is it correct to say 'I was seeing the film' to mean I was in the midle of watching a film?
Thank you
Thank you
is it correct?>
I think it works but it must come something after your phrase.
For example "I was watching the film when somone knocked on the door".
For example "I was watching the film when somone knocked on the door".
bubu, if you meant is it correct to say "I was seeing" rather than "I was watching" (as The Swede wrote), then, no, you should use "watching".
it works, but no one really says that, most people just say they were watching the movie... it sounds better
Traditionally, the verb to see (in its regular meaning) is like the verb to love in that you can't ``be seeing'' something any more than you can be loving something. Either you see it, or you saw it, or you don't, or you didn't. So you can't say ``I was seeing the movie'' because you can't say
``I was seeing'' about anything.
I know about the idiomatic phrase ``seeing someone to the door,'' which
is different.
``I was seeing'' about anything.
I know about the idiomatic phrase ``seeing someone to the door,'' which
is different.
It all depends on your intent. "I was seeing the film" is a continuous tense, which can imply one or more of several things:
1. The situation was temporary (already implicit in seeing a film, so not a likely meaning here).
2. Something happened while you were seeing the film. This is implied even if you don't say it. If you say to someone "I was seeing this film yesterday," and stop, the typical response will be, "So what happened?" because a past continuous tense is very often used to describe an action taking place when some other past event occurred.
4. You had already planned to see the film at some point in the past. This is a past transposition of the use of the continuous tense for an arranged future. For example, "I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel." Continuous tenses are used for future events (relative to the nominal time of the tense) when some aspect of the future action is perceived to have already begun. Buying tickets, making reservations, or even just making a firm decision to see a film all qualify as "starting" the process, and thus normally are expressed with a continuous tense.
Seeing in the sense of perception is not normally described with continuous tenses; but when it refers to watching something, such as a movie, a continuous tense is fine. Verbs that describe states of being or actions that normally are not demarcated in time (with a clear beginning, duration, and end) usually are not expressed with continuous tenses.
1. The situation was temporary (already implicit in seeing a film, so not a likely meaning here).
2. Something happened while you were seeing the film. This is implied even if you don't say it. If you say to someone "I was seeing this film yesterday," and stop, the typical response will be, "So what happened?" because a past continuous tense is very often used to describe an action taking place when some other past event occurred.
4. You had already planned to see the film at some point in the past. This is a past transposition of the use of the continuous tense for an arranged future. For example, "I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel." Continuous tenses are used for future events (relative to the nominal time of the tense) when some aspect of the future action is perceived to have already begun. Buying tickets, making reservations, or even just making a firm decision to see a film all qualify as "starting" the process, and thus normally are expressed with a continuous tense.
Seeing in the sense of perception is not normally described with continuous tenses; but when it refers to watching something, such as a movie, a continuous tense is fine. Verbs that describe states of being or actions that normally are not demarcated in time (with a clear beginning, duration, and end) usually are not expressed with continuous tenses.
Hi everyone,
Is it correct to say "i was diving in the sea", or shall i say "i was diving into the sea".
Thanks.
Is it correct to say "i was diving in the sea", or shall i say "i was diving into the sea".
Thanks.
Nutshell example (For educational purposes only):
"I was seeing that girl until she found another boyfriend"
eg2
I was seeing the film, but the projector malfunctioned half way through it.
Mxsmanic's numbered points. 1 & 2 agree.
4:
> For example, "I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel." <
Hmmm - These sounds natural to me -
I was going to see the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel.
I was planning to see the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel.
And
I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to abandon the activity.
"I was seeing that girl until she found another boyfriend"
eg2
I was seeing the film, but the projector malfunctioned half way through it.
Mxsmanic's numbered points. 1 & 2 agree.
4:
> For example, "I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel." <
Hmmm - These sounds natural to me -
I was going to see the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel.
I was planning to see the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to cancel.
And
I was seeing the film on Friday, but for reasons beyond my control, I had to abandon the activity.
Alex -- either way, depending on context.
You can say, "I've been diving for three years, in the training pool and in the sea."
You can also say, "I dove off of the boat into the sea." This denotes the actual act of plunging into water, which is a little different from the previous example.
You can say, "I've been diving for three years, in the training pool and in the sea."
You can also say, "I dove off of the boat into the sea." This denotes the actual act of plunging into water, which is a little different from the previous example.
Alex: some further clarifications:
"I was diving into the sea," implies that you were jumping off a cliff or boat into the water, climbing back out of the water, and jumping again.
"I was diving in the sea" implies that you were constantly in the water (perhaps coming to the surface, but not really exiting the water), swimming about, and perhaps observing fish or exploring old shipwrecks.
"I was diving into the sea," implies that you were jumping off a cliff or boat into the water, climbing back out of the water, and jumping again.
"I was diving in the sea" implies that you were constantly in the water (perhaps coming to the surface, but not really exiting the water), swimming about, and perhaps observing fish or exploring old shipwrecks.