17　过去进行时态的基本用法　Track17

用法1：用来描述一个过去特定的时刻正在发生的事情。

a. I was discussing my thesis with my director at this time last night. （特定时刻）

b. A: What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?

B: I was having dinner with my friends.

用法2：过去进行时态还常常和一般过去时配合使用。此时，过去进行时态通常表示一个历时较长的体现“背景”的动作或状态；而一般过去时态则表示此“背景”下发生的、短暂的动作或状态。过去进行时态动作先发生，一般过去时态动作后发生。

a. Mrs. Jones was still cleaning the house when her husband came back from work. She was wearing dirty, old clothes and no stockings; her hair was not tidy； she had dust on her face, and she looked dirty and tired. Her husband looked at her and said, “Is this what I come home to see after a hard day's work?”

琼斯太太在她丈夫下班回家的时候仍在打扫房间。她穿一身又脏又旧的衣服，没穿长筒袜，披头散发，满脸灰尘，显得又脏又累。丈夫看见她这副模样就说：“难道我辛苦工作了一天，回到家就为了看你这副模样吗？”

b. The phone rang while I was having my bath, as usual.

像往常一样，我正在洗澡，电话铃响了。

c. I cut my f inger when I was cooking dinner last night.

昨晚做饭时我割了手指。

d. I was watching TV when the phone rang.

我当时正在看电视，这时电话铃响了。

试比较：

e. I was telephoning Harry when she arrived.

（在我打电话过程中，她到了。先telephone，后arrive）

f. I telephoned Harry when she arrived.

（她到之后，我才打电话。先arrive，后telephone）