Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

A question in my English contest.

ZZ go go go
ZZ go go go Posts: 98
edited April 2008 in Fun, Jokes & Captions
In this experiment,the students studied were stopped several times during the listening test and asked to report what they______during the pause before answering the questions.

A.had just been thinking about
B.have just been thinking about
C.are just thinking about
D.had just thought about


My Charlton fellows ,which one is the right answer?
«1

Comments

  • WSS
    WSS Posts: 25,070
    I'd say A but i really am not 100% sure!
  • LoOkOuT
    LoOkOuT Posts: 10,853
    A
  • Glass half empty
    Glass half empty Posts: 2,084
    7 ?
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    Unless it's D, then it's definitely A :-)
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,204
    if it is a listening test wouldn't it be

    "Had just been listening to"

    Otherwise I would said "I've had a great time so I'm going to take the money"
  • ZZ go go go
    ZZ go go go Posts: 98
    Thanks
  • C_f_W
    C_f_W Posts: 1,433
    A

    had = third person (they, not I)
    just been = past present tense (which is not as far back as past tense)

    I'm sure someone can explain it better, but definitely A
  • TEL
    TEL Posts: 10,100
    D
  • AFKABartram
    AFKABartram Posts: 57,820
    Jimmymelrose will be getting all excited when he sees this thread !
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    B or D. B would be better in my opinion.
  • Sponsored links:



  • The Equaliser
    The Equaliser Posts: 758
    I thought it was B.
  • Brunello
    Brunello Posts: 1,950
    I think they are all right
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,204
    It's B. Anyone who says anything else isn't a real Englishman. I've been speaking English for over 40 years so I know : -)
  • addick1965
    addick1965 Posts: 5,092
    D
  • Dippenhall
    Dippenhall Posts: 3,918
    I think it is A if the student had stopped thinking when asked to report but it is B if the student is still thinking when interrupted and asked to report. The thinking was during a pause which preceded the answering of the question so he had stopped thinking when asked to report so it is A. On the other hand it could be B.
  • Heath Hero
    Heath Hero Posts: 1,520
    Matt Holland?
  • nolly
    nolly Posts: 12,122
    d,my english is excellent so go with me.
  • Dippenhall
    Dippenhall Posts: 3,918
    On second thoughts
    A = past action of continuous thinking has been completed
    B = past action of continuous thinking has indeterminate completion
    C = past action of continuous thinking ongoing
    D = past action of having a thought complete

    It could be D but still think its A. Don't you pity people trying to learn our odd language.
  • Addickted
    Addickted Posts: 19,456
    Bloody hell, that would confuse a couple of people I know with English degrees.

    Theoretically none of them are incorrect, depending on the context. However my vote would go with A.
  • paulbaconsarnie
    paulbaconsarnie Posts: 9,423
    i vote b.
    but i aint the bestest at englandish.
  • Sponsored links:



  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,344
    I'm in the middle of an english degree and i don't know... Agree with addickted. If I had to guess I'd most certainly go with A.
  • Czech_Addick
    Czech_Addick Posts: 997
    The correct answer is A although it would be better without the "just", i.e. "what they had been thinking about during the pause".
  • Weegie Addick
    Weegie Addick Posts: 16,516
    A and D are both correct, though mean slightly different things - A is more general 'I was thinking about whether or not Charlton would ever get back into the Premiership and qualify for Europe.' Whereas B is about individual thoughts: 'I thought about Charlton then I thought about the Premiership then I thought about Europe.'

    The sentence is already in the past tense, so I think B and C are gramatically wrong.
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    edited April 2008
    [cite]Posted By: Weegie Addick[/cite]A and D are both correct, though mean slightly different things - A is more general 'I was thinking about whether or not Charlton would ever get back into the Premiership and qualify for Europe.' Whereas B is about individual thoughts: 'I thought about Charlton then I thought about the Premiership then I thought about Europe.'

    The sentence is already in the past tense, so I think B and C are gramatically wrong.

    You're Scottish what do you know? :-)
  • Weegie Addick
    Weegie Addick Posts: 16,516
    Grew up in Belvedere, Len - and if I can manage to spell that...;-)
  • nolly
    nolly Posts: 12,122
    the best line of braveheart,was when the king said the problem with scotland is its full of scots,great line
  • Salad
    Salad Posts: 10,189
    Along the same lines, Mark E. Smith once said that Londoners are fine, it is the people who live in London who are tossers
  • nolly
    nolly Posts: 12,122
    good one salad,and so true
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,204
    [cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]Along the same lines, Mark E. Smith once said that Londoners are fine, it is the people who live in London who are tossers

    What does he know? WORST GROUP EVER! Maybe even worse than Queen and that is saying something.
  • nolly
    nolly Posts: 12,122
    who is mark smith?

Categories

“Marketplace”