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Hela Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Right tense
Dear teachers,
Would you please check if I put the verbs in the right tense ?
When I (1) WAS a little boy, I (2) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE (can we say “was smoking”?) cigarettes occasionally.
I (3) HAD STOPPED / STOPPED smoking completely before I (4) REACHED the age of 15.
We (5) LIVED / WERE LIVING / USED TO LIVE by the sea in those days and my brother and I often 6) WALKED / USED TO WALK along the beach to a deserted spot where we (7) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE our cigarettes in secret.
My big brother 8) USED TO STEAL cigarettes from my father’s pocket while he (9) WAS SLEEPING.
At that time, my father (10) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE / WAS SMOKING more than 40 cigarettes a day and he never (11) NOTICED / USED TO NOTICE when Jack (12) TOOK a few from one of his pockets.
One day my father (13) SAW us while we (14) WERE SMOKING on the beach, but to our surprise, he only (15) SMILED and (16) SAID nothing.
After that we (17) BOUGHT / USED TO BUY cigarettes from time to time and although our smoking (18) WAS no longer a secret, we still (19) WENT / USED TO GO to our favourite spot to smoke them.
A few months later, however, we (20) LOST interest and I have never smoked since then.
Thank you very much indeed.
Hela
Would you please check if I put the verbs in the right tense ?
When I (1) WAS a little boy, I (2) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE (can we say “was smoking”?) cigarettes occasionally.
I (3) HAD STOPPED / STOPPED smoking completely before I (4) REACHED the age of 15.
We (5) LIVED / WERE LIVING / USED TO LIVE by the sea in those days and my brother and I often 6) WALKED / USED TO WALK along the beach to a deserted spot where we (7) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE our cigarettes in secret.
My big brother 8) USED TO STEAL cigarettes from my father’s pocket while he (9) WAS SLEEPING.
At that time, my father (10) SMOKED / USED TO SMOKE / WAS SMOKING more than 40 cigarettes a day and he never (11) NOTICED / USED TO NOTICE when Jack (12) TOOK a few from one of his pockets.
One day my father (13) SAW us while we (14) WERE SMOKING on the beach, but to our surprise, he only (15) SMILED and (16) SAID nothing.
After that we (17) BOUGHT / USED TO BUY cigarettes from time to time and although our smoking (18) WAS no longer a secret, we still (19) WENT / USED TO GO to our favourite spot to smoke them.
A few months later, however, we (20) LOST interest and I have never smoked since then.
Thank you very much indeed.
Hela
Top answer
Hi Hela, (2a)-- 'was smoking' is wrong. (3) -- the past perfect is not required here, so seems overly formal. (5-7) -- are all correct, but choice would depend on the other choices; for instance, you would not want to use 'used to' in all three positions-- it would be very poor style.
- Hi Hela, (2a)-- 'was smoking' is wrong.
- (3) -- the past perfect is not required here, so seems overly formal.
- (5-7) -- are all correct, but choice would depend on the other choices; for instance, you would not want to use 'used to' in all three positions-- it would be very poor style.
- Everything else is fine.
- I'm glad you quit smoking.
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1 Answers
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Hi Hela,
(2a)-- 'was smoking' is wrong.
(3) -- the past perfect is not required here, so seems overly formal.
(5-7) -- are all correct, but choice would depend on the other choices; for instance, you would not want to use 'used to' in all three positions-- it would be very poor style.
Everything else is fine. I'm glad you quit smoking.
(2a)-- 'was smoking' is wrong.
(3) -- the past perfect is not required here, so seems overly formal.
(5-7) -- are all correct, but choice would depend on the other choices; for instance, you would not want to use 'used to' in all three positions-- it would be very poor style.
Everything else is fine. I'm glad you quit smoking.
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