play or playing? - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Cook (2000) defined language play as playing with words and meanings, playing in language and creating fictional words, and playing with pragmatics, which entails enjoyment with language.
Is it idiomatic to say "I just played" or "I was just playing" in ...
Jan 9, 2025 · I was playing hockey. You could use it as a way to say "No" when invited to play a game or a match or something similar. For example: Want to play a game of chess? I just played. Give me …
Difference between "play your cards right" and "on the right track"
Oct 16, 2024 · These idioms are also metaphors. A game of cards can be won if you play it "right" (right=well) because your hand is good, but if you make a mistake, you will lose the game. A track is …
"Play" or "playing" – which one is correct and why?
Sep 4, 2014 · Both "play" and "playing" is correct here. People often see him (who is) playing basketball on the playground at the weekend. People often see him (who) play basketball on the playground at …
"wasn't playing" vs "didn't play" - English Language Learners Stack ...
Oct 4, 2025 · wasn't playing didn't play isn't playing doesn't play I would like to understand the difference between options 1 and 2: Although she WASN'T PLAYING very well, Rose won the match in three …
"He used to play football but he doesn't play anymore" OR "but he …
Oct 13, 2024 · He isn't playing football anymore. Also in US English, any more (two words) is used as a determiner to refer to quantities. There aren't any more cheesburgers. In UK English, anymore is …
He was playing for two hours or he had been playing for two hours
Jan 28, 2023 · He had been playing for two hours. In the absence of any mention of such a subsequent event, this use of a past perfect continuous construction would be at best unusual, and arguably …
prepositions - "playing with balls" vs. "playing balls" - English ...
May 20, 2019 · Also note that even if you do explicitly use with, the meaning could be ambiguous. It can either mean playing alongside someone (John and Mary played bridge with Martha and James) or it …
meaning - What difference is between playing with someone and …
Feb 7, 2024 · Played myself in scrabble. I won! What is the difference between playing with someone and playing someone? What if someone is replaced with the speaker themselves? Is the sentence in …
Is it grammatically correct to say 'to play computer'?
Apr 27, 2015 · You may play computer games, or play games (or music or videos) on your computer, but to play a/the computer means either to play a game with the computer as your opponent, like …