it began to get dark vs it was beginning to get dark

Both phrases are correct. However, they differ a bit in terms of tense and emphasis. 'It began to get dark' is in the simple past tense and indicates a specific point in time when darkness started to set in. 'It was beginning to get dark' is in the past continuous tense and suggests a more gradual process of darkness falling. The choice between the two phrases depends on the context and the specific nuance the speaker would like to convey.

Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: January 19, 2025 • 7320 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"it began to get dark"

This phrase is used to indicate the moment when darkness started to set in. It is in the simple past tense.

Examples:

As we walked through the forest, it began to get dark.
After the sun set, it began to get dark quickly.
It began to get dark earlier than usual that evening.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 26, 2024

Oct 1, 2024 ... I didn't even give them a clear time to come back to the room, simply that they should make their way back when it began to get dark. When ...
Aug 24, 2023 ... We stumbled along until it began to get dark. We should have reached Timberline Lodge hours earlier. We were lost. I was the only one who ...
Nov 27, 2018 ... It began to get dark, and my window of time for a Target run was closing, so I was hurriedly packing up the gear necessary to get an infant ...
Oct 15, 2023 ... It began to get dark out, and I seemed to get hotter by the minute. It felt like I was melting. We heard over the loudspeaker that our train ...
When it began to get dark, hyaenas appeared all around and he descended the tree and began an extended face off! It was clear how he felt about the ...
Jul 11, 2021 ... When it began to get dark, I decided to take the box down, as it was getting cold and the parents did not seem to be returning, and there ...
Oct 19, 2019 ... It began to get dark. Not dark dark, but the dark of the woods before sun set. I kept thinking about the weird vibe dude and those tunnels ...
As we continued walking in silence,it began to get dark. It was going to be a cold & windy night.Finally Ratty began,"The thing that gets me is that Wally ...
The snow was quite deep that winter and the daylight was short. We stayed longer than we had planned, and it began to get dark before we finished making our ...
It soon became clear that the best time to watch films outdoors was during the evening when the sun went down and it began to get dark. As an added bonus ...

Alternatives:

it started to get dark
darkness began to fall
nightfall began
the light faded
dusk approached

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"it was beginning to get dark"

This phrase is used to describe a gradual process of darkness falling. It is in the past continuous tense.

Examples:

As we sat outside, it was beginning to get dark.
At that time of year, it was beginning to get dark by 4 p.m.
The room was dimly lit as it was beginning to get dark outside.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 26, 2024

Oct 10, 2014 ... Since it was beginning to get dark I couldn't immediately put my finger on what the difference was but I had that uneasy feeling that I ...
Nov 15, 2021 ... There was no way for me to contact the motherboard for help and it was beginning to get dark out. So, I decided to come up with a plan to ...
Jan 4, 2009 ... ... it was beginning to get dark. It took me 15 minutes to get back down to the feeding mantas and I was worried that I had missed my chance to ...
Jun 27, 2023 ... Tonight, he was out on the chair as it was beginning to get dark. Long after the other birds left for the day. I keep telling him that his ...
Oct 3, 2019 ... Photo by Callie Broaddus. It was beginning to get dark when we left the release site and we knew we still had work to ...
It was beginning to get dark, and the siblings were still not home yet, making them worry about their dad's reaction. They struggled to ride their bikes uphill.
Apr 19, 2020 ... ... it was beginning to get dark again…” That evening, John tells us, there were disciples gathered together in a room. John uses the word ...
When I got to the village square it was beginning to get dark. The candles were lit, and several statues of the Gods stood at the entrance of the square. I ...
Anyway I really liked these last couple of looks that we got after the sun had actually set and it was beginning to get dark outside. All of the sudden, a ...
Oct 4, 2017 ... The Bigfoot 120 had started a few hours ago, and it was beginning to get dark. Lead runners would be approaching the Lewis River Aid Station ...

Alternatives:

it was starting to get dark
darkness was setting in
nightfall was approaching
the light was fading
dusk was descending

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it began to get dark vs it was beginning to get dark

"it began to get dark"

"it was beginning to get dark"

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