一般过去时和过去进行时的用法、区别与联系

此稿件适用于高三版第21期。

一般过去时和过去进行时的用法、区别与联系江苏省东台市第一中学张锦堂特约编辑号GB:030192
一、一般过去时和过去进行时的用法
1. 一般过去时表示过去某一时间内发生了的动作或状态，也可以表示过去习惯性的动作，常与yesterday, last night, three hours ago, in 1987, after some time, five minutes later等时间状语连用。

The first Olympic Games in modern times happened in 1896.
近代的第一届奥林匹克运动会于1896年举行。

I lived in Beijing until I was twenty years old.
我在北京一直住到二十岁。

2. 过去进行时既可以表示过去某一时刻也可以表示过去某一段时间内正在发生的动作，常与then, at that time, this time yesterday, at 7 o’clock yesterday evening等时间状语连用。

We were having supper this time yesterday.
昨天这时我们正在吃晚饭。

It was raining all those days.
那些天一直在下雨。

二、一般过去时和过去进行时的区别
1. 一般过去时说明在过去发生了某事，表示动作已经完成；过去进行时则表示动作在过去某时刻正在进行之中，尚未完成。

When she arrived, I telephoned Harry.
她到了之后，我给哈里打了个电话。

（她到了之后，我才打电话）
When she arrived, I was telephoning Harry.
她到达时，我正在给哈里打电话。

（我在给哈里电话的过程中，她到了）
2. 与always, forever等词连用时，过去进行时带有一定的感情色彩（如赞赏、厌烦、责备等），而一般过去时则不带有感情色彩。

She always asked some silly questions.
她总是问一些可笑的问题。

（陈述事实）
She was always asking some silly questions.
她老是问一些可笑的问题。

（表示厌烦或责备）
3. 在时间和条件状语从句中，一般过去时表示将要发生的事情，而现在进行时则表示过去将来正在进行的动作。

He said that he would come again if he had time.
他说如果有时间他还会来。

I promised not to mention this when I was talking with her.
我答应和她谈话时不涉及此事。

4. 在虚拟语气中，一般过去时可以表示现在；在would rather, it’s time, would you mind if , if only等之后的从句中，一般过去时可以表示将来。

If I were you, I shouldn’t do that.
假如我是你的话，我是不会那样做的。

I wish I knew the answer.
但愿我知道答案。

Don’t come today --- I’d rather you came tomorrow.
今天不要来——我希望你明天来。

Ten o’clock --- it’s time you went home.
十点了——你该回家了。

Would you mind very much if I asked you to do something?
假如我请你做事你介意吗？
If only I had more time.
我要是有更多的时间就好了。

5. was / were going to结构常用来表示过去未能实现的计划或打算。

--- Why didn’t you come to my birthday party yesterday?
--- I was going to, but my first English teacher dropped in.
——你为什么没有来参加我的生日宴会？
——我本来打算来的，可是我的英语启蒙老师来了。

三、一般过去时和过去进行时的联系
过去进行时在句中常和一般过去时一起使用。

这样用时，过去进行时通常表示一个历时较长的体现“背景”的动作或情况，而一般过去时则表示在历时较长的动作或情况的过程中发生的或者打断它的一个短暂的动作或事情。

1. 主句中用过去进行时表示一个历时较长的动作，从句中用一般过去时表示较短的动作。

We were having a meeting when he telephoned.
他打电话时，我们正在开会。

2. 主句中用一般过去时表示一个短暂的动作，从句中用过去进行时提供一个“背景”。

The old man was knocked down when / while he was crossing the street.
老人在过大街时被撞倒了。

3. 如果主要动作和背景动作都是延续性的或同时发生，主句和从句中的动词都用过去进行时。

While I was having supper, Bob was reading a magazine.
我吃晚饭时，鲍勃在看杂志。

练一练：
1. My brother ___ while he ___ his bicycle and hurt himself. (MET 89)
A. fell; was riding
B. fell; were riding
C. had fallen; rode
D. had fallen; was riding
2. Tom ___ into the house when no one ___. (MET 92)
A. slipped; was looking
B. had slipped; looked
C. slipped; had looked
D. was slipping; looked
3. As she ___ the newspaper, Granny ___ asleep. (NMET 95)
A. read; was falling
B. was reading; fell
C .was reading; was falling D. read; fell
4. I don't think Jim saw me; he ___ into space. (NMET 95)
A. just stared
B. was just staring
C. has just stared
D. had just stared
5. I first met Lisa three years ago. She ___ at a radio shop at the time. (NMET 97)
A. has worked
B. was working
C. had been working
D. had worked
6. --- Alice, why didn't you come yesterday?
--- I ___ , but I had an unexpected visitor. (NMET 97)
A. had
B. would
C. was going to
D. did
7. Shirley _____a book about China last year but I don't know whether she has finished it. (NMET 98)
A has written B. wrote C. had written D. was writing
8. --- Hey, look where you are going?
--- Oh, I'm terribly sorry.＿＿．(NMET 99)
A. I'm not noticing
B.I wasn't noticing
C. I haven't noticing
D.I don't noticing
9. The reporter said that the UFO ___east to west when he saw it.
(NMET 2000)
A. was traveling
B. traveled
C. had been traveling
D. was to travel
10. --- You haven't said a word about my new coat, Brenda. Do you like it?
--- I'm sorry I __anything about it sooner. I certainly think it's pretty on you.
(NMET 2002)
A. wasn't saying
B. don't say
C. won't say
D. didn't say
答案：
1---5. AABBB 6---10. CDBDD。