Unit 6 — Past Continuous

I was doing — 过去进行时

1. 核心结构

过去进行时的基本结构：

was / were + V-ing

主语	be 动词过去式	V-ing
he / she / it	was	playing / doing / working ...
I	was	playing / doing / working ...
we / you / they	were	playing / doing / working ...

例如：

I was working.

She was reading.

They were playing tennis.

2. Example — They were playing tennis

昨天 Karen 和 Joe 去打网球。

Yesterday Karen and Joe played tennis.

他们：

started at 10 o'clock

10 点开始。

并且：

finished at 11:30

11:30 结束。

那么在：

10:30

这个时间点：

They were playing tennis.

他们当时正在打网球。

3. were playing 到底是什么意思？

They were playing tennis.

意思是：

在那个过去时间点，他们正处在“打网球”这个动作的中间。

也就是：

they were in the middle of playing

并且：

they had not finished

当时还没有结束。

时间轴：

10:00            10:30              11:30
  │                │                   │
  ●════════════════●═══════════════════●
started         were playing         finished

10:30：

不是动作开始的时候

也不是：

动作结束的时候

而是：

动作进行到一半的时候。

4. Past Continuous 的核心概念

I was doing something

表示：

在过去某个时间点，我正处于做某件事的过程中。

时间关系：

PAST
  │
  ●────── START
   ═════════════════════
          ↑
       I was doing
   ═════════════════════
                      ● FINISH

                            NOW
                             │

核心：

past point → look inside the action

站在一个过去时间点：

看这个动作当时进行到哪里了。

5. 时间轴理解

图片中的时间轴可以整理成：

PAST                                             NOW
  │                                               │

  ↓ started doing
  ●══════════════════════════════●
         ↑       ↑       ↑
         I was doing
                                 ↑
                          finished doing

也就是：

开始 → 正在进行 → 结束

Past Continuous 关注的是：

中间这一段。

6. Example — living in Hong Kong

This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.

去年这个时候，我正住在香港。

这里的：

this time last year

给出了一个明确的：

过去时间点

然后我们问：

在那个时间点，我的生活状态是什么？

答案：

I was living in Hong Kong.

时间轴：

before                THIS TIME LAST YEAR              after
  │                            │                         │
  └════════════════════════════●════════════════════════─┘
                           was living

重点：

那个时候正处于住在香港的阶段。

7. Example — What were you doing?

What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?

昨晚 10 点你正在做什么？

这里：

at 10 o'clock last night

就是一个：

过去观察点

问题实际上是：

我把时间暂停在昨晚 10 点，你当时正在干什么？

时间轴：

                   10 PM
                     ↓
PAST ════════════════●══════════════
                     ↑
               What were you doing?

8. Example — wasn't looking

I waved to Helen, but she wasn't looking.

我向 Helen 挥手，但是她当时没有看这边。

这里不是说：

Helen 从来不看。

而是说：

在我挥手的那个时刻，她正好没有看。

时间关系：

                I waved
                   ↓
───────────────────●────────────────
                   │
            she wasn't looking

所以：

wasn't looking

描述的是：

那个过去时刻的临时状态。

9. Past Continuous 的常见用法

用法	Example	核心理解
过去某一刻正在做	I was working at 8.	8 点时正在工作
过去某一阶段正在发生	I was living in Hong Kong.	那段时间住在香港
询问过去某刻的活动	What were you doing at 10?	10 点时在做什么
描述过去某刻没有发生	She wasn't looking.	当时没在看

10. Past Continuous vs Past Simple

这是这一单元最重要的对比。

Past Continuous

I was doing

核心：

in the middle of an action

关注：

动作进行到中间。

Past Simple

I did

核心：

complete action

关注：

一个完整发生的过去动作。

11. 核心对比表

Past Continuous	Past Simple
I was doing	I did
过去进行时	一般过去时
was/were + V-ing	动词过去式
动作进行中	完整动作
看动作内部	看整个动作
process	event
“当时正在……”	“过去做了……”

12. Example — walking home

Past Continuous

We were walking home when I met Dan.

我遇到 Dan 的时候，我们正在走回家。

这里：

walking home

是一个正在进行中的动作。

时间轴：

START walking                         FINISH
     │                                  │
     └══════════════●═══════════════════┘
                    ↑
                met Dan

在：

met Dan

这个时间点：

我们仍然在走路。

所以：

We were walking home.

