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Elizabeth
Hey🙂 Is it grammatically correct to say “I was playing the piano for 3 hours yesterday.” I have some doubts about “for” with the present continuous. Should I use the past perfect or something?
22 Nis 2025 07:15
Yanıtlar · 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 it’s fine. Here's why: The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. The phrase “for 3 hours” gives us the duration of the activity. “Yesterday” 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. 🟡 Alternative – 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 you’re just telling someone what you did, without focusing on it being in progress. 🟠 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 Nisan 2025
1
That is just fine 🙂
22 Nisan 2025
Hi Elizabeth. It’s a good sentence, although it’s past continuous not present.
22 Nisan 2025
Ik that Piano doesn't take " the " before it!
22 Nisan 2025
Hùlù cevap bulamadın mı?
Sorularını yaz ve ana dil konußanlar sana yardım etsin!

Evden çıkmadan dil Ă¶ÄŸrenme fırsatını kaçırmayın. Deneyimli dil eğitmenlerimizden olußan seçkimize göz atın ve ilk dersinize ßimdi kaydolun!