spoken grammar

[sebayanpendam]

hi,

Here's my question. Which tense is more appropriate in this spoken sentences?

1. i was calling you, but you didn't not respond.
2. i was calling you, but you was not responding.
3 i called you, but you didn't respond.

thanks

 

[Raymott]

hi,

Here's my question. Which tense is more appropriate in this spoken sentences?

1. i was calling you, but you didn't not respond.
2. i was calling you, but you [STRIKE]was[/STRIKE] were not responding.
3 i called you, but you didn't respond.

thanks

If you called once, and they failed to respond once, you use the simple past because both events are a discrete event in the past.
If you were calling occasionally over a period of time, and the person failed to respond each time, you'd use the progressive tense.

 

[maaram]

I have a question

What's the difference between

"I was calling you, but you didn't not respond" and "I called you, but you didn't respond".

 

[Raymott]

I have a question

What's the difference between

"I was calling you, but you didn't not respond" and "I called you, but you didn't respond".

If you were calling occasionally over a period of time, you'd use the progressive tense.
If you called once, you'd use the simple past because the event is a discrete event in the past.

 

[Barb_D]

... but you didn't not respond -- This is not correct unless you mean he DID respond with the deliberate use of the double negative.

 

[Raymott]

... but you didn't not respond -- This is not correct unless you mean he DID respond with the deliberate use of the double negative.

I missed that.

 

[meobeo]

It's just a typo, I think,