[Grammar] climbing upstairs, climbing up the stairs.

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Aamir Tariq

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When he is going upstairs. Which one of these can we use with the word "climbing".

He was climbing upstairs.
He was climbing up the stairs.

Regards
Aamir the Global Citizen
 

GoesStation

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It's more natural to write He was climbing the stairs.
 

Rover_KE

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I agree with GS, but for me, your first version is better:

'He was going upstairs'.
 

Aamir Tariq

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It's good to hear from you Rover. Yes, it is always grammatical and natural to say, "he was going upstairs", but I was looking for the answer when we use the word "climbing".
 
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tedmc

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"He is going upstairs" do not mean he is using the staircase. He could be using the lift or escalator.
You could also say: he is going up the stairs. I would use "climbing" if it is a long flight of stairs which is a challenge to climb.
 

Aamir Tariq

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"He is going upstairs" do not mean he is using the staircase. He could be using the lift or escalator.
You could also say: he is going up the stairs. I would use "climbing" if it is a long flight of stairs which is a challenge to climb.

Now, this is a more descriptive answer for which I would really like to appreciate tedmc. However, I'd like confirmation from the native speakers about the followings.

He is going upstairs. (may mean either he is using an escalator or staircase).
He is going up the stairs. (I think it only means he is using the staircase, correct me if I am wrong).
He is climbing the stairs. (When there are an awful lot of stairs to climb that can run you out of your breath when you reach the top floor).
 
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