过去进行时可以用来代替一般过去时,表示更为偶然而非预定的动作:
I was talking to Tom the other day.
那天我跟汤姆聊天来着。
这里的过去进行时给人的印象是这一动作既不特殊,也不引人注目。它同时还倾向于解除主语对于这一动作所负的责任。句中谁先开口说话既不清楚,也无关紧要。要注意它与一般过去时的差异:I talked to Tom(我跟汤姆谈话了)表示主语I是主动的。类似的句子还有:
From four to six Tom was washing the car.
从4点到6点汤姆在洗车。
这通常表示一个随便的、可能是例行的活动,可与下句相比:
From four to six Tom washed the car.
从4点到6点汤姆洗了车。(表示汤姆有意的、经过考虑的行动)
注意:进行时态只用于表示显然是连续不断的动作。如果把动作分割开,或者说出其发生的次数,就必须用一般过去时:
I talked to Tom several times.
我跟汤姆谈过几次话。
Tom washed both cars.
汤姆把两辆汽车都洗了。
当然,看来是并行的两个动作可以都用进行时态来表示:
Between one and two I was doing the shopping and walking the dog.
一点到两点之间我在购物、遛狗。
这样用的进行时态通常和某些时间状语如 today,last night,in the afternoon连用。这些时间状语可以看做是表示某一时刻,也可以看做是表示某一段时间。如上面例句所示,某一段时间也可以用确切的时间来表示。
如想问起一段时间怎样度过时,用过去进行时态要用比一般过去时显得有礼貌: What were you doing before you came here?(你来这里之前做什么工作?)要比 What did you do be- fore you came here?听起来有礼貌。
另一方面, What were you doing in my room?(你在我的房间里干什么来着?)可能表示这样一种情感:我认为你没有权利在我的屋子里。但 What did you do in my room?却毫无这种含义。
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