What did you do VS What were you doing
- Thread starter hirashin
- Start date
- 6 Mar 2003
- 9,320
- 9,449
They are both used. Both can have the meaning of
昨日の夜ここで何をしていたの？
But (b) can also mean
何で昨日の夜ここにいたの？
- 8 Apr 2004
- 2,721
- 63
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank you for the help, mdchachi.
Can (b) have the same meaning as (c)?
(c) Why were you here last night?
Can (b) have the same meaning as (c)?
(c) Why were you here last night?
diligentcircle
Sempai
- 21 Jun 2017
- 703
- 97
Yeah, B and C can be the same. It's worth noting that phrasing a question with "what were you doing" is more likely to be a sort of accusative question, i.e. implying that the person you're talking to is guilty of wrongdoing. Not always, and it largely depends on tone, but C is definitely the more conservative, safer question for that meaning, while for the other meaning A is safer, especially in writing.
diligentcircle
Sempai
- 21 Jun 2017
- 703
- 97
Both are fine.
Strictly speaking, you should use "I worked" for A, but anyone who complains about this would just be seen as an annoying nitpicker. Kind of like those people who complain about using the passive tense, or who try to insist that their preference for using or not using a comma after the "and" at the end of a list is the only right way to do it.
Strictly speaking, you should use "I worked" for A, but anyone who complains about this would just be seen as an annoying nitpicker. Kind of like those people who complain about using the passive tense, or who try to insist that their preference for using or not using a comma after the "and" at the end of a list is the only right way to do it.
