What exactly you do yesterday at 7

«What were you doing at 7 o’clock yesterday?» vs «What did you do at 7 o’clock yesterday?»

As far as I see, both forms of question «What were you doing at 7 o’clock yesterday?» and «What did you do at 7 o’clock yesterday?» could be used to ask about someone’s action in past. But are there a difference between them?

As far as I understand, when we ask «What were you doing at 7 o’clock yesterday?» we let know that we ask about some process (like «what were you doing when I’ve entered the room at 7 o’clock»), and if we ask «What did you do at 7 o’clock yesterday?» we let know that we ask about some momentary action (like «You did something at 7 o’clock that caused computer crash. What exactly did you do at that moment?»)

Am I right or not?

2 Answers 2

Your sense of the meanings is right. «What did you do at 7 PM?» refers to a more or less exact time. «What were you doing at 7 PM?» means «What activity were you engaged in?». That can still mean exactly at 7 PM, but suggests that the activity extended before and after that time.
Either question could be used in your computer crash example.

There is actually not much difference between these questions. There is a slight implication of a single action by «What did you do» as opposed to «What were you doing», but it is very slight.

Also: «we let know» is understandable but awkward. You could say «We are letting you know» or «letting the listener know»; you could even say «we are making it known»; all of these are better grammar, but a little formal for this purpose. I might suggest «We imply we are asking about some process. » or just «we are asking about a process»

I hope it is all right that I point these things out; I reasoned that it is a site dedicated to helping people with English usage, and assumed you would be interested. I admire anyone who can make themselves understood in a 2nd language, much less people who can analyze its grammar to improve their usage.

Spotlight 7, Workbook, 4a

На данной странице находятся упражнения с ответами по английскому языку из рабочей тетради (Workbook) 7 класса УМК Spotlight. Упражнения из 4a.

1) TV guide
2) weather report
3) gossip
4) beauty advice
5) horoscope
6) international news

1) TV guide (тв-гид) – Friends, final episode on Channel 5 tonight (“Друзья”, финальная серия сегодня вечером на 5-м канале)
2) weather report (прогноз погоды) – Heatwave strikes Athens on Monday and Tuesday (сильная жара ударит по Афинам в понедельник и вторник)
3) gossip (слухи) – Tom Cruise is getting married again (Том Круз снова женится)
4) beauty advice (совет по красоте) – Summer hair repair secret (секрет летнего восстановления волос)!
5) horoscope (гороскоп) – Pisces get ready for a great summer (Рыбам приготовиться к отличному лету)
6) international news (международные новости) – BIG FIRES in Britain and France (Большие пожары в Британии и Франции)

• local • articles • fashion • daily • celebrity • interview

1) There’s an __ with Brad Pitt in today’s newspaper.
2) I find __ gossip very boring.
3) Our teacher is on the __ news for saving a student’s life.
4) I’m interested in __ about the environment.
5) The only thing we watch on TV is the __ news.
6) Find out everything about the latest summer trends in our __ section.

1) There’s an interview with Brad Pitt in today’s newspaper. – В сегодняшней газете есть интервью с Брэдом Питтом.
2) I find celebrity gossip very boring. – Я нахожу слухи о знаменитостях очень скучными.
3) Our teacher is on the local news for saving a student’s life. – Наш учитель попал в местные новости за спасение жизни студента.
4) I’m interested in articles about the environment. – Мне интересны статьи об окружающей среде.
5) The only thing we watch on TV is the daily news. – Единственная вещь, которую мы смотрим по ТВ, – это ежедневные новости.
6) Find out everything about the latest summer trends in our fashion section. – В нашем разделе моды вы найдете все о самых последних летней трендах.

Exercise 3. Put the verbs in brackets in the past continuous.
Упражнение 3. Упoтребите глаголы из скобок в прошедшем продолженном времени.

1)
A: What (you / do) last night at 7:00 pm?
В: I (chat) on the Internet with my friends.

2)
A: What (your parents/do) at 5:30 pm yesterday?
B: They (cook) dinner.

3)
A: (your sister / sleep) at 8:00 am this morning?
B: No, she (not/sleep). She (take) a shower.

1)
A: What were you doing last night at 7:00 pm? – Что вы делали прошлым вечером в 7 часов?
В: I was chatting on the Internet with my friends. – Я болтал по интернету со своими друзьями.

2)
A: What were your parents doing at 5:30 pm yesterday? – Что делали ваши родители в 5.30 вчера?
B: They were cooking dinner. – Они готовили ужин.

3)
A: Was your sister sleeping at 8:00 am this morning? – Сегодня утром в 8 часов твоя сестра спала?
B: No, she was not sleeping. She was taking a shower. – Нет, она не спала. Она принимала душ.

Exercise 4. What were the following people doing at 3:00 pm yesterday afternoon? Ask and answer questions. Use the verbs.
Упражнение 4. Что делали эти люди в три часа дня вчера? Задайте вопросы и дайте ответы. Первый пример уже дан.

1) Abigail / watch TV
A: Was Abigail watching TV yesterday at 3:00?
B: No, she wasn’t watching TV. She was listening to music.

2) Derek / walk the dog
3) Bob / cook a meal
4) Teresa & Аl / sleep

1) Abigail (Абигейл) / watch TV (смотреть телевизор)
A: Was Abigail watching TV yesterday at 3:00 (Абигейл смотрела телевизор вчера в 3 часа)?
B: No, she wasn’t watching TV (Нет, она не смотрела телевизор). She was listening to music (Она слушала музыку).

2) Derek (Дерек) / walk the dog (выгуливать собаку)
A: Was Derek walking the dog yesterday at 3:00 (Дерек выгуливал собаку вчера в 3 часа)?
B: No, he wasn’t walking the dog (Нет, он не выгуливал собаку). He was sending an e-mail (Он посылал электронное письмо).

3) Bob (Боб) / cook a meal (готовить еду)
A: Was Bob cooking a meal yesterday at 3:00 (Боб готовил еду вчера в 3 часа)?
B: No, he wasn’t cooking a meal (Нет, он не готовил еду). He was talking on his mobile phone (Он говорил по мобильному телефону).

4) Teresa & Аl (Тереза и Эл) / sleep (спать)
A: Were Teresa and Al sleeping yesterday at 3:00 (Тереза и Эл вчера спали в 3 часа)?
B: No, they weren’t sleeping (Нет, они не спали). They were reading a book (Они читали книгу).