Read / was reading

Question

Hello, happy to be here againI was reading a gloomy economic prognosis in the paper this morning.Reading is not the background action, why the present progressive tense is used when there is only one actoin in this sentence?what if the sentence changed to: I read a gloomy economic prognosis in the paper this morning?Does it mean the same as the the previous one?Thanks in advance.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Actually, "am reading" is present progressive. "Was reading" is past progressive.

Your suggested change to simple past would give us about the same meaning.

The progressive tenses don't relate one action in time to another. They simply stress the continuing nature of the action. It's just a little warmer feeling.

Perhaps you're thinking of, "I was reading a gloomy article this morning when my brother called (simple past) to say we had just won the Lottery!"

He said, "What are you doing?" (present progressive)
I replied, "I'm reading the paper." (present progressive)

Regards, - A.

Anonymous · Answer

AvangiThe progressive tenses don't relate one action in time to another. They simply stress the continuing nature of the action. It's just a little warmer feeling.

Thank you for your explanation.

After reading and musing about it, I still do not know how to feel warmer if the progressive tenses are used.

Could you explain a little bit more to me? thanks....

Avangi · Answer

By comparison, "I read(red) the paper" is cold and abrupt. It doesn't bring you in, or invite you to wonder exactly how he feels. You don't picture him sitting there with the paper spread open before him. You picture it already folded up, sitting on the table. (I do, anyway.)

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous I was reading a gloomy economic prognosis in the paper this morning.
Reading is not the background action

I'm not so sure about that. We don't have the entire conversation up to this point. Nor do we know what the speaker has in mind to say next.

In any case, the emphasis in on an on-going activity, not an event.

I was reading = I was engaged in the activity of doing some reading. (activity)

I read (past) = I accomplished the whole task of reading a specific amount of text. (event)

The progressive form describes a continuing activity. The non-progressive reports what happened -- what was accomplished.

Time >>>>>>>>>>
X the present moment
-------- time during which an activity occurred
! time at which a task was completed, accomplished

.......( ---------------------)...........X...........
was reading

.................[ ! ]....................X............
read

I was reading War and Peace. = I was engaged in the activity of doing some reading in that book. (Here there is no implicatiion that I finished. I probably read only a few pages.)
I read War and Peace. = I accomplished the task of reading the whole book. I reached the end of the book, thus completing the task.

So, it makes sense to say, I was reading War and Peace this morning, but it does not make sense to say I read War and Peace this morning (unless you can read more than 1000 pages in a single morning!)

I hope that helps.

CJ

Read / was reading

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