Cerca tra vari insegnanti di Inglese...
Elizabeth
Heyđ Is it grammatically correct to say âI was playing the piano for 3 hours yesterday.â I have some doubts about âforâ with the present continuous. Should I use the past perfect or something?
22 apr 2025 07:15
Risposte · 13
1
Correct sentence:
"I was playing the piano for 3 hours yesterday."
This uses the past continuous (was playing) + duration (for 3 hours), and itâs fine.
Here's why:
The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
The phrase âfor 3 hoursâ gives us the duration of the activity.
âYesterdayâ gives us the time reference.
So, you're saying: At some point yesterday, I was in the middle of playing the piano, and it lasted 3 hours.
đĄ Alternative â also correct:
"I played the piano for 3 hours yesterday."
This uses the past simple to describe a finished action and is more direct.
Use this if youâre just telling someone what you did, without focusing on it being in progress.
đ Would past perfect work?
"I had been playing the piano for 3 hours..."
This form (past perfect continuous) is only correct if you're setting up another event afterward, like:
I had been playing the piano for 3 hours when the neighbors complained.
So it requires a second event to justify the past perfect.
In summary:
"I was playing the piano for 3 hours yesterday." Correct. Focuses on the action in progress.
"I played the piano for 3 hours yesterday." Also correct. More direct.
"I had been playing..." Only use if it connects to another past event.
24 aprile 2025
1
That is just fine đ
22 aprile 2025
Hi Elizabeth. Itâs a good sentence, although itâs past continuous not present.
22 aprile 2025
Ik that Piano doesn't take " the " before it!
22 aprile 2025
Non hai ancora trovato le tue risposte?
Scrivi le tue domande e lascia che i madrelingua ti aiutino!
Elizabeth
Competenze linguistiche
Inglese, Russo
Lingua di apprendimento
Inglese
Altri articoli che potrebbero piacerti

Santa, St. Nicholas, or Father Christmas? How Christmas Varies Across English-Speaking Countries
5 consensi · 4 Commenti

Reflecting on Your Progress: Year-End Language Journal Prompts
4 consensi · 2 Commenti

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
25 consensi · 18 Commenti
Altri articoli
