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Maria D Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Hello!
Could you help me, please? What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences:
1) My father taught me how to drive when I was 17.
2) My father was teaching me how to drive when I was 17.
As I understand both variants are correct:
1) - recurrent action;
2) - temporary action at a past time period.
But how to differ them lexically? I don't understand.
Please, help!
Thank you!
Could you help me, please? What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences:
1) My father taught me how to drive when I was 17.
2) My father was teaching me how to drive when I was 17.
As I understand both variants are correct:
1) - recurrent action;
2) - temporary action at a past time period.
But how to differ them lexically? I don't understand.
Please, help!Thank you!
Top answer
Maria D 1) My father taught me how to drive when I was 17. You learned how to drive. You don't need further instruction.
- Maria D 1) My father taught me how to drive when I was 17.
- You learned how to drive.
- You don't need further instruction.
- Maria D 2) My father was teaching me how to drive when I was 17.
- It suggests that you didn't learn completely.
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2 Answers
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Maria D1) My father taught me how to drive when I was 17.You learned how to drive. You don't need further instruction.
Maria D2) My father was teaching me how to drive when I was 17.It suggests that you didn't learn completely. The lessons might have been interrupted.
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Maria D I understand both variants are correct....but how to differ them lexically?Not really. Your #2 is not correct except under the circumstance that another instantaneous action happened within the matrix or duration of the past continuous action, because that is the unique function of past continuous:
When I was 17, my father was teaching me
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