Hucky
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2011
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- German
- Home Country
- Switzerland
- Current Location
- Switzerland
Hiya,
In an exercise in one of your practical grammar books to practice the past simple/past continuous, resp. it says according to the key:
What were you doing when the robbery took place?
Although I do admit that this version is the most probable one, I don´t think one can theoretically rule out two alternative options. E.g. while the robbery was taking place, one of the supposed witnesses could have started to run away or to attack one of the robbers. So the question could just as well be:
1) What did you do when the robbery was taking place?
Or if the police is interested in knowing what the witness was doing all the time during the robbery, why not asking:
2 a) What were you doing when the robbery was taking place?
2 b) What were you doing as the robbery took place?
Are 2 a) and 2 b) identical in meaning?
Best thanks and greetings
Hucky
In an exercise in one of your practical grammar books to practice the past simple/past continuous, resp. it says according to the key:
What were you doing when the robbery took place?
Although I do admit that this version is the most probable one, I don´t think one can theoretically rule out two alternative options. E.g. while the robbery was taking place, one of the supposed witnesses could have started to run away or to attack one of the robbers. So the question could just as well be:
1) What did you do when the robbery was taking place?
Or if the police is interested in knowing what the witness was doing all the time during the robbery, why not asking:
2 a) What were you doing when the robbery was taking place?
2 b) What were you doing as the robbery took place?
Are 2 a) and 2 b) identical in meaning?
Best thanks and greetings
Hucky