This is the guy I was telling you about

[lagoo]

Why is the past continuous tense used in that conversation?

I told you about that guy or I've told you about that guy is more suitable according to my limited understanding. Because the action "tell" has happened and ended at some point of time in the past.

 

[GoesStation]

The girl in the thumbnail says "This is the guy I was telling you about." She means she recently told her interlocutor about him. Using the past continuous casts that conversation into the recent past.

 

[teechar]

I told you about that guy or I've told you about that guy

Here, the focus of the sentence (the subject) is "I".

Why is the past continuous tense used in that conversation?

The past continuous implies:
1- It (the telling) happened in the past.
2- It was not a short action. This adds importance to it.

 

[lagoo]

Thanks for your elaborate explanation.
It would be so grateful if you could help me with another question, which the helper might have forgotten to answer with more details.


Please click on the link below:


https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...-leading-to-speculation-it-had-been-cut-short