Please help

Question

In some sentences I'm not sure when I have to use past and when past continuous,can U help me.sometimes it is too tricky

examples.

(Yesterday me and my sister went to the city) or
(Yesterday me and my sister were going to the city)or
(yesterday I was going in the town with my sister)

Can you tell me which is the best solutio?

Thanks in advance

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

"Yesterday my sister and I went to the city."

"Yesterday my sister and I were going to the city."

("me and my sister" as sentence subject is informal, verging on sloppy. Native speakers may say it in casual conversation, but you should be aware that it's ungrammatical.)

The first sentence simply describes that fact that you did go. The second places the narrative at the time you were travelling, so you might use it if you were about to describe an event that happened on your journey:

"Yesterday my sister and I were going to the city. On the train, we met my friend from college."

Shurman81 · Answer

HI,

You should use continuous tenses if the action is being performed at the moment (in the past, present or future). And this moment must be defined.

For instance

Yesterday I went to New York with my sister (a particular moment is not defined).

Yesterday I was going to New York with my sister when it got dark (a particular moment is defined).

Brazie · Answer

Hi All,

Is it correct to say?

I went to the city with my sister yesterday.
My sister and I went to the city yesterday

instead to use yesterday at the begining of the sentencce.

Cheers

Mr Wordy · Answer

Brazie
Is it correct to say?

I went to the city with my sister yesterday.

My sister and I went to the city yesterday

Yes, these are both OK.

Brazie · Answer

Thank you.

Chaimer · Answer

<img src="http://www.EnglishForward.com/emoticons/emotion-1.gif"/> i think the last one

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks

Then I think it's better to use first option
example:Yesterday my sister and I went to the city.We were at the cinema(because in this case I describes the facts that already happend)RIGHT?

Anonymous · Answer

I forgot to add that particular moment in this example is not defined.right?

Mr Wordy · Answer

Anonymous
Thanks Then I think it's better to use first option

example:Yesterday my sister and I went to the city.We were at the cinema(because in this case I describes the facts that already happend)RIGHT?

Yes, but in the second sentence you've now introduced a tense ("We were") that places the narrative at the time you were at the cinema, so it would normally be expected to continue something like, for example:

"We were at the cinema when [something happened]"

Otherwise, you would just say "We went to the cinema" or "We visited the cinema".

You're missing a space before "We" (and also in various other places in your post).

Anonymous · Answer

yes you wright was/were is p.continuous...

thanks a lot[Y]

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