#1  
Old 08-Sep-2003, 18:09
Anonymous
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Default did vs were doing

Is there a difference between the two interrogatives:
(1)What did you do yesterday ?
and
(2)What were you doing yesterday ?

A related question:
In the following two sentences:
1.I went to the movie yesterday.
2. I was clearning my house yesterday.
Does the first one implies going to the movie was one of several activities
that I did yesterday and "cleaning the house" was all I did yesterday ?
  #2  
Old 08-Sep-2003, 22:14
RonBee's Avatar
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Default Re: did vs were doing

Quote:
Originally Posted by bonvivant
Is there a difference between the two interrogatives:
(1)What did you do yesterday ?
and
(2)What were you doing yesterday ?
They would be used in different contexts.
  • A: What did you do yesterday?
    B: What were you doing yesterday when I saw you at that place where you shouldn't have been?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bonvivant
A related question:
In the following two sentences:
1.I went to the movie yesterday.
2. I was clearning my house yesterday.
Does the first one implies going to the movie was one of several activities
that I did yesterday and "cleaning the house" was all I did yesterday ?
The first sentence is a simple statement of fact. One would assume that a person did more during the day than go to a movie, but that sentence does not suggest that he did anything else. (Say: "Does the first one imply?")


The second sentence does not say that all the person did was clean house. Also, we do not normally use the past progressive that way.
  • Yesterday, I was cleaning the house when Mr. Wilson rang the doorbell.
    Yesterday, I was cleaning the house when a meteor fell through the roof.
    Yesterday, I was cleaning the house when the earthquake hit.
  • A: What did you do yesterday?
    B: I cleaned the house, then I went out to see a movie.

When you are simply reporting on a past occurence, use the simple past.

:)
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