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they expected vs they were expecting

Both 'they expected' and 'they were expecting' are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'They expected' is used to simply state a past expectation, while 'they were expecting' emphasizes the ongoing nature of the expectation in the past.

Last updated: March 26, 2024 • 3861 views

they expected

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to state a past expectation.

This phrase is used to simply state that someone had an expectation in the past.

Examples:

They expected the package to arrive yesterday.
She expected him to call her back.

Show examples from the web [+]

I just did what they expected, a male architect with a female secretary.
What they expected was for our world to be destroyed.
That's exactly what they expected.
He went out and tried as hard as he could to give his family what they expected from him.
Sounds like we've been more trouble than they expected.
Both my parents were successful entrepreneurs, and they expected... no, they demanded the same from their only child.
The group provided the Commissioners with hundreds of well-researched questions, for which they expected answers.
Alone in the forest, they didn't know what to expect, And least of all they expected giant butterflies.
As they came home, many here to SlovaKia, they expected to be able to return to the lives they had led before the war.
And they expected that it would be young families, or young men, just like it had always been.
Some of the US producers included in the sample claimed that in the case of imposition of definitive anti-dumping measures, they expected to obtain their individual duty margin.
All the things they expected of her... but filled her with so much fear she couldn't even dream about them!
As regards the EUR 10 million short-term loan, the Cypriot authorities explained that they expected to sell the evening LHR slot for a high price and therefore the granting of the loan would not be necessary.
You're not who they expected, and I -
They expected us to look like the photos in the museum
In the good old days, when our parents would educate us, they expected total obedience.
I knew it was serious work going on and they expected from me to work in the sweat of my brow.
So, this actually became very clear to me with the March 30, 2005 Powerball drawing, where, you know, they expected, based on the number of ticket sales they had, to have three or four second-place winners -
Ended much more realistic than they expected.
You did what they expected you to do.

Alternatives:

they anticipated
they foresaw
they thought

they were expecting

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to emphasize an ongoing expectation in the past.

This phrase is used to highlight that someone was in the state of expecting something in the past.

Examples:

They were expecting a big turnout at the event.
She was expecting a promotion at work.

Show examples from the web [+]

Mom, I think they were expecting something a little less formal.
I think they were expecting a nominee - with a little more name recognition.
She was definitely not what they were expecting.
And of course they were expecting me to be, like, wetting my pants or something.
Saying science fiction, I think they were expecting violence, horror.
They were expecting a gun battle, but no shots were fired.
The city was Dutch then and they were expecting an attack from the English in New England so they built a wall for protection but the bids from the private contractors were too high, so the people built it themselves.
Stepmother told Uniform they were expecting him back for it.
People just got the nothing big they were expecting.
I told you they were expecting this.
After all, they were expecting Baran.
It would be terrible if they were expecting him.
Said they were expecting three more.
Steve Culley and Fran Redmond recently announced they were expecting.
He left her in the lurch right after they found out they were expecting.
He left her in the lurch right after they found out they were expecting.
Why didn't Michelson and Morley's experiment reveal the result they were expecting?
So, for the meeting, Dad cut eight lemons, but Adam didn't think that was enough because people tend to really like iced tea, and they were expecting 14 people;
They were expecting to be protected.
Same time they were expecting the kidnappers to call back.

Alternatives:

they were anticipating
they were looking forward to
they were counting on

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