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Coincidence Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Past Simple or Past Continuous

Hello,
Could you help please? In a grammar book I have found such an exercise - a student is supposed to replace the fragment in bold with a different phrase:
I didn't use to send my essays to my teacher by email six years ago.
A. I didn't send
B. I wasn't sending

I think that the past simple should be used in this sentence, but I am not sure. Could you help, please?

Thank you in advance for your help.
Kind regards.
  

Top answer

Coincidence Hello,Could you help please? A. I didn't sendB.

— Anonymous

  • Coincidence Hello,Could you help please?
  • A.
  • I didn't sendB.
  • I wasn't sendingI think that the past simple should be used in this sentence, but I am not sure.
  • Kind regards.
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9 Answers
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CoincidenceHello,Could you help please? In a grammar book I have found such an exercise - a student is supposed to replace the fragment in bold with a different phrase:I didn't use to send my essays to my teacher by email six years ago.A. I didn't sendB. I wasn't sendingI think that the past simple should be used in this sentence, but I am not sure. Could you help, please
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CoincidenceI didn't use to send my essays to my teacher by email six years ago.A. I didn't sendB. I wasn't sending
For me, both answers work, and I don't see an obvious way to tell which is supposed to be "correct".
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Thank you Emotion: smile
That's what I also thought. Nonetheless, I can give a good reason why the Past Continuous also works in this sentence
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Past continuous can also be used to express repeated or habitual action in the past

Two years ago I was dating Sally.
I wasn't eating meat in those days.
We were constantly arguing.
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A. I didn't send my essays to my teacher by email six years ago.

That's my interpretation of choosing A: I understand the time marker "six years ago" as a point on the time line. So, at that point of time (not a length of time!), i.e. exactly six years ago, I didn't send...
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Anonymous So, at that point of time (not a length of time!), i.e. exactly six years ago, I didn't send...
Fine but, as GPY said, the past continuous is also possible.
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CoincidenceI didn't use to send my essays to my teacher by email six years ago.
By the way, others may not agree with me, but I loathe "didn't use to", especially in writing. If the "used to" idiom must be used, I would say -- or at least write -- "I used not to ...".
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GPY I loathe "didn't use to", especially in writing.
I'm with you there, at least on the writing, but I suspect that an occasional 'I didn't use to' slips through my lips sometimes.
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Thank you for all the helpful remarks. Emotion: smile
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