13. 为什么用 were walking？

因为：

met Dan

发生在：

walking home 这个过程的中间。

结构：

long/background action
═════════════════════════════════
                ●
             met Dan
           short event

所以非常常见的组合是：

Past Continuous + when + Past Simple

例如：

I was driving when you called me.

你打电话的时候，我正在开车。

14. Example — walked home

Past Simple：

We walked home after the party last night.

昨晚聚会结束后我们走路回家了。

这里关注的是：

从开始走 → 一直到家

整个动作。

时间轴：

party ends          walk home          arrive home
    │                   │                  │
    └───────────────────●──────────────────┘
                     complete

所以：

walked

表示：

这个动作整体发生并完成了。

15. walking vs walked

were walking	walked
We were walking home when I met Dan.	We walked home after the party.
当时正在走	走回家了
动作内部	整个动作
不强调是否走到家	暗示完成整段路程
process	complete event

16. Example — watching TV

Past Continuous

Kate was watching TV when we arrived.

我们到的时候，Kate 正在看电视。

时间轴：

watching TV
═════════════════════════════════
                ●
            we arrived

当：

we arrived

发生时：

Kate 正处在 watching TV 这个动作中。

Past Simple

Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill last year.

Kate 去年生病的时候看了很多电视。

这里不是关注某一刻：

“她正在看电视”

而是总结：

那段时间她经常看电视。

所以用：

watched

17. 两句话的视角不同

Sentence	视角
Kate was watching TV when we arrived.	把时间暂停在“我们到达”的那一刻
Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill.	回头总结那段过去经历

所以：

Past Continuous = zoom in

放大某个过去时刻。

Past Simple = zoom out

回头看一个完整事件或事实。

18. 一个非常实用的理解方法：电影画面

Past Continuous 很像：

把过去的录像暂停在某一帧。

例如：

At 10:30 they were playing tennis.

你把录像暂停在：

10:30

画面里：

他们正在挥拍、跑动、打球。

这就是：

were playing

Past Simple 更像：

看完整事件的摘要。

例如：

They played tennis yesterday.

它告诉你：

昨天发生了“打网球”这件事。

但是并没有让你进入某一个具体时刻。

19. Past Continuous = Background

过去进行时经常用来提供：

background（背景动作）

例如：

I was walking home when it started to rain.

下雨的时候，我正在走路回家。

这里：

was walking

是背景。

而：

started to rain

是突然发生的事件。

结构：

BACKGROUND
═══════════════════════════════════
              ●
         EVENT happens

20. 常见句型

① when + Past Simple

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

电话响的时候我正在睡觉。

② while + Past Continuous

While I was cooking, Tom was watching TV.

我做饭的时候，Tom 正在看电视。

两个动作：

cooking  ═════════════════════
watching ═════════════════════

同时进行。

③ at + 具体过去时间

At 8 o'clock, I was having breakfast.

8 点的时候我正在吃早餐。

21. 否定形式

结构：

was not / were not + V-ing

缩写：

wasn't / weren't + V-ing

例如：

She wasn't looking.

她当时没在看。

They weren't working.

他们当时没有在工作。

22. 疑问形式

结构：

Was / Were + 主语 + V-ing?

例如：

Were you sleeping at 11?

你 11 点的时候正在睡觉吗？

Was she working yesterday afternoon?

她昨天下午当时在工作吗？

23. How to think

看到过去进行时，可以问自己：

“如果我把过去的时间暂停在这一刻，画面里正在发生什么？”

例如：

What were you doing at 10?

把时间暂停：

9:00          10:00           11:00
  │             ↓                │
  ══════════════●═════════════════
             studying

回答：

I was studying.

24. Past Simple 则问

“过去发生了什么完整事件？”

例如：

What did you do last night?

回答：

I studied English.

这里是在总结：

昨晚做了什么。

不是：

某一时刻正在做什么。

25. 两种问题直接对比

Question	中文思维	Answer
What were you doing at 10?	10 点那一刻正在干什么？	I was studying.
What did you do last night?	昨晚做了什么？	I studied English.

