help!! present continuous

[Lakstar]

Hi all,
I desperately need your help. I have a student who has stumped me with a challenging sentence.

She wrote:
First we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents.

I am sure it's saring me in the face, but please tell me what is wrong with this sentence and why????!!
Thanks

[juanron]

Hi all,
I desperately need your help. I have a student who has stumped me with a challenging sentence.

She wrote:
First we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents.

I am sure it's saring me in the face, but please tell me what is wrong with this sentence and why????!!
Thanks

The sentence have no sense.


this have sense

we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents.

[BCOMDave]

I'm no expert, but is it to do with the use if "first and "while" in the sane sentence so you have a disagreement in time?

[juanron]

I think
disagreement is between first and while

[Syl]

Hi all,
I desperately need your help. I have a student who has stumped me with a challenging sentence.

She wrote:
First we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents.

I am sure it's saring me in the face, but please tell me what is wrong with this sentence and why????!!
Thanks

The sentence have no sense.


this have sense

we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents.

Dear juanron, please use "The sentence has no sense", and "This has sense".

As for your question, Lakstar, here is my comment :)

"First we were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I opened my presents."

The word "while" asks for actions which occur at the same time, in other words, the last part should be also in the Past Progressive. The right way your pupil should write is: "We were eating cake and drinking champagne, while I was opening my presents". But remember, the Past Progressive is used to express actions that are in progress (hence its name, Progressive". I wouldn't use the word "first", if the intention is to express actions that occurred at the same time. "First" demands an action that occurred at a certain moment, and all the verbs should be in the Past Simple.

"First we ate cake and drank champagne, while I opened my presents".

I hope it helps! :)


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