Quote Originally Posted by Helenej View Post
I understand your explanation on “I was sitting at my desk playing” and completely agree. “Playing” here is not a part of the predicate as it was in my version, it’s participle. No questions. I was just wondering about the tense of the verb “to play”. Though I am certain now that if we didn’t mention that the boy was sitting, you would say, “I was playing a game on my phone”. Am I right?
That's correct..."I was playing a game on my phone".


Aren’t “I’ve fought” or “I’ve done” or “I’ve met” almost that short? Why don’t you use them in that sentense if they make sense”?

Well, "I've" would be the same as saying "I have fought", so to contract that wouldn't change the tone. But to omit "have" and simply use the past tense "fought" conveys the meaning without the formality of "I have fought". It's a matter of tone here, Lena. To say "I have fought" is very pretentious and exact. Very formal. Another example would be what I wrote as "I cannot go to the movie with you". To say it that way makes one's words very insistent, incontrovertible, or resolute. But in this case there is no other form to use to convey the negative...short and conversational would be "I can't go to the movie with you". Can you see the difference in tone? The latter almost leaves room to be persuaded...the former is insistent that the decision can't be changed.

Distorted? No. I meant that I would remember your correction, that I would keep the correct version in my mind.

Ah, I missed that last part of your sentence. Yes, I would use the word "set". It "sets in in your memory".