past progressive in conversation

Question

Hi there: it's difficult for me to find an explanation of one common application of the past progressive in conversation, such as:
"I was recently reading about an invention which may turn garbage into soil"
OR
"Paula was saying that Eddie was going to be promoted."
Could you explain the semantic content and grammatical function of past progressive in these two sentences here?
thank you very much.

Fandorin · Accepted Answer

guzhao67Hi there: it's difficult for me to find an explanation of one common application of the past progressive in conversation, such as:
"I was recently reading about an invention which may turn garbage into soil"

It's possible construction, although it sounds odd to me using "recently" and Past Simple. And it's wrong to use "may" in the past. I would prefer:
"I have recently read about an invention which might/may/could ~~may~~ turn garbage into soil"
" I was reading at 5 o'clock yesterday."
" I was reading a newspaper when my mother called on me."

OR

"Paula was saying that Eddie was going to be promoted." She kept on saying that and she did it from time to time. "Was going" here is used as an intention about future at the moment of speaking.

Could you explain the semantic content and grammatical function of past progressive in these two sentences here?
thank you very much.

CalifJim · Answer

The past progressive casts the reading and the saying as activities rather than as events. (The equivalent events would have been expressed in the simple past. I read. Paula said. ) Activities are more personal; events are more objective, more factual. The listener is more likely to be attracted to a statement about something personal.

So the speaker wants the listener to think in terms of an activity. This opens the conversation up in a way that makes it informal and invites participation and continuation. The speaker is not merely reporting events.
___
In the case of reading, this is fairly easy to understand. There I was. Imagine it. I was reading. I was reading. I was reading. Now while I was engaged in this activity of reading, this article came to my attention about an invention ...
Contrast this to the cold report: I read an article about an invention ... (No narrative, drama, or suspense here.)

___
In the case of saying, the activity might not go on as long, but it is still being presented as an activity, so it is almost an invitation to the listener to join in, as if the speaker had said
Paula and I were chatting. We were talking about this, that, and the other thing. Paula was saying that Eddie was going to be promoted. What do think of that? Have you heard that, too? Do you think she was right?
Again, you might want to contrast this with the cold report: Paula said that Eddie was going to be promoted. (No narrative, drama, or suspense here.)

___
The difference can almost be characterized as a difference in mood. The progressive is more active, open, casual, and inclusive. It opens up a window on a sort of personal narrative not present in the simple past.

CJ

Guzhao67 · Answer

Dear CJ: thank you. you've helped a lot. have a nice day.

past progressive in conversation

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions