I listened attentively

[dany]

Test No. incompl/elem-4 "Listen/Hear", question 2

I ......... attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

(a) heard
(b) listened
(c) was hearing
(d) was listen

Test No. incompl/elem-4 "Listen/Hear", answer 2

I listened attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

Correct answer: (b) listened

Your answer was: incorrect
I was listen attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.
_________________________

when can i use the pass simple and imperfect one?

[Torsten]

Hi Dany,

The option you chose is wrong because the combination I was listen doesn't exist in the English language.
In the given context you clearly have to choose I listened - as you know that's Simple Past which we use to describe an action that took place once or several times in the past.
For more information on how to use the tenses you can study the information in grammar book or English course book - there you will find plenty of examples. Also, if you read texts in English and take some time analyzing the structure and use of the tenses you will find that's really rather simple. There are quite a limited number of possible combinations - most of the patterns occur over and over again. It helps tremendously if you read some sample sentences out loud several times in a row. That's much more effective than trying to cram all the grammar rules into your head.

TOEIC listening, talks: Announcing the retirement of a company's president

[appu]

hey,
i think i can help a bit on this. we can genaralize the differnt tenses in past tense as:

simple past: subject + past form of the verb

past continuous: subject + was/were + ing form of the verb

past perfect: subject + had + past perfect form of the verb

past perfect continuous: subject + had + been + ing form of the verb

hope this clarifies your doubt on the structure of the tense.

[Guest]

hey,
the above generalisation works only for active voice and it's different for the passive voice.
the generalisation really works when you are in doubt the structure of a sentence.

good luck..

[Rishi070]

Hi,
Hearing is a natural phenomenon when ear receives information effortlessly whereas,
listening is a process when brain is put to conceive it. it means, listening is hearing attentively.

Then why the answer 'listened' is followed by 'attentively'?

[Torsten]

The combination "to hear attentively" is usually not used in English because you can't "receive sound attentively". When you hear something, you don't need to do anything because you are "at the receiving end". Why you listen to something you try to understand what is being said so you are making an effort. That's why the expression to listen attentively makes sense while to hear attentively doesn't.

Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, photographs: In the garden

[Rishi070]

Thanks a lot for the answer.

Since 'hearing' is a voluntary process we don't hear attentively. Contrary to this, when we pay our heed, we start listening. So, 'listen attentively' is correct.

Got it. thanks.(':D')

[Maxisol]

Thank you so much all you guys for helping :-) . Marisol

[Kfmridula]

Thank you.Now it is clear to me where I can use listen and where hear.

[Hoalucbinh]

hi,teacher
listen : mean we have an intension
hear : mean we don't have an intension
are they right?

[Pmanassord]

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[Mister Micawber]

As Torsten has already said above, 'listen' is a planned, intended activity. 'Listening' means we are consciously paying attention to the sound; we initiate the effort to listen to a sound. 'Hear' is a reflex action; hearing comes upon us, we do not initiate it. We simply can or cannot hear something-- it depends on outside sources (the sound is too low to hear, for example).

In this test question, the word 'attentively', as well as the context (a student at a lecture), makes it clear that 'listened' is the appropriate choice.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Hellofriend]

Hi Mr Torsten,

I listened attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

In above sentence instead of simple past can we use past continuous ?

I was listening attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

Is this correct?

[Imyobi1983]

Test No. incompl/elem-4 "Listen/Hear", question 2

Hi Teacher,
Why can't chose was hearing
Can you tell me how to use past veb+ing? thank you!

correct sentence:
I listened attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

Correct answer: (b) listened

Your answer was: incorrect
your sentence:
I was hearing attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.

Eva

[Tymchuksvet]

I am eager to know, why is it incorrect: I was listening attentively to the lecture on philosophy but I still didn't understand much of it.