RIGHT WHEN + pat continuous or past

Question

Which would one say?I called you right when you were calling me.I called you right when you called me.I was calling you right when you called me.I was calling you right when you were calling me.thank you

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

All OK.

Alc24 · Answer

I called you right when you were calling me.

I called you right when you called me.

I was calling you right when you called me.

I was calling you right when you were calling me.

I think 1, 2 and perhaps 4 are correct, but i can't see how 3 is correct

as you would say

1 I was reading when you watched TV

you would say

1 I read when you were watching TV.

what do you think?

Philip · Answer

#3 may sound a bit odd, but it's entirely possible (I had started calling you before you dialed my number). Use the imparfait and the passé composé in French in these sentences, and you'll get the meanings clearly. They match up perfectly.

I used a teacher's desk bell to illustrate the meanings of the simple past and the past continuous, with the verbs 'jump' and 'ring'.

"I jumped when the bell rang."

"The bell was ringing when I jumped."

"I was jumping when the bell rang."

[By the time I got to this one, the kids were in hysterics, to see the teaching standing in front of the room ringing a little bell and jumping up and down.] "I was jumping while the bell was ringing"

Alc24 · Answer

SO let me understand

if the example were :

I was watching TV when you slapped me (You slapped me while I was watching TV)

I watched TV when you were slapping me (

I thought I knew but I don't

Whats the difference? For some reason 1 sounds better here.

Philip · Answer

alc24 I watched TV when you were slapping me (

Indicates that the slapping went on for some time.

RIGHT WHEN + pat continuous or past

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