過去進行式入門文法-教你分辨過去進行式與過去簡單式
過去進行式 past progressive tense
過去進行式的概念其實與現在進行式的概念類似，只是把時間點整個推往過去，例如: 現在是晚上七點鐘我正在看電視，你會說I am watching TV right now. 這是現在進行式的概念，那昨天晚上七點鐘時我正在學英文，就必須用過去進行式表達I was studying English at 7 last night. 但什麼樣的情境要用過去進行式，何時又要用過去簡單式呢? 以下將以日常生活的情境說明過去進行式的用法，列出過去進行式的基本句子結構，並進一步和過去簡單式做比較，讓讀者更清楚兩個時態的差別。
過去進行式使用情境及句型變化
1.過去進行式表示在過去的某個時間點某件事情正在進行
At seven o’clock last night, I was eating an apple.
*昨天晚上七點的時候，我正在吃蘋果，吃蘋果是那時我正在進行的動作。
2.過去進行式也可表示過去兩件同時進行中的事
While I was studying in my room, my mom was cooking in the kitchen.
*當我正在房間裡讀書時，我媽正在廚房裡煮飯。
句型變化
肯定句:
I was eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
She/He/It was eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
You/We/They were eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
否定句: 在Be動詞後面加上not
I was not eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
She/He/It was not eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
You/We/They were not eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
Yes/No 問句: 把Be動詞挪到句首
Was I eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night?
Was she/he/it eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night?
Were you/we/they eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night?
Wh-問句:
What were you doing at 7 o’clock last night ? I was eating an apple.
分辨過去簡單式過去進行式
如果是描述昨天做什麼事情，例如: 我昨天早上七點起床，八點吃早餐，九點開始工作；這樣的情境會使用過去簡單式來描述。
What did you do yesterday?
Yesterday I got up at 7, ate my breakfast at 8, and started to work at 9.
如果是描述昨天某個時間點正在做什麼事情，例如：昨天晚上九點的時候我正在看電視；這樣的情境會使用過去進行式來描述。
What were you doing at nine o’clock last night?
At nine o’clock last night, I was watching TV.
但是過去進行式常與過去簡單式合併使用，過去進行式通常用於比較長時間的背景動作或情況(a longer “background” action or situation)，過去簡單式則用於較短的動作或事件(a shorter action or event)，且這個動作是發生於較長動作的期間或著是打斷中止較長的那個動作。
情境一:
I went to bed at 1:00. My friend came at 1:30. I was sleeping when my friend came.
*我一點上床睡覺，我朋友一點半來找我，這兩句話都是過去的某個時間點發生的事實，用過去簡單式描述，我朋友來找我的那個當下我正在睡覺，所以用過去進行式表示。我睡覺可視為一個長時間的背景動作，我朋友來這個動作則是在我睡覺時發生的。
牛刀小試:
1. I started to eat dinner at 6 p.m. The phone rang at 6:30 p.m. I _________(eat) dinner when the phone ______(ring) at 6:30 p.m.
2. Jan started to play the piano at 2. Her friend came to visit her at 4. Jan __________(play) the piano when her friend ______(come) at 4.
答案
1: was eating, rang
解說: 我從晚上六點開始吃晚餐，用餐一直到六點半時電話響了，我吃晚餐可視為一個長時間的背景動作，是持續進行的事情，用過去進行式表達，被電話響這件突發的事中斷，電話響是一個瞬間的事情，用過去簡單式表達。
2. was playing, came
解說: Jan從2點開始練鋼琴，她朋友4點來拜訪她，當她朋友來的時候，她正在彈鋼琴，彈鋼琴這件事是從2點開始一直持續的長時間背景動作，用過去進行式表達，被她朋友拜訪這件突發的事中斷，朋友來拜訪是一個瞬間的事情，用過去簡單式表達。
情境二:
當我正在吃晚餐時，電話響了。當電話響的時候，我去接電話。我中斷吃晚餐這件事去接電話。
事件順序:
While I was having dinner, the phone rang. When the phone rang, I answered it. 首先: 我吃晚餐，這件事情持續一段時間，用過去進行式
第二: 電話響，電話響這件事中斷我吃晚餐，用過去簡單式
第三: 我接電話，描述一個短的動作，用過去簡單式
*特別要注意的是如果一句話中兩個子句都是過去簡單式，有when的那個子句是先發生。
EX: When it began to rain, I opened my umbrella.
