I learned/was learning Russian for two years when I lived in Moscow.
Do both past simple and past progressive work for the sentence?
Thank you in advance.
NOT A TEACHER
(1) I woke up this morning and ran to my computer, hoping that a
teacher had answered.
(2) Alas! Nothing. So I am giving your thread a "bump," as you
young people say.
(3) I think that the problem is the verb. I'm 99% sure that you cannot
say "I learned Russian for two years." You have to use "studied."
(4) Sir Shakespeare posted a thread on March 30, 2010, that received
many great answers. I have tried for an hour to find it in the search
box, but I was not smart enough to find it. Sir Shakespeare's thread
was entitled "What's the difference between this and that??" (Remember:
it was last year.) If you can find this thread, you will find it
EXTREMELY helpful.
Respectfully yours,
James
Dear James,
I have found the thread you were referring to. :-D Here it is:
What's the difference between this and that ??
I am amazed at how precisely you remembered that thread after more than one year! :up: You make young people pale by comparison. ;-)
On a side-note, I would respectfully like to tell you that 99,999% of the students, and 99,99999999% of non-native speakers would happily settle for YOUR OWN answer, since you are a sophisticated native English speaker. ;-) What is good enough for you, what reads well for you, must be good enough for every non-native speaker as well as for practically all native speakers. That's just my humble opinion.
Have a nice day!
Thank you a lot, TheParser. Then how about 'I studied/was studying Russian for two years when I lived in Harbin'? Do both tenses work?
Thank you again.
NOT A TEACHER
(1) Thanks to Mav, the link is now available. The people who answered
Sir Shakespeare really added to my understanding.
(2) I am 99% certain that the first sentence is correct:
I studied Russian for two years when I lived in Harbin.
(a) Of course, this sentence is ambiguous. It could be
interpreted as meaning that you lived in Harbin for two years and
studied Russian during that time, or it could mean that you lived in
Harbin for, say, 10 years, but you studied Russian for only two of
those 10 years. Furthermore, I guess some people might ask:
When you say "two years," do you mean two years straight, or
do you mean a total of two years?
(3) Regarding your second sentence, I do not have the confidence
to give you a definitive answer. Personally, it sounds strange to
me. I will let a teacher give you and me the correct answer.
(a) I think that the progressive could be used in this way:
Tom: I hear that you spent 2010 in Harbin.
Martha: That's right.
Tom: What were you doing there for a year? Working?
Martha: No. I was studying Russian. Nothing else for the whole
year.
Respectfully yours,
James
P.S. If a teacher does not answer, please start a thread with a
similar question. I, too, want to know the answer. Of course,
I PROMISE not to reply to your new thread.