Wrote

Question

Hello, I would like to ask you about two sentences with the verb write.

He wrote books for 10 years and then he stopped.

He was writing books for 10 years and then he stopped.

Which one is correct? I would say the second one. I think that the first one means that the book are already written, the action

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hello, I would like to ask you about two sentences with the verb write.

He wrote books for 10 years and then he stopped.

He was writing books for 10 years and then he stopped.

Which one is correct? I would say the second one. I think that the first one means that the book are already written, the action is completed, so that is why I would choose the second one. Am I right?

Both sentences basically say the same. It's the same action of writing books which occupied the 10-year period of activity which is concluded (terminated) now. The first sentence states the fact of writing in the past, whereas the second one emphasizes continuity of the action (here: writing books) in the same past.

CalifJim · Answer

Both are correct. The problem is that we take the simple past (wrote) to mean the same thing as the past continuous (was writing) when it's clear from the rest of the sentence that the more usual meaning of the simple past (completed action or event) is impossible. Thus, the grammar of English sometimes seems, to others, to be based much more on word meanings in context than on the strict application of rules about inflectional endings on verbs.

My guess is that most native speakers would prefer the first of your two sentences. I do.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you

Wrote

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