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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Past tenses

Hello, I need help with the following sentences.

Which one is correct?

When he worked as an architect, he was earning a lot of money.
When he worked as an architect he earned a lot of money.

I do not want to express the result how much he earned together but the activity of earning and repitition. I would choose the second one. Is it correct?
  

Top answer

It's fine. I would add a comma after architect the way you have one in the first sentence. CB

— Cool Breeze

  • It's fine.
  • I would add a comma after architect the way you have one in the first sentence.
  • CB
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6 Answers
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It's fine. I would add a comma after architect the way you have one in the first sentence.

CB
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AnonymousWhen he worked as an architect, he was earning a lot of money.
When he worked as an architect he earned a lot of money.
Becasue his career as an architect spanned perhaps a few years, so I would use the past progressive to describe this time frame; and for the same reason, used past perfect as an alternative.

I suggest: He'd earned
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Thank you for your answers
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AnonymousWhich one is correct?

When he worked as an architect, he was earning a lot of money.
When he worked as an architect, he earned a lot of money.
Both are correct, but to my ear the expression "to earn a lot of money" doesn't lend itself well to an interpretation involving continuous repetition. If you earned a lot of money, you alre
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CalifJimWhen he worked as an architect, he was making a good salary.
In British English you would not say "he was making a good salary".

"He had a good salary" (or) "He made a lot of money"
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LouiseTIn British English you would not say "he was making a good salary".
OK. Good to know.

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