26. 图片中的全部例句

Example	核心理解
At 10:30 they were playing tennis.	10:30 时动作进行中
This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.	去年此时处于这个生活阶段
What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?	问过去某一刻的活动
She wasn't looking.	那一刻没有在看
We were walking home when I met Dan.	met Dan 发生在 walking 过程中
Kate was watching TV when we arrived.	arrival 发生在 watching 过程中
We walked home after the party.	整个走回家的动作
Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill.	总结过去的习惯/事实

27. 最核心的时间轴

Past Continuous

I was doing

START              PAST POINT               FINISH
  │                     ↓                      │
  └═════════════════════●══════════════════════┘
                     DOING

重点：

某个过去时间点，动作正在进行。

Past Simple

I did

START ───────────────▶ FINISH          NOW
                          │              │
                          ●              │

重点：

整个动作作为一个完整事件。

28. 和 Present Continuous 对比

Present Continuous	Past Continuous
I am doing	I was doing
现在正在做	过去当时正在做
NOW 是观察点	PAST 是观察点

Present Continuous

                   NOW
                    ↓
                I am doing

Past Continuous

        PAST                         NOW
          ↓                           │
      I was doing                     │

所以：

Continuous 的核心一直没有变。

都是：

把镜头放到动作内部。

区别只是：

Present Continuous → 镜头放在 NOW
Past Continuous → 镜头放在 PAST

29. 最终思维模型

Past Continuous

PAST + PROCESS

问：

那个时候正在发生什么？

时间轴：

PAST
  │
  ↓
──●════════════════════
  ↑
camera
镜头进入动作内部

结构：

was / were + V-ing

Past Simple

PAST + EVENT

问：

过去发生了什么？

时间轴：

PAST
  │
  ●
EVENT

结构：

did / 动词过去式

一句话记忆

Past Continuous

I was doing = 把过去暂停在某一刻，看当时正在做什么。

Past Simple

I did = 回头看过去发生了一个什么完整事件。

最核心：

was doing → PROCESS

did → EVENT

Unit 6 — Past Continuous ​

I was doing — 过去进行时 ​

1. 核心结构 ​

2. Example — They were playing tennis ​

3. were playing 到底是什么意思？ ​

4. Past Continuous 的核心概念 ​

5. 时间轴理解 ​

6. Example — living in Hong Kong ​

7. Example — What were you doing? ​

8. Example — wasn't looking ​

9. Past Continuous 的常见用法 ​

10. Past Continuous vs Past Simple ​

Past Continuous ​

Past Simple ​

11. 核心对比表 ​

12. Example — walking home ​

Past Continuous ​

13. 为什么用 were walking？ ​

14. Example — walked home ​

15. walking vs walked ​

16. Example — watching TV ​

Past Continuous ​

Past Simple ​

17. 两句话的视角不同 ​

18. 一个非常实用的理解方法：电影画面 ​

19. Past Continuous = Background ​

20. 常见句型 ​

① when + Past Simple ​

② while + Past Continuous ​

③ at + 具体过去时间 ​

21. 否定形式 ​

22. 疑问形式 ​

23. How to think ​

24. Past Simple 则问 ​

25. 两种问题直接对比 ​

26. 图片中的全部例句 ​

27. 最核心的时间轴 ​

Past Continuous ​

Past Simple ​

28. 和 Present Continuous 对比 ​

Present Continuous ​

Past Continuous ​

29. 最终思维模型 ​

Past Continuous ​

Past Simple ​

一句话记忆 ​

Past Continuous ​

Past Simple ​

Unit 6 — Past Continuous

I was doing — 过去进行时

1. 核心结构

2. Example — They were playing tennis

3. were playing 到底是什么意思？

4. Past Continuous 的核心概念

5. 时间轴理解

6. Example — living in Hong Kong

7. Example — What were you doing?

8. Example — wasn't looking

9. Past Continuous 的常见用法

10. Past Continuous vs Past Simple

Past Continuous

Past Simple

11. 核心对比表

12. Example — walking home

Past Continuous

13. 为什么用 were walking？

14. Example — walked home

15. walking vs walked

16. Example — watching TV

Past Continuous

Past Simple

17. 两句话的视角不同

18. 一个非常实用的理解方法：电影画面

19. Past Continuous = Background

20. 常见句型

① when + Past Simple

② while + Past Continuous

③ at + 具体过去时间

21. 否定形式

22. 疑问形式

23. How to think

24. Past Simple 则问

25. 两种问题直接对比

26. 图片中的全部例句

27. 最核心的时间轴

Past Continuous

Past Simple

28. 和 Present Continuous 对比

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

29. 最终思维模型

Past Continuous

Past Simple

一句话记忆

Past Continuous

Past Simple