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Tijay Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
The aspect in a story
Could you be so kind to help me to understand what substitutions in the text below are possible and are there any differences in meaning between them? (the first option is the original, the second one is my suggestion)
Anna 1)did not sleep (was not sleeping) all night. She was excited. Early in the morning, her father called her. 'Come on, Anna! lt's time to get up. It's a long way to the station Anna got dressed and she was soon ready. She did not eat any breakfast. She was nervous. She was going to visit her aunt in Naira. She was going alone in a train for the first time. Anna and her father left the village and began to walk to the station. They reached the station at midday. Soon the train came.
'Your aunt will meet you at Naira,'her father said.
'Be careful now. Don't talk to any strangers'.
The train started suddenly. Soon it 2)was going (went) fast. Anna 3)watched (was watching) her father. He 4)looked (was looking) smaller and smaller; then he disappeared.
The train journey was very long. Anna 5) looked (was looking) out of the window. The fields, trees, villages and animals 6)rushed (was rushing) past.
After a long time, she began to feel sleepy. She was very tired. Slowly, she fell asleep.Later, Anna woke up. It was dark outside. She felt small and lost. She was a long way from her village and her father.There was a man in the carriage with her now. He had an ugly face, and he was very big and strong. His hair was very short. He 7)looked (was looking) bad and dangerous. The man smiled at Anna.
'Hello,' he said.
'Are you going to Polona?' asked the man.
Anna was surprised.
'No, to Naira,' she said.
'But we passed Naira two hours ago!'
Anna wanted to cry. She 8)sat (was sitting) very still. It was warm in the carriage, but she 9)felt (was feeling) cold.
We`ve passed Naira? she asked.
Yes, said the man.
.Don`t worry, said the man. I`ll help you. What`s your name?Anna, she said.My name is Sam, said the man. You can trust me,Anna,Anna looked at Sam again. He was very ugly. He had a long scar on his face and he 10)looked (was looking) dangerous.
Anna 1)did not sleep (was not sleeping) all night. She was excited. Early in the morning, her father called her. 'Come on, Anna! lt's time to get up. It's a long way to the station Anna got dressed and she was soon ready. She did not eat any breakfast. She was nervous. She was going to visit her aunt in Naira. She was going alone in a train for the first time. Anna and her father left the village and began to walk to the station. They reached the station at midday. Soon the train came.
'Your aunt will meet you at Naira,'her father said.
'Be careful now. Don't talk to any strangers'.
The train started suddenly. Soon it 2)was going (went) fast. Anna 3)watched (was watching) her father. He 4)looked (was looking) smaller and smaller; then he disappeared.
The train journey was very long. Anna 5) looked (was looking) out of the window. The fields, trees, villages and animals 6)rushed (was rushing) past.
After a long time, she began to feel sleepy. She was very tired. Slowly, she fell asleep.Later, Anna woke up. It was dark outside. She felt small and lost. She was a long way from her village and her father.There was a man in the carriage with her now. He had an ugly face, and he was very big and strong. His hair was very short. He 7)looked (was looking) bad and dangerous. The man smiled at Anna.
'Hello,' he said.
'Are you going to Polona?' asked the man.
Anna was surprised.
'No, to Naira,' she said.
'But we passed Naira two hours ago!'
Anna wanted to cry. She 8)sat (was sitting) very still. It was warm in the carriage, but she 9)felt (was feeling) cold.
We`ve passed Naira? she asked.
Yes, said the man.
.Don`t worry, said the man. I`ll help you. What`s your name?Anna, she said.My name is Sam, said the man. You can trust me,Anna,Anna looked at Sam again. He was very ugly. He had a long scar on his face and he 10)looked (was looking) dangerous.
Top answer
In all ten cases, the original option is correct. I wouldn't use any of the suggested substitutions.
- In all ten cases, the original option is correct.
- I wouldn't use any of the suggested substitutions.
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3 Answers
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In all ten cases, the original option is correct. I wouldn't use any of the suggested substitutions.
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PhilipIn all ten cases, the original option is correct. I wouldn't use any of the suggested substitutions.Ok. Let's begin with the first sentence Why can't I substitute did not sleep? Is the version with was not sleeping is completely ungrammatical? or maybe unnatural? What's the difference?
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Tijay PhilipIn all ten cases, the original option is correct. I wouldn't use any of the suggested substitutions.Ok. Let's begin with the first sentence Why can't I substitute did not sleep? Is the version with was not sleeping is completely ungrammatical? or maybe unnatural? What's the difference?The past continuous is most often used to describe an action in
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