It rained heavily vs it was raining heavily

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'It rained heavily' is used to describe a past event of heavy rain, while 'It was raining heavily' is used to describe an ongoing action of heavy rain in the past. The choice between them depends on whether you want to emphasize the event itself or the continuous nature of the rain.

Last updated: April 11, 2024 • 607 views

It rained heavily

This phrase is correct and commonly used to describe a past event of heavy rain.

This phrase is used to describe a specific instance of heavy rain that occurred in the past.

Examples:

Yesterday, it rained heavily, causing flooding in the streets.
During the storm, it rained heavily for hours on end.

Show examples from the web [+]

Feb 15, 2019 ... “It rained heavily last night” is simple past; the action took place at a distinct point in time and is finished. “It was raining heavily last ...
It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp ...
Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example: I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during ...
Mar 6, 2017 ... Which sentence is punctuated correctly? It rained heavily during the afternoon but we managed, to have our pi… Get the answers you need, ...

Alternatives:

It poured heavily
There was a heavy downpour
It was a torrential rain
The rain was intense
It came down in buckets

it was raining heavily

This phrase is correct and commonly used to describe an ongoing action of heavy rain in the past.

This phrase is used to describe a continuous period of heavy rain that was happening in the past.

Examples:

When we arrived, it was raining heavily, so we had to wait in the car.
Throughout the night, it was raining heavily, keeping us awake.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: October 29, 2024

May 14, 2022 ... I thought of day when it was pouring down outside, and I thought “it was raining heavily”, like I was telling a story to myself. That ...
Oct 13, 2024 ... Last night it was raining heavily here in Ohio, the FSD was warning me that FSD may not work the best because of weather conditions.
Jul 26, 2024 ... Indeed it was raining heavily. Now when metal has made it to the Olympics with Gojira, here's a throwback to 2005 World Athletics ...
Mar 7, 2024 ... It was raining heavily at 6:15am when I traveled from Digby to Centreville. There were a few areas where the rain had collected on the road, ...
Dec 15, 2020 ... It was raining heavily, our feet were sinking in mud, it was hot,sticky and sweaty! What a deadly combination 😂A lot of running had to be done, slipping and ...
Jul 21, 2021 ... 3) It was raining heavily for the past week. 4) It was raining heavily for the last week. Which one(s) is (are) correct? What is the ...
Sep 11, 2024 ... 29th August - it was raining heavily but the baarish was no match for the n number of friends and fellow writers who poured in in large numbers to celebrate me ...
Apr 19, 2019 ... When I woke up last night, it was raining heavily. This means that it was still raining (drip, drip, drip) when you woke up.
Which sentence is grammatically correct, “It rained heavily last night.” or “It was raining heavily last night.”? Both are correct. The first we might say ...
Oct 22, 2018 ... ... it was raining heavily last night. “I didn't go to the outdoor event because it was raining heavily last night” would be an example of that ...

Alternatives:

The rain was coming down hard
It was a heavy rainfall
The downpour was intense
Rain was pouring heavily
It was a deluge

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