[Grammar] Past Continuous vs Present Perfect Continuous

[Nat093]

Today I watched a film where a man said the following:
"Why did you turn off the TV? I was watching that programme!"

And I'm wondering why he used Past Continuous here instead of Present Perfect Cotninuous. Wouldn't it be more correct to say:
"Why did you turn off the TV? I've been watching that programme"?

Could you comment on this please?

 

[SoothingDave]

No. "I've been watching..." indicates a habitual action. Like "I've been watching Doctor Who since 2010."

In this case, he was simply watching it.

 

[Nat093]

I can't agree with you. The main use of PPC is when we describe an action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished.

 

[SoothingDave]

Why did you ask if you already know everything?

 

[Nat093]

You seem not to have understood my question.

 

[SoothingDave]

You seem not to have understood my answer. "Hey, I was watching that!" is perfectly correct and natural.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you shouted at the person "Hey, I've been watching that since 10am! It's been 5 hours and there's only an hour of it to go. Don't you dare turn it off!", then the past perfect continuous would be fine.

Without any stated time marker, "I was watching that" is the correct way to say it.

 

[Nat093]

OK. Thanks for your answers.

 

[teechar]

"Why did you turn off the TV? I was watching that programme!"

In fact, the positive form of that text represents a classic example of using the past continuous.

"You turned off the TV while I was watching that programme."
;-)

 

[Nat093]

Yes, I agree. And when I think of it in this way, it makes sense.