〜てました

Was doing...

1. Overview

"〜てました" is the colloquial contraction of "〜ていました", expressing an action or state that was in progress at some point in the past. It is frequently used in spoken language to emphasize that an action was happening over a period of time in the past.

2. Structure

• Verb (て-form) + ました
  • The verb is in its て-form, followed by "ました", indicating a past continuous action or state.

3. Usage Explanation

"〜てました" is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing in the past, often narrating an event or situation. It conveys a sense of continuity or repetition of an action over time. It differs from the simple past "〜ました", which only indicates the completion of an action in the past.

• Example: 「読んでました」 (Was reading)
• Example: 「食べてました」 (Was eating)

4. Example Sentences

• 昨日、ずっと本を読んでました。
  (Yesterday, I was reading a book the whole time.)
• さっきまで、友達と話してました。
  (I was talking to my friend just a little while ago.)

5. Key Points to Note

1. "〜てました" is the contracted form of "〜ていました" and is mostly used in casual spoken language. In formal writing or speech, it is better to use the full form "〜ていました".
2. "〜てました" emphasizes the continuity of an action or state in the past, in contrast to "〜ました", which simply indicates the action's completion in the past.

6. Similar Grammar

• 〜ていました: The full form used to indicate a continuous action or state in the past.
  • Example: 「読んでいました」 (Was reading)

7. Alternative Grammar

• 〜ていた: A casual colloquial form, similar to "〜てました", but more commonly used in male speech.
  • Example: 「読んでいた」 (Was reading)

8. Summary

• 〜てました is used to express an action that was happening over a period of time in the past and is mainly used in spoken language.
• In formal settings, use "〜ていました" to maintain politeness and formality.