I had been doing homework when Mary called me

hirashin

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Donor

8 Apr 2004

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• 9 Jul 2017

• #1

Dear native English speakers,
I have a question.
I made this translation problem.
I ( )( )( ) homework when Mary called me.
(meaning: メアリーが電話をかけてきたとき、私は宿題をしていました)
My answer was
(a) I was doing my homework when Mary called me.

But my colleague says (b) may also be fine.
(b) I had been doing homework when Mary called me.
What do you think?

Hirashin

 

diligentcircle

Sempai

21 Jun 2017

703

97

• 10 Jul 2017

• #2

They're both valid. Slightly different meanings, though. I'm not sure how to explain it.

 

tasqunevie

後輩

5 Jul 2017

36

4

• 10 Jul 2017

• #3

hirashin said:

Dear native English speakers,
I have a question.
I made this translation problem.
I ( )( )( ) homework when Mary called me.
(meaning: メアリーが電話をかけてきたとき、私は宿題をしていました)
My answer was
(a) I was doing my homework when Mary called me.

But my colleague says (b) may also be fine.
(b) I had been doing homework when Mary called me.
What do you think?

Hirashin

Click to expand...

The difference here is that 'had been' usually indicates that the action is still continuous, and 'was' suggests a one-time event that has ceased (here, by the interruption of being called by Mary).

You're asking some pretty complex English here! To be honest, most native English speakers wouldn't have any idea or pay any mind to this kind of difference. It's extremely subtle and rarely detectable.

 

mdchachi

Moderator

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Twenty-year veteran

6 Mar 2003

9,319

9,447

• 10 Jul 2017

• #4

As the others said they are both correct; the difference is subtle and your typical native speaker probably can't explain it. (Even a typical American school teacher I bet).

 

hirashin

Sempai

Donor

8 Apr 2004

2,721

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• 10 Jul 2017

• Thread starter
• #5

Interesting. Thank you all for the help, Julimaruchan, tasqunevie, and mdchachi.

I've seen "doing my homework" more often than "doing homework". Is "my" optional?
Can you say "I'm doing homework" instead of "I'm doing my homework"?

 

diligentcircle

Sempai

21 Jun 2017

703

97

• 10 Jul 2017

• #6

Yeah, you can use that too. It's an identical meaning since you wouldn't be doing other people's homework.