PAST SIMPLE 一般过去时
我们已经学习了用过去进来表现在过去的某个时间点发生并且已经完全结束的事情。下面的对话中包含了过去的肯定句、疑问句、否定句:
Man They moved out of London ten years ago. 他们10年前就搬出伦敦了。
Woman Why did they move? 他们为什么要搬。
Man They didn’t like living in the city. 他们不喜欢住在城里。
PAST CONT6INUOUS 过去进行时
想要说在过去某一时间点持续发生的事情的时候,或者是想说在某个事情发生的同时另一个体事情正在进行的时候,我们都可以用过去进行时。下面的对话包含了过去进行时的句、疑问句、否定句
Man At midnight, we were will having dinner.半夜了我们还在吃晚餐。
Woman Were you still eating when John arrived? 约翰到的时候你们还在吃吗?
Man No, we weren’t eating; we were washing the dishes. 没有,我们不吃了,我们在洗碗。
THE FORM ‘USED TO’: POSITIVE used to 的肯定形式
想说过去的某种或者习惯性的行为的时候,意思即“曾经是这样的”、过去常常……但是现在不是了。“这时候一般used to 来表达:
Man I treated a man with two broken legs yesterday. 昨晚我医治了一位两腿骨折的人。
Woman Oh, I thought you were a teacher, but now I’m a doctor. 不,我以前是教师,现在是一名医生。
Man What is your favourite kind of music. 你最喜欢哪种音乐?
Woman Well, I used to like pop music. But now I prefer jazz. 过去我喜欢浒音乐,但是现在我喜欢爵士乐。
THE FORM ‘SUED TO: NEGATIVE used to 的否定形式
在否定句中,used to 变成了did not use to.一般我们使用缩写的didn’t use to:
Woman I like this music. 我喜欢这个音乐。
Man But you don’t like classical music. 但是你不喜欢古典音乐。
Woman I didn’t to like classical music, but I do now.
我过去不喜欢古典音乐,但是现在喜欢。
THE FORM‘USED TO: INTERROGATIVE used to 的疑问形式
在疑问句中,used to 变成了Did …use to…?
Man Hello, I haven’t seen you before.你好,我以前没见过你。
Woman No. I’ve only lived here for a few days. 是阿,我搬到这儿才几天时间。
Man Where did you use to live? 你以前住在哪儿?
Woman I used to live in Africa. 我以前在非洲。
‘USED TO’+ ‘NOT NOW’ used to + not now
在使用used to 的进修一般都暗含了“但是现在却不是这样的,所以为了强调这一点我们也经常加上not now这个短语:
I used to be a communist , but not now.
I used to be a doctor, but now I’m a teacher.
I used top live in the country, but I don’t now.
I didn’t use to make, but I do now.
‘USED TO’ + NOT ANY LONGER’ / ‘NOT ANY MOVE’ used to = not any longer / not any more
有时候我们为了强调“现在再不这样了”会用not any longer或者not any more的表达
I used to have a dog, but not any more.
They used to come here often, but they don’t any more.
She used to work in London, but she doesn’t any longer.
He used to smoke a pipe, but not any longer.
‘USED TO’ + ‘WHEN’… used to + when
我们也经常把used to 和由when引导的从句放在一直使用:
I used to have a parrot when I was a child.我小的时候曾有一只鹦鹉。
She used to be a singer when she was young. 她做过歌手。
“HOW LONG?’ AND ‘HOW MANY TIMES?’ 表示过去的事持续的时间和次数
想象说过去的某个事情持续了多久或者曾经经历了多少次的时候,我们不是用used to ,而是使用实义动词的过去时。让我们来看一下例句:
Man I used to have a hamster when I was young. 我小的时候有一只仓鼠。
Woman How long did you have it? 你养了它多长时间?
Man I had it for about two years. 你养了它大约两年。
Woman We used to have holidays in Italy when I was young. 我小的时候曾经去意大利旅游过。
Man How many times did you go there?你去过那儿几次?
Woman I went there about ten times when I was a child.当我还是一个孩子的时候,我去过大约10次。
但是,在询问How often…?或者想说three times a weeks 之类的意思,即关于频率的时候,我们可以用used to 来表示,这是因为我们所说的事情是习惯性的。例如:
Man I used to ply golf a lot when I was a teenager. 我十几岁的时候经常打高尔夫。