http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aWriting+letters+tag%3aSimple+past&tag=Writing+letters,Simple+past&orTags=0Search results for 'tag:Writing letters tag:Simple past' matching tags 'Writing letters' and 'Simple past'en-USCSMOD (Build: 3161.22795)http://www.englishforums.com/English/HelpMePlease/bddnr/post.htm#99348Sat, 14 May 2005 18:01:15 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:99348pieanneAh, many answers are correct, it depends on the point of view... <br /> <br />1. Snapshot in the present <br />"she is writing letters while her son is watching TV" <br />Both are doing this at the same time; the duration is the same. <br /> <br />2. Snapshot in the past <br />"she was writing letters while her son was watching TV" <br />Both were doing this at the same time; same duration. <br /> <br />3. "she wrote letters while her son was watching TV" <br />implies that when she finished her letters her son was still watching TV (the -ing occupation lasts longer than the one in the simple past) <br /> <br />4. "she was writing letters while her son watched TV" <br />implies that her son stopped watching TV before she finished her letters, for the same reasob as in 3.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TenseMeaning/njhv/post.htm#66593Sun, 09 Jan 2005 20:02:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:66593Andrei1) a) We watched TV all night. <br />b) We were watching TV all night. <br /> <br />What is the context for the above? <br /> <br />You said you didn't sleep last night. <br /> <br />What have you been doing all night, then? <br /> <br />We were watching TV all night; we were playing cards all night; we were dancing all night. <br /> <br /> <br />Let us say that the only thing you did was looked at TV. Then I would write ' We watched TV all night. <br />[Others might tell you the difference between the two in another way.] <br /> <br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> <br />2) a) I have been cutting onions, this is why my eyes look red. <br />b) I have cut my finger when I was cutting onions. (correct sentence ?) <br /> <br />If you meet someone just after cutting onions, I would use the first sentence. Because your eyes are red as a consequence of cutting onions. <br /> <br />The second one is proper to use even after the cutting of onions took place some hours ago. Of course, it could be said seconds or minutes after cutting the onions. It is up to to you to use the proper sentence. <br /> <br />After 3 or 4 days later, you could tell someone about the incident using the second sentence too. Why? Still you have the wound , you have some pains, you have a bandage etc. <br /> <br />You could even use the simple past sentence 3 or 4 days later. <br />I cut my finger when I was cutting onions 3 days ago. <br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> <br />3) a) It has rained all night. <br />b) It has been raining all night. <br /> <br />You wake up early in the morning and look through your window and say the first sentence. <br /> <br />I would use the second one if it is still raining. It is raining cats and dogs. <br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> <br />4) a) I have been writing letters all morning. <br />b) I have written letters all morning. <br /> <br />The first one means even now you are in the process of writing letters. <br /> <br />The second one means thay you may have just stopped writing letters. <br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> <br />[ I HAVE NO MORE TIME TO REPLY YOU. I AM SORRY. THE OTHERS WILL REPLY. THEY MIGHT COME WITH DIFFERENT ANSWERS.] <br /> <br />