I picked the wrong side because of the way she was apologising/apologized

[Marika33]

Which of these two versions of the text do you think is better? The one with the past simple or with the past continuous?

• I recently came across a video on YouTube where a guy caught his girlfriend cheating on him. She fell on her knees and started begging him and grabbing his legs so he wouldn't leave. He forcefully tried(was trying?) to get out and leave. What surprised me was that for some reason I sympathised with the girl, and resented the fact that he was resisting and trying to get out. And now I realised it. I picked the wrong side because of the way she was apologising, I just wouldn't be able to resist.
• I recently came across a video on YouTube where a guy caught his girlfriend cheating on him. She fell on her knees and started begging him and grabbing his legs so he wouldn't leave. He forcefully tried to get out and leave. What surprised me was that I sympathised with the girl, and resented the fact that he resisted and tried to get out. And now I realised it. I picked the wrong side because of the way she apologized, I just wouldn't be able to resist.

 

[Tarheel]

If I was going to describe somebody as begging I would say what they were begging for. Having said that, I would say what affected me was the way she was apologizing.

Work it out!

 

[Marika33]

If I was going to describe somebody as begging I would say what they were begging for. Having said that, I would say what affected me was the way she was apologizing.

Could you please just tell me which of those makes more sense?

 

[jutfrank]

First off, it would be better to narrate the events of the video in the present tense, not the past:

I recently came across a video on YouTube where a guy catches his girlfriend cheating on him. She falls on her knees and starts begging him and grabbing his legs so he won't leave.

Continuing in the present tense doesn't actually affect the spirit of your question, which is about the difference in choice of aspect—simple versus continuous. For the next sentence, you have both of these two options available:

a) He forcefully tries to get out and leave.
b) He's forcefully trying to get out and leave.

Option a) is a simple statement. You're simply narrating the content of the video, as if this is the next thing that happens in a sequence of narrative events. Option b) is more descriptive, one effect of which is that it places the listener a little closer to the scene, as it were, more dramatically. The simple aspect places your emphasis on the events of story itself whereas the continuous aspect places your emphasis on a description of the visual images in the video.

The same question applies to the other verb phrases you mention: Where you use the continuous aspect, you're painting a picture of the action for your listener to imagine in her mind. Where you use the simple aspect, you're simply stating the events that unfold in the narrative.

Ultimately, only you can choose which of these options is 'better', based on what you want the effect of what you're saying to be, and why you're saying it.

 

[Tarheel]

I'm not sure why "forcefully ' is used there. Would somebody please explain it to me?

 

[jutfrank]

I'm not sure why "forcefully ' is used there. Would somebody please explain it to me?

She's physically holding him back so he has to use force.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, but it's a given and doesn't need to be stated. He's trying to get away from her. That implies that he's going to use as much force as necessary.

 

[jutfrank]

Shall we stick to the point in question? We're talking about choice of aspect.