过去进行时
过去进行时表示过去某一时刻或者某段时间正在进行或发生的动作,常和表过去的时间状语连用,如:
1. I was doing my homework at this time yesterday.
  昨天的这个时候我正在做作业。
2. They were waiting for you yesterday.
  他们昨天一直在等你。
3. He was cooking in the kitchen at 12 o'clock yesterday.
  昨天12点,他正在厨房烧饭。

过去进行时的构成:
肯定形式:主语+was/were+V-ing
否定形式:主语+was not (wasn't)/were not (weren't)+V-ing
疑问形式:Was/Were+主语+V-ing。

基本用法:
1. 过去进行时表示过去某一段时间或某一时刻正在进行的动作。常与之连用的时间状语有,at that time/moment, (at) this time yesterday (last night/Sunday/week…), at+点钟+yesterday (last night / Sunday…),when sb. did sth.等时间状语从句,如:
  1)What were you doing at 7p.m. yesterday?
   昨天晚上七点你在干什么?
  2)I first met Mary three years ago. She was working at a radio shop at the time.
   我第一次遇到玛丽是在三年前,当时她在一家无线电商店工作。
  3)I was cooking when she knocked at the door.
   她敲门时我正在做饭。

后通常用表示暂短性动词,while后通常用表示持续性动词,而while所引导的状语从句中,谓语动词常用进行时态,如:When the car exploded I was walking past it. = While I was walking past the car it exploded.
用作并列连词时,主句常用进行时态,从句则用一般过去时,表示主句动作发生的过程中,另一个意想不到的动作发生了。如:
I was walking in the street when someone called me.
我正在街上走时突然有人喊我。

作并列连词,表示“(这时)突然”之意时,第一个并列分句用过去进行时,when引导的并列分句用一般过去时。如:
  1)I was taking a walk when I met him.
   我正在散步,突然遇见了他。
  2)We were playing outside when it began to rain.
   我们正在外边玩,这时下起雨来了。

过去进行时和一般过去时的用法比较:
  1)过去进行时表示过去正在进行的动作,而一般过去时则表示一个完整的动作。
  例如:They were writing letters to their friends last night.
     昨晚他们在写信给他们的朋友。(没有说明信是否写完)
     They wrote letters to their friends last night.
    他们昨晚写了信给他们的朋友。(表达了他们已写好的意思,整个写的过程已完成。)
  2)当动作延续较长时间时或表示厌烦、赞美等感情色彩时,常用过去进行时表示。
  例如:He was thinking more of others than of himself.
     他考虑别人的比考虑自己的多。(表示说话者赞扬的口气)
     The boy was always making trouble then.
     那时,他总是惹麻烦。(表示说话者厌烦的口气)
3. 状语从句:
  在复合句中,修饰主句的动词,形容词或副词等的从句叫做状语从句。状语从句根据它表达的意思可分为时间、原因、条件、比较、目的、结果和让步等类型。
   (根据考试说明,前四个要求掌握,其它要求理解)
  时间状语(常由下列从属连词引导)
   when, as ,while (当……时候; 一边…… 一边……;在……期间),
   before(在……之前), after (在……之后), as soon as(一…… 就…… )
   since (自从……时起到现在), till/until (直到……时) 等
例如:
  1)When my cousin came yesterday, I was playing volleyball.
   昨天我表哥来的时候,我在打排球。
  2)When the air moves, it is called wind.
   空气流动,就产生风。
  3)As the boys walked along the lake, they sang happily.
   这些男孩一边沿湖边走,一边愉快地唱歌。
  4)While I was sleeping, the UFO arrived.
   当我在睡觉时,UFO到达了。

when和while引导时间状语从句的区别:
when表示“当……的时候”。从句中既可用延续性动词,又可用非延续性动词,这些动词既可以表示动作,又可表示状态。从句中的动作既可和主句的动作同时发生,又可在主句的动作之前或之后发生。
例如:Mary was having dinner when I saw her.
     The boy was still sleeping when his mother got home yesterday morning.
     When the teacher came in, the students stopped talking.
while表示“在……的时候”、“在……期间” 、“一边……一边……”。while从句中必须是表示动作或状态的延续性动词。它强调主句的动作与从句的动作同时发生或主句的动作发生在从句的动作过程中。
例如:The weather was fine while we were in Beijing.
   She called while I was out.
   I was drawing while my brother was reading.
   He likes reading a newspaper while he is waiting for the bus.
如果主句的动作在从句的动作过程中发生,从句常用进行时。
例如:While we were swimming, someone stole our clothes.
   Don't talk so loud while others are working.

