past continuous tense的用法

進行式 (continuous tense) 應該大家都聽過，最常見係現在進行式 (present continuous tense)，就例如 Mr Kum is eating an banana (Mr Kum 食緊蕉)，係講緊呢一刻正在「做緊」一個動作，就好似岩岩個「食緊蕉」咁。過去進行式都差唔多，係講「在一個過去的指定時間做緊既一個動作」，就例如...

At 10 pm last night, I was watching TV. (尋晚十點，我睇緊電視)

係英文裡面，如果講緊在過去的一刻 (如講明幾多點) 做緊乜時，就會用過去進行式。以之前果句為例，watch 呢個動作係十點前已經開始左，所以到十點時就係睇緊 (watching)。而 watch 呢個動作係十點後可能還會繼續。

但如果冇明確講明時間的話，就通常唔會用過去進行式，例如以下呢句係錯既:

Yesterday I was playing basketball with Alex. (尋日我同 Alex 打緊波)

呢句用左過去進行式，即係講緊個動作係 yesterday 之前 (例如前日) 已經開始左，到講野果一刻仍然做緊。但好明顯我地唔係講緊呢樣野。如果淨係想講一個過去左既動作，用 simple past (簡單過去式) 就可以:

Yesterday I played basketball with Alex. (尋日我同 Alex 打波)

仲有一個情況都要用過去進行式，就係講「一樣野發生緊時，有第二樣野突然發生」，例如:

While I was playing football with Alex, William called me.
尋日我同 Alex 打緊波時，William 打俾我。

可以見到「長d」果個動作，即一直做緊果個，係用過去進行式 (while I was playing basketball)，「短d」果個，即期間發生果個，係用簡單過去式 (called me)。

While 多數係用黎講長d既動作，如上面果句 While I was playing football...，而 when 就係引出短d既動作，例如:

We were having dinner when the phone rang.

就係咁，總知想講過去做緊一樣野時，就要用 past continuous tense，但要記著所謂做緊，即係在指定時間期間正在進行。

用手