A 形式過去完成進行時是由 had been+現(xiàn)在分詞構成,因此無人稱變化:
I had/I’d been workingthey had not/hadn’t been workinghad you been working?
had you not/hadn’t you been working?
凡不能用于進行時的動詞均不能有這種時態(tài),但動詞want(有時還有wish)除外:
The boy was delighted with his new knife.He had been wanting one fora long time.男孩對新小刀很高興。他早就想要一把了。
注意:這一時態(tài)沒有被動語態(tài),像They had been picking ap-ples(他們一直在摘蘋果)這樣的句子,最近似的被動式是Ap-ples had been picked(蘋果已摘完),實際上這兩種說法意思并不相同。(參見下面B3。)B 用法過去完成進行時與過去完成時之間的關系,同現(xiàn)在完成進行時與現(xiàn)在完成時之間的關系相同。(參見第192節(jié)。)1 表示動作在所說的過去某一時刻之前就已開始并持續(xù)到那一時刻或者在那一時刻之前剛剛停止時,常??梢杂脙蓚€時態(tài)中的任一個(參見第192節(jié)A):
It was now six and he was tired because he had worked since dawn.已經6點了,他感到很累,因為他從天亮起一直工作到現(xiàn)在。相當于:
It was now six and he was tired because he had been working since dawn.那時正是6點,他因從一大早就干活而累了。
2 用過去完成時表示的反復的動作,有時可以作為一種連續(xù)的動作用過去完成進行時表示(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 一個用過去完成時表達的單一動作和一個用過去完成進行時表達的動作不同(參見第192節(jié)C):
By six o’clock he had repaired the engine.到6點鐘時他已經修好發(fā)動機了。(這項工作已經完成。)但He had been repairing the engine(他一直在修理發(fā)動機)僅告訴我們他在前面的時間/前半小時里做什么,而并不告訴我們這項工作是否完成。
另一個區(qū)別是,由過去完成進行時表示的動作常持續(xù)進行直到或甚至超過說話的時間(這個時間是在過去)。而由過去完成時表示的動作雖可以發(fā)生在這一說話時間之前不久,但動作與說話之間可以有較長的時間間隔:
He had been painting the door.他當時一直在油漆門。(油漆大概還未干。)He had painted the door.