homeless, hungry people were standing / stood in line for food.

[Boris Tatarenko]

It's not a homework.

Beyond Prairie Avenue, where the Glessner house was located, were the factories, the railroad yeards and the slaughethouses of a great industrial city. Beyond, too, were the neighborhoods where homeless, hungry people were standing in line for food. For many times were hard in December 1893.

It's an extract from my exercise book. I need to put a word "stand" into the gap. I put "were standing" but I think "stood" is also correct. Am I right?
Thanks

 

[bhaisahab]

It's not a homework.

Beyond Prairie Avenue, where the Glessner house was located, were the factories, the railroad yeards and the slaughethouses of a great industrial city. Beyond, too, were the neighborhoods where homeless, hungry people were standing in line for food. For many times were hard in December 1893.

It's an extract from my exercise book. I need to put a word "stand" into the gap. I put "were standing" but I think "stood" is also correct. Am I right?
Thanks

Yes "stood" is correct, too. There should be a comma after "For many".

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Thanks for you reply.
I'd be grateful if you exaplain to me why the comma is required. Just out of interest.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I guess "For many" means "For many people", so a comma is needed.
Not a teacher.

 

[5jj]

I guess "For many" means "For many people", so a comma is needed.

Even if we add the word 'people', a comma is till desirable. When we begin a sentence with a subordinate clause or adverbial phrase, we usually follow it with a comma.

 

[Rover_KE]

As has been said, 'People were standing in line' and 'People stood in line' are both correct.

However, you'll hear many native speakers incorrectly say 'People were stood in line'.

Similarly, 'People were sitting in rows' and 'People sat in rows' are correct, but 'People were sat in rows' is wrong.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Thanks for you reply.
I'd be grateful if you exaplain to me why the comma is required. Just out of interest.

The comma is important there to stop readers from stumbling. One could read "many" as an adjective describing "times". [For many times] is a big difference from [For many, times].

 

[tzfujimino]

One could read "many" as an adjective describing "times". [For many times] is a big difference from [For many, times].

I did, at first glance.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I did, at first glance.

So did I.