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Petusek Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Past progressive/simple + Duration
Hello Everyone,
My understanding so far has been that, normally, we use PS when we speak about activities completed in the past or taking some time in the past, e.g. I read for five minutes. Recently, however, I've come across an assertion that PP can be used in such cases as well, i.e. I was reading for five minutes. I find this a little confusing.
I have no problem distinguishing among the following cases:
(a) I read for five minutes.
(b) I was reading when you came.
(c) I'd been reading for five minutes when you came.
Or:
A: Why didn't you come to the party last night?
B: Sorry, I was working on my thesis all night.
(It's clear going to the party would have interfered temporally with working on the thesis; in fact all night takes, perhaps, longer that coming to the party, so PP seems fine here.)
Yet still, I'm having trouble finding an appropriate context for sentences such as She was cooking for fifteen minutes.I'd just use She cooked for fifteen minutes. if there was nothing that would establish the same type of contrast my examples above do.
In Longman English Grammar, as far as I can remember at least, it says we can use PP to emphasize duration. Can it really apply to sentences like the one above? If so, how common is this?
Many thanks for any help. I know my question probably overlaps, to some extent, with some others that have been asked here already, but I haven't found any answers specific enough to make this really clear to me.
My understanding so far has been that, normally, we use PS when we speak about activities completed in the past or taking some time in the past, e.g. I read for five minutes. Recently, however, I've come across an assertion that PP can be used in such cases as well, i.e. I was reading for five minutes. I find this a little confusing.
I have no problem distinguishing among the following cases:
(a) I read for five minutes.
(b) I was reading when you came.
(c) I'd been reading for five minutes when you came.
Or:
A: Why didn't you come to the party last night?
B: Sorry, I was working on my thesis all night.
(It's clear going to the party would have interfered temporally with working on the thesis; in fact all night takes, perhaps, longer that coming to the party, so PP seems fine here.)
Yet still, I'm having trouble finding an appropriate context for sentences such as She was cooking for fifteen minutes.I'd just use She cooked for fifteen minutes. if there was nothing that would establish the same type of contrast my examples above do.
In Longman English Grammar, as far as I can remember at least, it says we can use PP to emphasize duration. Can it really apply to sentences like the one above? If so, how common is this?
Many thanks for any help. I know my question probably overlaps, to some extent, with some others that have been asked here already, but I haven't found any answers specific enough to make this really clear to me.
Top answer
petusek In Longman English Grammar, as far as I can remember at least, it says we can use PP to emphasize duration. Can it really apply to sentences like the one above? Like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes", you mean?
- petusek In Longman English Grammar, as far as I can remember at least, it says we can use PP to emphasize duration.
- Can it really apply to sentences like the one above?
- Like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes", you mean?
- Yes.
- petusek If so, how common is this?
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3 Answers
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petusekIn Longman English Grammar, as far as I can remember at least, it says we can use PP to emphasize duration. Can it really apply to sentences like the one above?Like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes", you mean? Yes.
petusekIf so, how common is this?Pretty common.
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Hm. Interesting. Thank you!
So, would a sentence like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes" be acceptable in the following context?
Sometimes she does help us out. Yesterday, for instance, she was cooking for fifteen minutes. And she also walked the dog in the evening.
I always thought only the following could be correct:
Sometimes she does help out. Y
So, would a sentence like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes" be acceptable in the following context?
Sometimes she does help us out. Yesterday, for instance, she was cooking for fifteen minutes. And she also walked the dog in the evening.
I always thought only the following could be correct:
Sometimes she does help out. Y
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petusekSo, would a sentence like "She was cooking for fifteen minutes" be acceptable in the following context?Sometimes she does help us out. Yesterday, for instance, she was cooking for fifteen minutes. And she also walked the dog in the evening.The idea is basically OK, but fifteen minutes seems a bit underwhelming (and precise) in this context.
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