TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

was sat vs was sitting

Both "was sat" and "was sitting" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Was sitting" is the more common and versatile choice, indicating an ongoing action in the past. On the other hand, "was sat" is less common and usually implies someone else placed the person in a seated position.

Last updated: March 08, 2024 • 935 views

was sat

This phrase is correct but less common in English. It implies that someone else placed the person in a seated position.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone was placed in a seated position by someone else in the past.

Examples:

He was sat down by his mother before the meeting started.
The children were sat at the table by the teacher.

Show examples from the web [+]

Feb 8, 2012 ... Is the dialect expression “He was sat ...” in place of “He was sitting ...”, which is quite common in the UK, also found in US English? When I first ...
Dec 31, 2007 ... I hear so many British saying I was sat waiting for an hour or I was stood in the rain. Isn't that grammatically wrong? Shouldn't it be: I was ...
Oct 3, 2012 ... so why, oh why do many people say 'I was sat' or 'we're stood'? The answer's not clear, but my research shows that this usage (which used to ...
I have observed that English people may say «was sat» in place of «was sitting». It appears to be a northern English idiom. In my opinion, it is used for humorous ...

Alternatives:

was seated
was placed in a chair
was made to sit
was positioned in a seat
was settled in a chair

was sitting

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate an ongoing action in the past.

This phrase is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past.

Examples:

She was sitting on the bench when I arrived.
I was sitting in the park when it started to rain.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jan 30, 2014 ... But, in the second sentence he was sitting normally like any other person with/ without any compulsion. – hellodear Jan 30 '14 at 16:45 ...
Dec 31, 2007 ... Shouldn't it be: I was sitting..., I was standing...? I have even heard broadcasters on the BBC use this seemingly incorrect form! Is there some ...
I was sitting you were sitting he was sitting we were sitting you were sitting they were sitting. Pluperfect. I had been sitting you had been sitting he had been ...
Oct 3, 2012 ... I sit, I sat, sitting, sat, I am (or I'm) sitting, I was sitting. I stand, I stood, standing, stood, I am (or I'm) standing, I was standing. I jump, I jumped ...

Alternatives:

was seated
was in a sitting position
was occupying a seat
was placed in a chair
was settled in a chair

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!