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I was meeting a lot of people while I was working in London. I met a lot of people while I was working in London. What is the difference between them? I'm not sure about these sentences. How to clear them? Please, explain it easily.

Nicole
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I don't know who I am.
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2 Answers2

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I met a lot of people while I was working in London. - The focus here is on "a lot of people" and that's what you'd say normally now that you don't live there anymore.

I was meeting a lot of people while I was working in London. - You wouldn't say "I was meeting" unless you add something more such as, everyday or every weekend to it. The emphasis is on the frequency of meetings. Past continuous is used to refer to the continuity or frequency of an action.

Sankarane
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  • "I was meeting..." would only be used when being mildly racist, satirising the speech of an Indian visitor. – Laurence Feb 21 '16 at 19:25
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Sankarane is right. To provide the first clause a sense of continuity you may write "I HAPPENED TO MEET/ I USED TO MEET" but cannot make it past continuous as well.

Barid Baran Acharya
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