过去进行时

过去进行时表示过去某一时间正在进行的动作。过去进行时过去一般时一样，也常和表过去的时间状语连用，如：

I was practising the violin at eight o’clock yesterday evening. 昨晚八点钟我在练小提琴来着。

When I called him, he was having dinner. 我给他打电话的时候，他正在吃晚饭。

如果时间状语是一时段，过去进行时所表的动作则须贯穿整段或大部分时间。如：

They were expecting you yesterday. 他们昨天一直在等你。

While we were having breakfast, John was talking on the phone. 我们在吃早饭的时候，约翰在打电话。

过去进行时可用来打开话头，这种过去进行时也多与时间状语连用。如：

We were talking about you this morning. Your book is terrible. 我们今天早上谈论你来着。你写的书糟透了。

Miss Smith was praising you today, John. 今天史密斯小姐夸你来着，约翰。

当上下文清楚时，可省去时间状语。如：

Oh, I was talking to myself. 噢，我是在自言自语。（指刚才）

We reached the lake just as the sun was rising above it. 我们抵达湖边时，太阳刚刚升起。（时间由上下文决定）

这种过去进行时所表的动作发生的时间有时不很确定，但一般不会离现在很远。如：

I was talking with Tom and he said he was all for it. 我和汤姆谈来着，他说他完全赞成。

—Did you hear the news? 你听到那个消息了吗？
—Yes, I was reading about it in the newspaper. 是的，我是从报纸上看到的。

这种时间不确定的过去进行时用于某些心理活动的动词时可表委婉客气。如：

I was wondering if I must ask you one more question. 我不知道我是不是还须要再向你提一个问题。

I was thinking it might be a good idea to keep the window open. 我看还是把窗户开着的好。

过去进行时可与soon，the next moment，in minutes，minutes later等时间状语连用，表示一个新的动作刚刚开始，颇有点像转换镜头似的。如：

Soon the whole town was talking about it. 不久镇上的人就都谈论起这件事了。

Ten minutes later he was standing at the window, smoking. 十分钟后，他已站在窗前，抽着烟。

有时亦可不用时间状语。如：

The man sat down, and the judge was calling another name and another man was rising to his feet. 那个人坐下来，法官接着叫下一个名字，于是另一个人站了起来。

过去进行时可用来申述原因或用作借口，这种用法常用在口语中。如：

She went to her doctor yesterday. She was having a lot of trouble with her skin. 她昨天去看病了。她患了很麻烦的皮肤病。

—Have you finished your homework, Mary? 你的作业做完了吗，玛丽？
—No, I was helping my mother in the kitchen all day yesterday. 没有，我昨天一整天都帮妈妈干厨房活来着。

过去进行时可用来为一个或一系列动作的发生提供背景，如：

It was snowing as the medical team made its way to the front. 医疗队奔赴前线时，天正下着雪。

The procession was going. He was standing amidst the crowd looking on. Suddenly a thundering explosion was heard. A turmoil followed. 队伍在前进。他站在人群中观看。突然间爆发出一声巨响。街上乱成一片。

下面例句中的过去进行时亦表背景，但这种过去进行时常用在主句中，后接的when从句中的谓语动词常用过去一般时，表意外之事。如：

I was leaving the office when the telephone rang. 我正要离开办公室，电话铃响了。

He was crossing the street when he was hit by a bike. 他横过马路时被自行车撞了。

过去进行时有时可表过去未实现的愿望或打算，助动词was须重读。如：

I was coming. 我本要来的

I was reading a paper yesterday. 我昨天本要读论文的。（was须重读，否则会误会为真事）

Oh dear! I was writing him a letter this morning and forgot all about it. 哎呀！我本打算今天上午给他写信来着，后来就全给忘了。

过去进行时除表过去时间外，还可表过去的过去、过去的将来和现在的将来。如：

The boy who was standing there ran away. 刚才站在那里的那个男孩跑了。（表过去的过去）

He quickly swallowed the food he was chewing. 他很快地将所咀嚼的食物咽了下去。（表过去的过去）

He asked the organization to reduce his salary to the original amount he was receiving. 他要求组织将他的工资减少到原来的水平。（表过去的过去）

He told her that he was leaving soon. 他告诉她他快走了。（表过去的将来）

I was meeting my sister at the station the next day. 第二天我要到车站接妹妹去。（表过去的将来）

He said he was coming this evening. 他说他今天晚上来。（表将来）

Was it next Sunday they were coming? 他们说是下星期天来吗？（表将来）