A 形式
過(guò)去完成進(jìn)行時(shí)是由 had been+現(xiàn)在分詞構(gòu)成,因此無(wú)人稱變化:
I had/I’d been working
they had not/hadn’t been working
had you been working?
had you not/hadn’t you been working?
凡不能用于進(jìn)行時(shí)的動(dòng)詞均不能有這種時(shí)態(tài),但動(dòng)詞want(有時(shí)還有wish)除外:
The boy was delighted with his new knife.He had been wanting one fora long time.
男孩對(duì)新小刀很高興。他早就想要一把了。
注意:這一時(shí)態(tài)沒(méi)有被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài),像They had been picking ap-ples(他們一直在摘蘋果)這樣的句子,最近似的被動(dòng)式是Ap-ples had been picked(蘋果已摘完),實(shí)際上這兩種說(shuō)法意思并不相同。(參見下面B3。)
B 用法
過(guò)去完成進(jìn)行時(shí)與過(guò)去完成時(shí)之間的關(guān)系,同現(xiàn)在完成進(jìn)行時(shí)與現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)之間的關(guān)系相同。(參見第192節(jié)。)
1 表示動(dòng)作在所說(shuō)的過(guò)去某一時(shí)刻之前就已開始并持續(xù)到那一時(shí)刻或者在那一時(shí)刻之前剛剛停止時(shí),常常可以用兩個(gè)時(shí)態(tài)中的任一個(gè)(參見第192節(jié)A):
It was now six and he was tired because he had worked since dawn.
已經(jīng)6點(diǎn)了,他感到很累,因?yàn)樗麖奶炝疗鹨恢惫ぷ鞯浆F(xiàn)在。相當(dāng)于:
It was now six and he was tired because he had been working since dawn.
那時(shí)正是6點(diǎn),他因從一大早就干活而累了。
2 用過(guò)去完成時(shí)表示的反復(fù)的動(dòng)作,有時(shí)可以作為一種連續(xù)的動(dòng)作用過(guò)去完成進(jìn)行時(shí)表示(參見第192節(jié)B):
he had tried five times to get her on the phone.
他曾試著打了五次電話要找她。
He had been trying to get her on the phone.
他一直在試著打電話找她。
3 一個(gè)用過(guò)去完成時(shí)表達(dá)的單一動(dòng)作和一個(gè)用過(guò)去完成進(jìn)行時(shí)表達(dá)的動(dòng)作不同(參見第192節(jié)C):
By six o’clock he had repaired the engine.
到6點(diǎn)鐘時(shí)他已經(jīng)修好發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)了。(這項(xiàng)工作已經(jīng)完成。)
但He had been repairing the engine(他一直在修理發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī))僅告訴我們他在前面的時(shí)間/前半小時(shí)里做什么,而并不告訴我們這項(xiàng)工作是否完成。
另一個(gè)區(qū)別是,由過(guò)去完成進(jìn)行時(shí)表示的動(dòng)作常持續(xù)進(jìn)行直到或甚至超過(guò)說(shuō)話的時(shí)間(這個(gè)時(shí)間是在過(guò)去)。而由過(guò)去完成時(shí)表示的動(dòng)作雖可以發(fā)生在這一說(shuō)話時(shí)間之前不久,但動(dòng)作與說(shuō)話之間可以有較長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間間隔:
He had been painting the door.
他當(dāng)時(shí)一直在油漆門。(油漆大概還未干。)
He had painted the door.