有时when 和while 可以转换使用。
例如:The girl was watching TV when the alien got in.
when和while引导的时间状语从句与这一时态连用。所以区别when和while的用法成了这一单元的难点。
(一)、when,while都有“当……时候”的意思。
when既可表示某一点时间,也可以表示某一段时间 。在when引导的时间状语从句中,其谓语动词可以是延续性的,也可以是非延续性的,可与主句中的谓语动词同时发生,也可在其后发生。
例如: 1、I was just reading a book when she came into my room.
她走进我房间时,我正在看书。
2、Were you writing when the teacher came in?
老师进来的时候,你在写信吗?
3、When he was a child he was always trying out new ideas.
他小时候就常常试验一些新的设想。

(二)、while只能表示某一段时间,不能表示某一点时间。在while引导的时间状语从句中,其谓语动词只能是延续性的,而且也只能与主句中的谓语动词同时发生或存在。
例1、While Jim was mending his bike, Lin Tao came to see him.
正当吉姆修自行车时,林涛来看他。
2、You can’t do your homework while you’re watching TV.
你不能一边看电视一边做家庭作业。

(三)、另外,when和while的区别还在于:while引导的时间状语从句多用进行时态,而when引导的时间状语从句多用一般时态。
例如:
1、While they were talking , the bell rang.
正在他们谈话的时候,上课铃响了。
2、I was doing my homework when my mother came back home yesterday evening.
昨天晚上妈妈回家的时候,我正在做家庭作
通过观察,我们可以这样理解:when引导的从句里动作发生的时间相对主句动作发生的时间要短些;while引导的从句里的动作发生的时间相对主句而言更长些。

引申讲解:
When,While,As引导时间状语从句的区别
when,while,as显然都可以引导时间状语从句,但用法区别非常大。
一、when可以和延续性动词连用,也可以和短暂性动词连用;而while和as只能和延续性动词连用。
① Why do you want a new job when you’ve got such a good one already?(get为短暂性动词)你已经找到如此好的工作,为何还想再找新的?
②Sorry,I was out when you called me.(call为短暂性动词)对不起,你打电话时我刚好外出了。
③Strike while the iron is hot.(is为延续性动词,表示一种持续的状态)趁热打铁。
④ The students took notes as they listened.(listen为延续性动词)学生们边听课边做笔记。

二、when从句的谓语动词可以在主句谓语动作之前、之后或同时发生;while和as从句的谓语动作必须是和主句谓语动作同时发生。
1.从句动作在主句动作前发生,只用 when。
①When he had finished his homework,he took a short rest.(finished先发生)当他完成作业后,他休息了一会儿。
②When I got to the airport,the guests had left.(got to后发生)
当我赶到飞机场时,客人们已经离开了。
2从句动作和主句动作同时发生,且从句动作为延续性动词时,when,while,as都可用。
①When /While /As we were dancing,a stranger came in.(dance为延续性动词)当我们跳舞时,一位陌生人走了进来。
②When /While /As she was making a phone call,I was writing a letter.(make为延续性动词)当她在打电话时,我正在写信。
3.当主句、从句动作同时进行,从句动作的时间概念淡化,而主要表示主句动作发生的背景或条件时,只能用 as。这时,as常表示“随着……”;“一边……,一边……”之意。
① As the time went on,the weather got worse.(as表示“随着……”之意)
② The atmosphere gets thinner and thinner as the height increases.
随着高度的增加,大气越来越稀薄。
③As years go by,China is getting stronger and richer.
随着时间一年一年过去,中国变得越来越富强了。
④The little girls sang as they went.小姑娘们一边走,一边唱。
⑤The sad mother sat on the roadside,shouting as she was crying.
伤心的妈妈坐在路边,边哭边叫。
4.在将来时从句中,常用when,且从句须用一般时代替将来时。
①You shall borrow the book when I have finished reading it.在我读完这本书后,你可以借阅。
②When the manager comes here for a visit next week,Ill talk with him about this.下周,经理来这参观时,我会和他谈谈此事。

三、when用于表示“一……就……”的句型中(指过去的事情)。
sb.had hardly(=scarcely) done sth.when...=Hardly / Scarcely had sb.done sth.when...
①I had hardly /scarcely closed my eyes when someone knocked at the door.=Hardly / Scarcely had I closed my eyes when someone knocked at the door.我刚一闭上眼,就有人在敲门了。
②I had hardly /scarcely entered my room when the telephone rang.=Hardly /Scarcely had I entered my room when the telephone rang.
我刚一走进房门,电话就响了。
When\while\as的区别
①when是at or during the time that, 既指时间点,也可指一段时间;
while是during the time that,只指一段时间,因此when引导的时间状语从句中的动词可以是终止性动词,也可以是延续性动词,而while从句中的动词必须是延续性动词。
②when 说明从句的动作和主句的动作可以是同时,也可以是先后发生;while 则强调主句的动作在从句动作的发生的过程中或主从句两个动作同时发生。
③由when引导的时间状语从句,主句用过去进行时,从句应用一般过去时;如果从句和主句的动作同时发生,两句都用过去进行时的时候,多用while引导,如:
a. When the teacher came in, we were talking.
当此句改变主从句的位置时,则为:
While we were talking, the teacher came in.
b. They were singing while we were dancing.
④when和while 还可作并列连词。when表示“在那时”;while表示“而,却”,表对照关系。如:
a. The children were running to move the bag of rice when they heard the sound of a motor bike.
孩子们正要跑过去搬开那袋米,这时他们听到了摩托车的声音。
b. He is strong while his brother is weak.
他长得很结实,而他弟弟却很瘦弱。
具体你可以参考这一段。