11.4 Uses of Past Progressive

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11.4 Uses of Past Progressive
1) an action in progress at a definite point or
period of past time 2) a past habitual
action 3) futurity in the past 4) polite requests
and hypothetical meanings 5) Contrast between
past progressive and simple past
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1) To Denote an Action in Progress at a Definite
Point or Period of Past Time
What were you doing yesterday at seven p.m.? They
were building a dam last winter.
the past time reference is usually indicated by a
temporal adverbial or implied by the context.
the notion of incompleteness is more clearly
indicated than in the present progressive
The students were still laughing when the teacher
stepped in.
as the background in past time narrative
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2) To denote a past habitual action
George was getting up at five every day that week.
temporariness
Emotional Feelings
1. especially feelings of annoyance or disapproval
My brother was always losing his keys.
alwaysconstantlycontinuallyforever
2. adverbial of frequency
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3) To Denote Futurity in the Past
They were leaving a few days later.
1. according to a definite plan or arrangement
He told me to wake him up if he was sleeping.
2. found in adverbial clauses of time or
condition
He told me yesterday to wake him up if he was
sleeping. But I totally forgot about the whole
thing. And that may be the reason why he failed
in the exam.
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4) To Make Polite Requests and Express
Hypothetical Meanings
the most tentative way in making polite
requests.
a) Polite Requests
I hope you can send me some books. I hoped that
you could send me some books. I am hoping you can
send me some books. I was hoping you could send
me some books.
most polite
b) Hypothetical Meanings
1. only occurs in certain conditional clauses
2. in sub clauses after I wish / Id rather /
its time
I wish they were not talking so loudly. Id
rather you were going at once.
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5) Contrast Between Past Progressive and Simple
Past
Simple Past
Past Progressive
an action in completion
an action in progressive
1
a mere past fact
emphasis onthe duration
2
when two actions co-occur in a sentence
shorter duration
longer duration
3
I broke a glass while I was cooking the dinner .
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d) in colloquial speech
past progressive ? casual, unimportant and
aimless, simple past ? can be formal / intent
chatting
I was talking to Margaret the other day.
seriously
I talked to Margaret the other day.
e) Compare the time sequence of the two actions
in the following sentences
When we arrived, she was making some fresh
coffee.When we arrived she made some fresh
coffee.