialogues.
A: How was your holiday?
B: Awful! It __________ (rain) the whole time.
The key says that the right answer is ...
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1answer
59 views
Can the past perfect be replaced by the past continuous in this case?
Someone in the news died today and the following line was used:
He had been suffering from ill health throughout 2017.
Is it possible to say he was suffering from ill health throughout 2017?
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1answer
120 views
Past Continuous vs Past Simple
Is the sentence
"He repaired his car the whole day"
grammatical or not?
Can Past Simple (He repaired) be used with the whole day instead of Past Continuous (He was repairing)? And if both ...
0
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1answer
583 views
He was working or worked for my father in the 1990s
Tom, who was working for my father in the 1990s, is now living in Ohio.
Is it correct or should it be in Past Simple? I think it is correct because it is an action which was in progress in the past ...
0
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2answers
1k views
The baby was sleeping or slept?
I'm having a misunderstanding regarding Past Simple and Past Prog.
The baby was sleeping peacefully through the night.
or
The baby slept peacefully through the night.
Are both work? If not, ...
