"he was listening and writing" vs "he was listening and write"

Question

"he was listening and writing" vs "he was listening and write"

The correct phrase is "he was listening and writing." The verb form "writing" is the correct choice to maintain parallel structure with the gerund form of the verb "listening."

Last Updated: April 11, 2024

This phrase is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past. It indicates that the person was engaged in both listening and writing simultaneously.

Examples:

He was listening and writing at the same time during the lecture.
She was listening and writing down notes during the meeting.
They were listening and writing responses to the questions.
The students were listening and writing essays for their assignment.
I was listening and writing a report for my boss.

Alternatives:

he was listening and writing
he was listening and taking notes
he was listening and jotting down ideas
he was listening and transcribing
he was listening and recording

Answer 1

he was listening and writing

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It maintains parallel structure by using the gerund form of the verb "listening" followed by the gerund form of the verb "writing."

Answer 2

he was listening and write

This phrase is incorrect. It does not maintain parallel structure between the two actions. The verb form "write" should be in the gerund form "writing" to match with "listening."