When I briefly desribe what I did yesterday I should say I played and watched there is no need to say I was playing and watching right? Yet When I say I read a book yesterday it means that I read everything? what if I want to say that I read just a little?
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"what if I want to say that I read just a little?" — Just say "I was reading a book", as that just implies that you engaged in reading for an unspecified time, but not that you read the entire book. – ralph.m Dec 18 '23 at 21:55
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I read a book for a while. I read a few chapters of a book. – Lambie Dec 18 '23 at 22:25
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1Does this answer your question? Does the sentence "I read a book yesterday " mean that the book was finished? – Andy Bonner Dec 18 '23 at 23:06
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See also https://ell.stackexchange.com/q/306007/138287 and https://ell.stackexchange.com/q/306087/138287 – Andy Bonner Dec 18 '23 at 23:10
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Context helps. You should assume that your listener wants to understand you.
If you say "I read a book", it doesn't imply that you read the whole book. Books are quite long and you don't normally finish them in one session.
But if you say "I ate an apple" you would assume you did finish it, because apples are quite small and you normally eat them completely.
So use the past tense confidently. There is no need to say "I was reading" just because you didn't read the whole book in one go.
James K
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I read a book (last week). is not the whole book? I read a few chapters in a book. – Lambie Dec 18 '23 at 22:25
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It might be the whole book. Are you a keen reader? It doesn't have to mean "a whole book from start to end". It is sufficiently ambiguous, without context. – James K Dec 19 '23 at 00:27
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I think context matters. I think to make it mean "a whole book" requires qualification of other context. – James K Dec 20 '23 at 00:31
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1compare "read a book" to things like: "make a cake". Yes, context always matters. – Lambie Dec 20 '23 at 14:00