[Grammar] "did you sleep" and "were you sleeping"

roseriver1012 · Feb 28, 2013

Yesterday I saw the movie "The Cold Light Of Day". I feel puzzled at a line. The man

doubted the girl was his dead father's lover, and he asked her :"Were you sleeping

with him?" What's the difference if he asked "Did you sleep with him?" ? There

should be a difference between these two tenses, right? Thanks for your help!

probus · Feb 28, 2013

"Were you sleeping with him?" asks whether you were doing it frequently or customarily. "Did you sleep with him" asks whether you did it at least once.

nyota · Feb 28, 2013

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Not a teacher
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I feel "Were you sleeping with him?" puts more stress on the repetition of the action, as if he wanted to know whether it happened more than once or was more of a regular thing. "Did you sleep with him?" sounds more general. On the whole, I'd say they're not that different but do wait for second - native English speaker - opinion.

Amigos4 · Feb 28, 2013

nyota said:
....................
Not a teacher
....................

I feel "Were you sleeping with him?" puts more stress on the repetition of the action, as if he wanted to know whether it happened more than once or was more of a regular thing. "Did you sleep with him?" sounds more general. On the whole, I'd say they're not that different but do wait for second - native English speaker - opinion.

Nyota, here is your second confirmation from a Native Speaker! Probus is correct: "Were you sleeping with him?" asks whether you were doing it frequently or customarily. "Did you sleep with him" asks whether you did it at least once.

Cheers,
A4

[Grammar] "did you sleep" and "were you sleeping"

roseriver1012

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probus

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nyota

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