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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Throwing

Hello, could you please tell me which of the following sentences is correct?

The boys were throwing a ball.

The boys threw a ball.
  

Top answer

Both are fine in appropriate situations.

— Mister Micawber

  • Both are fine in appropriate situations.
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6 Answers
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Both are fine in appropriate situations.
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The boys were throwing a ball. (Indicates an ongoing action in the past. Often this form is used when you want to contrast it to something else happening. The boys were throwing a ball when one of them missed and the ball hit the neighbor's window.)

The boys threw a ball. (This indicates a main action in the past.)

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Does the sentence The boys threw a ball mean that they threw it only once or a certain number of times?
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Well, certainly not a certain number of times. The verb only indicates the action; context must supply a commonsense interpretation.
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Yes, I agree with Mister Micawber , both are correct. In addition to that, it depends on what idea you want to convey.


The boys were throwing a ball.(Past Progressive tense)

The boys threw a ball.(simple past tense)
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It could mean either. It is merely stating a fact that happened in the past. The sentence, "The boys were throwing a ball" gives more of a sense that it was something that continued on for a period of time in the past. The focus is on the continuing action.

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