[etni] Fwd: re: Grammar question
- From: ETNI list <etni.list@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Etni <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2011 16:27:53 +0200
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: LindaKM <lindakm09@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [etni] Fwd: Grammar question
I am one of those- a native speaker- (!!!) and I instinctively
picked, "told". The only way I could see using "were telling", is if
they spoke about their adventures non-stop, during the whole meal!
I'm not an expert, so I don't know if this helps! :)
Linda Kuras Mizrahi
Jennifer wrote:
> While we were eating dinner they told/were telling us about their
> wonderful adventures.
>
> I know how annoying it is for a native speaker to turn around and say
> “were telling” just doesn’t sound right, but there it is. It doesn’t
> sound right! I am a native speaker English teacher; I tried it out on
> various English teachers and English speakers, and none of them went
> for “were telling”.
>
> Now I know one can justify it with the rules for past progressive, so
> is there anything that will justify the native speakers gut feeling
> that it isn’t right, or is it just a question of usage?
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