如：He told me that he was going soon. 他告诉我他很快就要走了。
3、表示故事发生的背景。
It was snowing as the medical team made its way to the front.
那支医疗小组往前线行进时，天正下着雪。
4、表示一个新的动作刚刚开始。
过去进行时可用来引出一个新的动作，这种用法颇有点儿像镜头转换。
Five minutes later,he stood in the doorway smoking a cigarette.
5分钟后，他已站在门口抽着烟。
5、过去进行时还可和when结构遥相呼应，含有意外之意。
I was walking in the street when someone called me.
我正在街上走时突然有人喊我。
6、用来陈述原因或用作借口。
She went to the doctor yesterday. She was having a lot of trouble with her heart.
她昨天去看病了。她患了很严重的心脏病。
7、与always,constantly等词连用，表示感情色彩。
The girl was always changing her mind.
这女孩老是改变主意。