Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner1]

Hello,

1.'I tried to open the window but it was stuck.'

2.'I tried to open the window but it got stuck.'

Do 'was stuck' and 'got stuck' have the same meaning here and interchangeable?

Thank you very much.

[Anuradha Chepur]

They have the same meaning and are interchangeable.
One can also say the second one is a bit ambiguous - the window was already stuck when you tried to open it, or it got stuck when you were trying to open it.

[learner1]

Hello Anuradha,

Many thanks to you for your answer.
Could you please tell me if ''I tried to open the window but it was stuck.' means 'the window was already stuck when you tried to open it', or 'it got stuck when you were trying to open it.'?

Thank you very much.

[Anuradha Chepur]

I tried to open the window but it was stuck,
means the window was already stuck when you tried to open it.
You're welcome..

[learner1]

Hello Anuradha,

Thank you for answering my question again.
Do you think the following sentences have exactly the same meaning?
'He was robbed last night.'
'He got robbed last night.'

Thank you very much.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Yes, they have exactly the same meaning.

[learner1]

Hello Anuradha,

Thanks a lot!