Hi Jessica, I can answer this in class. The main difference is the timeline. If you say "How long were you waiting for an answer?" In this case, the waiting is finished. The question is being asked afterward. If you say "How long have you been waiting for an answer?" the person is still waiting. They started waiting in the past and are still waiting now. The answer would not be "Not long. They decided quite quickly." Instead, we might see this answer: "For two hours!"
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
Hi Devin,
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why the below exercise applies pass continuous instead of past perfect continuous, thanks to guide.
- How long were you waiting for an answer?
- Not long. They decided quite quickly.
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI can answer this in class. The main difference is the timeline. If you say "How long were you waiting for an answer?" In this case, the waiting is finished. The question is being asked afterward. If you say "How long have you been waiting for an answer?" the person is still waiting. They started waiting in the past and are still waiting now. The answer would not be "Not long. They decided quite quickly." Instead, we might see this answer: "For two hours!"
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.