The Past Continuous/Progressive

The Past Continuous/Progressive

(was/were doing)

I. Употребляется для обозначения

1) действия, происходящего в определённый момент в прошлом.

e.g. I was sleeping at this time yesterday

В предложении не всегда присутствует указание на данный момент; он может либо подразумеваться ситуацией, либо передаваться другим действием.

· Everyone was busy with something. Mother was cooking supper, grandfather was reading his paper, little Tommy was sitting next to him & watching a cartoon.

· They were arguing about something when I came.

· Were you having a party when I called?

2) действия, происходящего в определённый период в прошлом. Указание на данный период присутствует либо в контексте, либо в самом предложении. Действие представлено как временное, в отличие от Past Simple, где действие характеризуется как постоянное.

o I was reading for my entrance exams & I didn’t have time for friends or parties.

· It was a hectic time. We were organizing a music club of our own.

II. Обратите внимание на предложения, содержащие союзы while, as.

a) 2 действия, полностью совпадающие по времени

Sb did sth while (as) sb did sth // sb was doing sth while(as) was doing sth

E.g They didn’t speak while they had tea //They were not speaking while they were having tea

б) Одно действие короче ( Past Simple) и как бы прерывает второе, более длительное, служащее фоном ( Past Progressive )

We stopped her as/while she was going along the corridor.

в) Союз as может употребляться в значении as soon as, а также because

As (=as soon as ) it stopped raining, there rose a cold wind.

As (=because)I was still a little girl I understood nothing.

III. The Past Continuous употребляется во всех значениях Present Continuous в контексте прошедшего времени

IY. Обратите внимание на глаголы, не употребляющиеся в форме Continuous

e.g. At that moment she understood her mother better than ever.

But: She was only being nice (= was acting nicely). I was seeing (=meeting) my friend in the evening that’s why I couldn’t join them.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-28