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they smelled vs they were smelling

Both "they smelled" and "they were smelling" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "They smelled" is the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past. On the other hand, "they were smelling" is the past continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action in the past. The choice between the two depends on whether you want to convey a completed action or an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

Last updated: March 08, 2024

they smelled

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This is the simple past tense of the verb "smell," indicating a completed action in the past. It is used to describe a past event that has already finished.

Examples:

They smelled the flowers in the garden.
She smelled the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread.
He smelled the smoke before he saw the fire.
The dog smelled the treat and wagged its tail.
I smelled the scent of her perfume as she walked by.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jul 27, 2014 ... I Thought They Smelled Bad on the Outside. A show about whatever we feel like talking about. Sunday, July 27, 2014. We've Moved! We've got ...
Aug 2, 2012 ... How Advertisers Convinced Americans They Smelled Bad. A schoolgirl and a former traveling Bible salesman helped turn deodorants and ...
I Thought They Smelled Bad on the Outside is on Facebook. To connect with I Thought They Smelled Bad on the Outside, sign up for Facebook today.
I was considering becoming a surgeon but I decided not to because I know that after getting into each patient I'd say, “I thought they smelled bad, on the outside!”.

Alternatives:

they sensed
they perceived
they detected
they noticed
they sniffed

they were smelling

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This is the past continuous tense of the verb "smell," indicating an ongoing action in the past. It is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

Examples:

They were smelling the flowers when I arrived.
She was smelling the different perfumes at the store.
He was smelling the food cooking in the kitchen.
The dog was smelling the ground for a scent.
I was smelling the fresh air after the rain.

Show examples from the web [+]

PAST CONINUOUS. I was smelling, we were smelling. you were smelling, you were smelling. he was smelling, they were smelling ...
they were smelling. Pluperfect I had been smelling you had been smelling he had been smelling we had been smelling you had been smelling they had been ...
Past continuous. I was smelling you were smelling he/she/it was smelling we were smelling you were smelling they were smelling, Past perfect. I had smelled
Past continuous. I was smelling you were smelling he/she/it was smelling we were smelling you were smelling they were smelling ...

Alternatives:

they were sniffing
they were detecting
they were perceiving
they were noticing
they were sensing

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