Could anyone tell me which is grammatically correct:

I was trying to call you at 6 last night. Were you watching T.V.
Or
I tried to call you lat 6 last night. Were you watching T.V.
Thank you.

I tried to call you at 6 last night. Were you watching T.V.

I generally agree with Kritten.

The rule depends on whether the "calling" was a single event or a process over time, no matter how brief that time might have been.


So, if you made *one* call at 6, it is "tried."

If you made *several* attempts in a row at 6, then it is "was trying."