一．定义：表示在过去某一时刻或某一段时间内一直在进行或发生的动作。不强调是否完成。
1. 表示过去某个时刻正在进行的动作。
He was having breakfast at six o’clock yesterday morning.
2. 表示过去某个时间段正在进行的动作。
He was writing stories the whole morning.
二．结构: 过去进行时由“was / were 现在分词”构成。
I was doing my lessons then. 那时，我在做功课。
We were cleaning the house. 我们在打扫房子。
三．间标志词
1. at 具体时刻 过去时间(at five last Saturday)
2. at this time 过去时间(at this time yesterday)
3. 过去时间段(from nine to ten last evening)
4. at that time/moment
5. when &while引导的过去时间状语从句
四．用法
基本用法：表示过去某一时间正在进行的动作。
He fell asleep when he was reading. 他看书时睡着了。
Nina was reading a novel at 8 o’clock last night.
特殊用法：
1. 表示现在主要是为了使语气委婉、客气。（只限于want, hope, wonder 等动词），用以提出请求。
I was wondering if you could give me a lift. 我不知你能否让我搭一下车。
I was hoping you could send me home.
2. 可表示按计划、安排过去某时刻将要发生的动作。
He said they were leaving for Beijing this afternoon. 他说他今天下午要去北京。
3. 过去进行时也可表示满意、称赞、惊讶、厌恶等感情色彩，也通常与always, forever, continually等副词连用。
He was always thinking of others. 他总是想到人家。
4. 用来描写故事发生的情景时。
Alice was sitting with her sister by the river.
五．过去进行时与一般过去时的区别
1.过去进行时强调动作在过去某时刻正在进行或持续，而一般过去时表示动作的完成。如：
He was writing his composition last night. 他昨晚在写作文。（不一定写完）
He wrote his composition last night. 他昨晚写了一篇作文。（已经写完）
2.表示过去的状态、感觉及心理活动的静态动词（如be， like， love， hate， fear， own， hear， see， know， want， notice）可用于一般过去时，但通常不用于进行时。如：
I hated it when a man spoke with his mouth full of food. 我讨厌人们说话时口里含着食物。
3.一般过去时与always， constantly， forever， continually等连用，表示“过去经常性、习惯性的动作”；而过去进行时与always， constantly， forever， continually等连用，表示动作的重复，常带有感情色彩。如：
He always got up at six. 他过去总是六点起床。
He was always thinking of his work. 他总是一心想到工作。
4. 有时过去进行时可以用来替换一般过去时，但一般过去时表示主语的行为是经过认真考虑的；而过去进行时表示一种较随便或没有进行仔细考虑的行为。如：
I thought that he would agree with us. 我原以为它会同意我们的。
I was thinking of persuading him to follow my advice. 我想到了要说服他接受我们的建议。
六．过去进行时的时间状语
1. when 和while引导的状语从句中，while表示一段时间，因此它所引导的状语从句中，谓语动词常用进行时态，如：
While we were having supper, the light went out. 我们正在吃饭时灯熄灭了。
2. when用作并列连词时，主句常用进行时态，从句则用一般过去时，表示主句动作发生的过程中，另一个意想不到的动作发生了。如：
I was walking in the street when someone called me. 我正在街上走时突然有人喊我。
3. when作并列连词，表示“（这时）突然”之意时，第一个并列分句用过去进行时，when引导的并列分句用一般过去时。如：
I was taking a walk when I met him. 我正在散步，突然遇见了他。
We were playing outside when it began to rain. 我们正在外边玩，这时下起雨来了。
4. go, come, leave, start, arrive等动词可用过去进行时表示过去将来的含义。如：
I was leaving for Wuhan that day. 那天我正要去武汉。
She was coming later. 她随后就来。
注意：
一般过去时和过去进行时时间标志词的区别；
一般过去时：过去的不精确时间
过去将来时：过去的精确时间
口诀1：when后可长亦可短，while后只可长
When the thief came in, I was sleeping.
The thief came in, when I was sleeping.
The thief came in, while I was sleeping.
口诀2：若是两个都为长，while 来把纽带当
While the thief was carrying the TV out, I was sleeping.
The thief was carrying the TV out, while I was sleeping.
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