<I've been playing> <I played> tennis with my friend.

[Marika33]

As you come into your house, your husband/wife asks you, "Where were you? I needed you to help me".
Is it necessary to use the past continuous in the answer?
"I was working in the garden".
"I was playing tennis with my friend".
Can you just say?
"I worked in the garden".
"I played tennis with my friend".

As you come into your house, your husband/wife asks you, "Where have you been? I needed you to help me".
Is it necessary to use the present perfect in the answer?
"I've been working in the garden".
"I've been playing tennis with my friend".
Can you just say?
"I worked in the garden".
"I played tennis with my friend".

 

[Piscean]

As you come into your house, your husband/wife asks you, "Where were you? I needed you to help me".
Is it necessary to use the past continuous in the answer?
"I was working in the garden".
"I was playing tennis with my friend".

Those forms are natural. However, present perfect progressive forms are also possible.

Can you just say?
"I worked in the garden".
"I played tennis with my friend".

In this context, those are not.

As you come into your house, your husband/wife asks you, "Where have you been? I needed you to help me".
Is it necessary to use the present perfect in the answer?
"I've been working in the garden".
"I've been playing tennis with my friend".

Those forms are natural. However, past progressive forms are also possible.

Can you just say?
"I worked in the garden".
"I played tennis with my friend".

In this context, those forms are not.

 

[Marika33]

Thank you very much, Piscean. I didn't know that I can switch between the past continuos and the present perfect continuous in those.

• A: Where were you? I called you several times.
  B1: I was playing tennis with my friend.
  B2: I've been playing tennis with my friend.
  B3: I played tennis with my friend.
  
  
• A: Where have you been? I've been looking for you.
  B4: I've been playing tennis with my friend.
  B5: I was playing tennis with my friend.
  B6: I played tennis with my friend.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much, Piscean. I didn't know that I can switch between the past continuos and the present perfect continuous in those.

• A: Where were you? I called you several times.
  B1: I was playing tennis with my friend.
  B2: I've been playing tennis with my friend.
  B3: I played tennis with my friend.
  
  
• A: Where have you been? I've been looking for you.
  B4: I've been playing tennis with my friend.
  B5: I was playing tennis with my friend.
  B6: I played tennis with my friend.

Note that I relabelled B's six sentences so we can tell them apart.
B3 and B6 would be possible only with additional information.

A: Where were you? I called you several times.
B: I played tennis with my friend this morning. It's possible you rang while I was playing.