Making vs. made

[rully]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #117 "Past Tenses", question 6

Quite honestly all I was doing was simply ......... polite conversation.

(a) made
(b) making
(c) having made
(d) makes

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #117 "Past Tenses", answer 6

Quite honestly all I was doing was simply making polite conversation.

Correct answer: (b) making

Your answer was: incorrect
Quite honestly all I was doing was simply made polite conversation.
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can you explain more why making??

rully

[Alan]

Hi rully,

The reason why I chose making is that this is a continuation of the first part of the sentence: all I was doing and as a result you say: (I was) simply making.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Don't bank on it

[Sunchild]

'making' is the present participle of 'make', meaning it is what is taking place now in your sentence.

'made' is past tense for 'make', meaning it is something already happened. ('I made conversation'.)

'making' is the same tense as the first verb (doing).