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Nkspb Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
The usage of Past Simple with Past Continuous in a sentence with while-clause
Hello everybody. I read in a grammar book that when we talk about two actions happening at the same time in the past, we use Past Simple or Past Continuous for both. I am not sure that it's true.
For instance, if I mean that during the particular time I was waiting for a person to invite me, is it correct to say:
"I read a book while I was waiting for him to invite me to the cabinet" ?
I reckon here it sounds like "Usually (as a habit) I read a book while..."
But is another meaning possible here: "I was reading (at that very moment) a book while I was..."? But we use the Past Simple to make a listener think of the reading as a fact rather than process.
Thanks.
For instance, if I mean that during the particular time I was waiting for a person to invite me, is it correct to say:
"I read a book while I was waiting for him to invite me to the cabinet" ?
I reckon here it sounds like "Usually (as a habit) I read a book while..."
But is another meaning possible here: "I was reading (at that very moment) a book while I was..."? But we use the Past Simple to make a listener think of the reading as a fact rather than process.
Thanks.
Top answer
"invite me to the cabinet" is odd, and I don't really know what you mean by it. I will use "waiting for the bus" instead. I read a book while I waited for the bus.
- "invite me to the cabinet" is odd, and I don't really know what you mean by it.
- I will use "waiting for the bus" instead.
- I read a book while I waited for the bus.
- I read a book while I was waiting for the bus.
- I was reading a book while I waited for the bus.
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2 Answers
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"invite me to the cabinet" is odd, and I don't really know what you mean by it. I will use "waiting for the bus" instead.
I read a book while I waited for the bus.
I read a book while I was waiting for the bus.
I was reading a book while I waited for the bus.
I was reading a book while I was waiting for the bus.
All these are possible, thou
I read a book while I waited for the bus.
I read a book while I was waiting for the bus.
I was reading a book while I waited for the bus.
I was reading a book while I was waiting for the bus.
All these are possible, thou
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hah, it was a phrase just out of my mind. Thanks, GPY.
I noticed that native speakers use past simple where it should be past continuous according to logic.
For instance, "while" connotes "continuous action", so according to the logic, the Continuous tense should be used, but very often the Simple tense is used instead. Interesting...
I noticed that native speakers use past simple where it should be past continuous according to logic.
For instance, "while" connotes "continuous action", so according to the logic, the Continuous tense should be used, but very often the Simple tense is used instead. Interesting...
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