= I opened my umbrella when it began to rain.
時間子句
When it began to rain, I opened my umbrella.
當開始下雨時我打開我的雨傘。
While I was having dinner, the phone rang.
當電話響時，我去接電話
Before I went to work, I ate breakfast
上班前我吃早餐
After I got off work, I had dinner.
下班後我吃晚餐
「當...」「在...之前」「在...之後」在文法中被稱為時間子句，什麼是「子句」?什麼是「時間子句」?
子句: 是一組有主詞和有動詞的字群
時間子句: 由時間詞如when, while, before, after等開頭的子句被稱為時間子句
在第一個例句中的 I opened my umbrella. 中的 I是主詞 opened是動詞，這個字群就是一個子句，I opened my umbrella是一個完整的句子，被稱為主要子句，它可以獨立存在。但如果我們整體看例句一 When it began to rain, I opened my umbrella.中的When it began to rain 這個由時間詞when開頭的時間子句，它是不能自己獨立存在的，它必須與主要子句連用。
When it began to rain, I opened my umbrella.
= I opened my umbrella when it began to rain.
英文寫法兩個都可以，文意也相同，如果是時間子句放在開頭，通常會有逗號與主要子句隔開，如果時間子句放在後面則不會打逗號。
過去進行式過去簡單式練習題
1. I started to brush my teeth at 9. My phone rang at 9:10. While I _________(brush) my teeth, my phone ______(ring).
2. While I was studying English in my room, my cats ________(play) in the yard.
3. What were you doing at 8 o’clock yesterday? I _______(listen) to music.
4. I ______(eat) dinner when my friend _____(ring) the doorbell.
5. When my friend ____(ring) the doorbell, I _________(walk) to the door and ______(open) it.
6. I ____(see) a cat while I _____(take) a walk in the park yesterday.
7. I _____(clean) my room when Winnie called this morning. We ______(talk) for half an hour. She _____(send) me her kids’ photos.
答案:
1.was brushing, rang
2. were playing
3. was listening
4. was eating, rang
5. rang, walked, opened
6. saw, was taking
7. was cleaning, talked, sent
過去進行式常見問題
過去進行式公式
過去進行式的公式是was/were+V-ing，人稱如果是I, he, she, it 就是用was+V-ing; 人稱如果是we, you, they就是用were+V-ing
過去進行式例句
肯定句 I was eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
否定句I was not eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night.
疑問句Was I eating an apple at 7 o’clock last night? What were you doing at 7 o’clock last night ?
過去進行式用法
過去進行式用法簡單可以分成三個要點:
第一: 過去進行式用來表示在過去的某個時間點某件事情正在進行，例如: At seven o’clock last night, I was eating an apple. 昨天晚上七點的時候，我正在吃蘋果。
第二: 過去進行式也可表示過去兩件同時進行中的事，例如: While I was using my computer in my room, my mom was talking to her friend on the phone in the living room. 當我在房間裡用電腦時，我媽正在客廳跟她朋友講電話。
第三: 過去進行式常與過去簡單式合併使用，過去進行式通常用於比較長時間的背景動作，例如: While I was sleeping, my phone rang. 當我在睡覺的時候，我的電話響了。我在睡覺是一個比較長時間的背景動作。
觀看更多英文文法
參考書目:
Azar, Betty Schrampfer.Basic English Grammar.4th ed. New York: Pearson Education, 2014.
