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Hotmale Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
was playing/had been playing
Hello,
can you please tell me the differences between these two sentences? Are there any in the first place?
1. He was playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
2. He had been playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
Thank you
can you please tell me the differences between these two sentences? Are there any in the first place?
1. He was playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
2. He had been playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
Thank you
Top answer
Hotmale He was playing in the living room but ... there was no sign of her son (in the living room) This is contradictory. He was there, but he was not there.
- Hotmale He was playing in the living room but ...
- there was no sign of her son (in the living room) This is contradictory.
- He was there, but he was not there.
- It doesn't get across the idea that he was no longer there when she looked.
- Hotmale He had been playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
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7 Answers
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HotmaleHe was playing in the living room but ... there was no sign of her son (in the living room)This is contradictory. He was there, but he was not there. It doesn't get across the idea that he was no longer there when she looked.
HotmaleHe had been playing in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw tha
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In both cases, you're dealing with the past. The difference is as follows:
1. "He was playing…"
You begin (or are continuing) the narrative at the time when "he" was playing, so you use the simple past.
2. "He had been playing…"
The narrative takes place at a point that comes after the time when "he" was playing, so you use the past perfect to let the reader know that the
1. "He was playing…"
You begin (or are continuing) the narrative at the time when "he" was playing, so you use the simple past.
2. "He had been playing…"
The narrative takes place at a point that comes after the time when "he" was playing, so you use the past perfect to let the reader know that the
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P.S. CalifJim was very conscientious and pointed out the contradictory nature of the first sentence. I just wanted to illustrate the differences in the tenses.
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CalifJimThis is contradictory. He was there, but he was not there. It doesn't get across the idea that he was no longer there when she looked.Thank you for your answer. If I give the wider context, will it change something?
Last Monday, Julie Ross, the boy´s mother, was working in the front garden when she heard her son cry out. He ......... (play
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HotmaleLast Monday, Julie Ross, the boy´s mother, was working in the front garden when she heard her son cry out. He ......... (play) in the living room but when she ran to the house, she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.I would fill that in with "had been playing", so no, there's no change in my opinion of which is better even
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