Even though I <wasn't making><didn't make> much, I was glad to <be working><work>

[JJXR]

Hello to all,

Thanks for reading my post.


Source:

Mafia: The City Of Lost Heaven (a computer game).

Context:

Tom is telling detective Norman about his life before he started working for Don Salieri.

Sample sentences:

1. I used to be a taxi driver. Even though I wasn't making much and I worked from dawn to dusk, I was glad to be working.

2. I used to be a taxi driver. Even though I wasn't making much and I worked from dawn to dusk, I was glad to work.

3. I used to be a taxi driver. Even though I didn't make much and I worked from dawn to dusk, I was glad to be working.

4. I used to be a taxi driver. Even though I didn't make much and I worked from dawn to dusk, I was glad to work.

Question:

Version #1 is the original. Do the bolded tenses work in the other versions?


Thanks a lot for any comments, corrections or suggestions!

Regards,
JJXR

 

[DonnyB]

I'd accept (3).

And both (2) and (4) would work for me if you replace the final verb with a noun: "... I was glad of the work"

 

[boozer]

JJ, I see nothing grammatically wrong with your examples, except that 'to work' seems to suggest, for some reason, a one-off action, which does not seem to fit the context... But I do not know why I take it that way.

Ah, I see Donny accepts (3), the continuous. I agree, for no obvious reason. In fact, I am ashamed I cannot explain my reasons even though it is someone as advanced as you that asks a question...

 

[Glasguensis]

It’s because glad doesn’t fit well with to work. If you replaced “I was glad” with “it was good”, all four versions would work.

 

[JJXR]

Thanks for your responses, DonnyB, boozer, and Glasguensis.