What on earth was i doing vs What was i doing

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different tones. 'What on earth was I doing?' is an expression of surprise or disbelief, emphasizing the speaker's confusion or shock. 'What was I doing?' is a more straightforward question seeking information about past actions.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 706 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used to express surprise or disbelief about past actions.

"What on earth was i doing"

This phrase is used to emphasize confusion or shock about one's past actions. It conveys a sense of disbelief or surprise.

Examples:

What on earth was I doing when I agreed to that ridiculous plan?
What on earth was I doing up at 3 a.m. watching old movies?
What on earth was I doing wearing mismatched socks to the important meeting?

Show examples from the web [+]

Feb 22, 2016 ... What on earth was I doing with my days? “If God has come in the flesh, and if God keeps coming to us in our fleshly existence, then all of life is ...
What on earth was I doing? Up till then, I was letting life happen to me, and living on autopilot. So right then and there, I decided that I would start creating the life ...
Dec 11, 2015 ... 'Do all my friends hate me?' 'What on earth was I doing with that guy?' feeling that you get the next day if you really overdid it the night before.
Jan 1, 2015 ... Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.......if it WAS me, what on earth was I doing.....? I must be in a worse state than I thought...... x. 0 votes Report Share reply ...

Alternatives:

What in the world was I doing
What the heck was I doing
What in heaven's name was I doing
What in tarnation was I doing
What in blazes was I doing

This phrase is correct and commonly used to ask about past actions without emphasizing surprise or disbelief.

"What was i doing"

This phrase is a straightforward question seeking information about one's past actions. It is used to inquire about the activities or behaviors one was engaged in.

Examples:

What was I doing when you called me?
What was I doing at this time last year?
What was I doing in the kitchen for so long?
What was I doing wrong that made you upset?
What was I doing that made you laugh so hard?

Show examples from the web [+]

What Was I Doing Again? Share. eating,fridge,Pie Chart,thinking. By Unknown. Repost. Create a Site. -; Vote; -. Recaption · Comments · eating · fridge · Pie ...
uhhhhh what was i doing again? June 23, 2010 ·. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .
Mar 2, 2016 ... What was I doing? Oh. Right; Food. The war was going well for us but as all things do, it was coming to end. They were burrowed into deeper ...
6 days ago ... So What Was I Doing In Miami? | March Mayhem Days 14 & 15. Marnie Goldberg . SubscribeSubscribedUnsubscribe 67,90867K. Loading.

Alternatives:

What were you doing
What did I do
What have I done
What action did I take
What was happening

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What on earth was i doing vs What was i doing