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Tinanam0102 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Present continuous with duration

Hi teachers,

What I learned with duration is you have to use 'present perfect continuous or past tense or past perfect continuous or may be sometimes present perfect. I do not see the examples in my grammar book.

1. People are waiting for 2 hours to get into the cat cafe.
2. Californian were waiting in line for hours to get coverage.
3. We were waiting 5 hours until one staff found a guest house!

Shouldn't it be
1. People has been waiting for 2 hours to get into the cat cafe.
2. Californians had been waiting in line for hours Monday to get coverage.
3. We waited / had been waiting 5 hours until one staff found a guest house!

Would you please help explain if they are correct?
Thanks
TN
  

Top answer

We need more contact to be sure. For example, depending on context, #1 could be: People ha ve been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe. People ha d been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.

— Fivejedjon

  • We need more contact to be sure.
  • For example, depending on context, #1 could be: People ha ve been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
  • People ha d been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
  • People were waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
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8 Answers
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We need more contact to be sure. For example, depending on context, #1 could be:

People have been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
People had been waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
People were waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe.
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Hi fivejedjon,

Thanks for your help. I don't have the context but can you show me a sentence with more contet to connect 'People were waiting for 2 hours to get into the Cat cafe. I just don't understand how 'were waiting for 2 hours' is correct according to the grammar book.

Thanks
TN
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Mr. Fivejedjon, If I remember correctly, once you told me that when we use the present continuous tense, it almost always conveys some idea of the limited duration of the situation it is used for. I am wondering if this applies to 'People were waiting for two hours to get into the Cat cafe'. Doesn't this sentence mean that the people were waiting..., but for 2 hours (the limit
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Nearly all continuous/progressive forms involve some idea of limited duration. With the past form, we know by virtue of the fact that we are talking about a past-time situation, that the duration is limited - it has, in fact, ended - and so the emphasis is more on the duration.

If I am talking about a very lively night in town last week, when the pubs and restaurants were full, I might sa
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Emotion: smile Thank you, Mr. Fivejedjon, for your really very helpful explanation!

So, can we also use this limited duration/time perio
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When used with 'for' plus a time period, the present continuous normally suggests that the time period extends into the future. If the children are playing in the garden for two hours, then that time-period has probably already begun.

If they have been playing in the garden for two hours, then that time-period began two hours ago.

ps. There is no need for Mr/Ms/Mrs/etc in
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fivejedjonThere is no need for Mr/Ms/Mrs/etc in this forum
I thought we use these (Mr/Ms/Mrs) to show respect for somebody. I'm sorry if you didn't like my addressing you as 'Mr'.

Thanks to you for your reply, by the way.
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Hi fivejedjon,

I'm sure I'm following correctly but if both forms are right, and the context is the only way to determine the usage. So would you tell me if the following sentences are right?

We were waiting for 2 hours to get in this Cat cafe when a brawl broke out farther up the line.
We had been waiting for 2 hours to get in this Cat cafe before a brawl bro
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