[Grammar] Quite Confused! Please, check it out!

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Rushabh

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Guys, please check this sentence.

"Mr shah was teaching English when the principal entered"

"Mr shah had been teaching English when the principal entered"

On above both examples, the action was running in the past tense, so which tense is perfect for it.

Thanks
 

Tdol

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I'd use the first, but I would capitalise Shah.
 

Rushabh

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Thank you! Could you please tell me how? Since in both sentences the action was running.
 

Tdol

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The first suggests that the teaching was happening at the time the headmaster entered. The second suggests that it had finished.
 

Rushabh

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Oh... Thanks a lot! :)
 

Rover_KE

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Now that you are becoming accustomed to Using English, Rushabh, please bear two points in mind:

1. The forum's Posting Guidelines state that 'Thread titles should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed'. A good title for this thread would have been was teaching/had been teaching.

2.
You don't need to send your thanks in a separate post. We are all happy to accept a simple click on the Like button as your acknowledgement of our help.

Rover:-D
 
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