过去进行时是表示过去某一时刻或某一时间内正在进行或发生的动作。可以从两个方面来理解：1 过去某一时刻正在进行或发生的动作。E．g． They were playing football at ten o’clock yesterday morning． My mother was cooking when I got home． I was washing my clothes at this time yesterday． 2 过去某阶段持续进行的动作 What were you doing during the holiday? 另外，在复合句中，若主要动作和背景动作是同时发生的，那么主从句都可用过去进行时e．g． Jenny was reading while Danny was writing．
其结构是助动词be的过去形式was/were ＋v－ing．
其句式变化仍然要在be上做文章。E．g． We were working in class．
We weren’t working in class． Were you working in class?
过去进行时常与过去某一特定时间的`状语连用，如 last night， at that time， at noon yesterday， last Sunday 等。 也有时没有时间状语，要通过上下文的暗示来确定用过去进行时。E．g． The students all worked hard． Everyone knew what he was working for．
做题时常见错误如下：
一、易把be＋现在分词记成be＋过去分词
例：He was talked （talk） to his mum at that time．
答案：was talking
解析：过去进行时与现在进行时结构上的区别体现在be动词上。
二、丢掉be动词或忘记把动词变成现在分词
例：1 I watching （watch） TV when he came in．
2 They were play （play） games at 5：00 p．m． yesterday．
答案：1 was watching 2 were playing
解析：现在进行时中“be＋现在分词，缺一不可”的规律也可应用于过去进行时。
三、对动词或动词词组提问时丢掉doing
例：We were flying kites at 5：00 p．m． yesterday． （对划线部分提问）
What were you at 5：00 p．m． yesterday?
答案：What were you doing at 5：00 p．m． yesterday?
解析：现在进行时中“What……doing……”?句式同样适用于过去进行时。
四、易与现在进行时弄混
例：My mother is cooking （cook）when I got home．
答案：was cooking
解析：这两种时态的共同点是都表示动作正在进行，但现在进行时前提是现在，而过去进行时前提是过去，由when I got home可看出前提是过去。
五、易与一般过去时弄混
例：昨晚我在读一本故事书。
I read （read） a story book yesterday evening．
答案：was reading
解析：这两种时态的共同点是都用于表示过去发生的动作。但过去进行时强调动作正在进行，而一般过去时则表示过去某一时间所发生的动作或存在的状态，它表示的动作往往已经完成。“在”说明正在进行，而“I read a story book yesterday evening．”的意思是昨晚我读了一本故事书，言下之意已经读完了。故用过去进行时。
另外，在宾语从句中当主句为过去时，从句若是现在进行时，需变成过去进行时。
e．g． He said that he was drawing a cat at noon yesterday．
自主训练：
（一 ）、单选
1 What ______ from three to four yesterday afternoon?
A have you done B had you done C did you do D were you doing
2 – I call you yesterday evening， but there was no answer．
－ Oh．， I’m sorry I _____ dinner at my friend’s home．
A home B had C was having D have had
3 My mother _____ while my father _____TV．
A cooked； was watching B was cooking； was watching
C was cooked； watched D cooked； watched
4 When I got home， my son _____ the music．
A am listening to B listened to C was listening to D was listening
5 We heard a cry when we ______ TV last night．
A were watching B would watch C watch D watched
6 She asked him whether he _____ back for lunch．
A come B was coming C came D had come
7 Could you tell me when ______?
A she is coming B she was coming C will be come D is he coming
8 The teacher ______ when I came into the classroom．
A is drawing B draws C has drawn D was drawing
9 The pizza ______ by my mother． Would you like to have some?
A makes B was making C made D was made
10 Nobody noticed what she ______ at the moment．
A will do B was doing C has done D had done
11 Was it raining hard when you _____ this morning?
A left B leaves C was leaving D would leave
参考答案：
1 D 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 A 6 B 7 A 8 D 9 D 10 B 11 A
（二）、填空
1 ______ they______ （feed） the animals at 5：00 yesterday afternoon?
2 Mrs．Green _____ _____ （not wash） clothes at this time yesterday．
3 Grandpa ______ ______ （mend） his clock when I reached home．
4 As I _____ （walk） in the park， I saw some children playing games．
参考答案：
1 were feeding 2 wasn’t washing 3 was mending 4 was walking
