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Past continuous vs Present Perfect Continuous vs Past Simple

English Language Learners Asked by Kaylee on January 17, 2021

Past continuous tells us about an action in progress in the particular time of the past, right? And Present Perfect Continuous – about actions that started in the past, continued some time and still happening now/or it’s just stopped. We usually use it with also particular time.But, something is not clear for me. For example:
There are two friends talking, and one asks:
– You don’t look very well. Bad sleeping?
The other says:
– Oh, I didn’t sleep at all, I was dreaming all night long.
Isn’t the last one more present perfect continuous? Because we have the result ( the friend doesn’t look good) and duration ( dreaming as a process, all night long)

Also, this one:
In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.
It’ s more like a fact, isn’t it? Should it be in the past simple?

One Answer

You are right about the "I have been dreaming all night", but if the question is asked at 4 p.m. for example, you could say "I was dreaming all night", because more time has passed.

The past continuous in the 1994 example is used, because the working in Poland was in progress at a specific time = 1994. It is similar to: where were you at 8 last night? I was watching tv.

Answered by anouk on January 17, 2021

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