I am curious to know how this list could be used. As a native speaker I do
not think about the ways in which the progressive is used. Is this the kind
of information that learners can use? If so, how do they use it?

Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com

On 2/25/09, Martin Senger <MSenger at gecac.org> wrote:

>

>  Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)

>

>

>

> I’m sorry I haven’t replied sooner to this thread, but I was camping in the

> great (and snowy) Allegany Mts. Of western NY.

>

>

>

> I have found five (5) distinct reasons for using the past progressive, and

> I would like the list to “tear them apart” as it were:

>

>

>

> 1)      PAST ACT HAPPENING AT SPECIFIC TIME: I *was reading* a book at

> 8:00 last night. (I started reading sometime before 8:00 and finished

> sometime after 8:00).

>

>

>

> 2)      1ST PAST ACT ALREADY HAPPENING WHEN 2ND PAST ACT BEGINS: I *was

> reading* when the lights went out.

>

>

>

> 3)      2 SIMULTANEOUS PAST ACTS: I *was reading * while my wife *was

> watching* TV.

>

>

>

> 4)      INTERRUPTED PAST ACT: Last weekend I *was cleaning* the garage. (I

> didn’t finish because I ran out of time)

>

>

>

> 5)      PAST HABITUAL COMPLAINT: He *was always coming* late to class.

>

>

>

> Any suggestions, critiques and criticisms would be greatly welcomed. At

> least about my grammar.

>

>

>

> Ciao!

>

>

>

> Martin E. Senger

>

> *Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,*

>

> G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Benjamin Wiley Learning Center

>

> Erie, Pa.

>

> *Co-Director,***

>

> ESL Special Interest Group

>

> Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)

>

>

>

> *From:* englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *Bonnie Odiorne

> *Sent:* Monday, February 16, 2009 10:06 AM

> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 3901] Re: past progressive

>

>

>

> I go with present participle, acting as adjective.

>

> Bonnie Odiorne, Writing Center Post University

>

>

>

>

>

>  ------------------------------

>

> *From:* "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com>

> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <

> englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> *Sent:* Saturday, February 14, 2009 8:13:38 PM

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 3898] Re: past progressive

>

> Hi Stephen

>

>

>

> You could consider your example an elliptical phrase where something like*

> * “engaged in the process of”  is left out, leaving you just with

> “daydreaming and ignoring” ;  so  it could be a gerund.

>

>

>

> So the full sentence could be “*Nelly and Francois chatted as I gazed

> lazily out the window, engaged in the process of **daydreaming **and **ignoring

> **their conversation."*

>

> * *

>

> *Best *

>

> * *

>

> *Heide Spruck Wrigley*

>

> *Mesilla, NM *

>

> * *

>

>

>

>

>

> *From:* englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] *On Behalf Of *stephen churchville

> *Sent:* Saturday, February 14, 2009 6:10 AM

> *To:* englishlanguage at nifl.gov

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 3896] Re: past progressive

>

>

>

> A week or so there was thread on the past progressive tense, but I didn't

> see any discussion of this usage and am very curious:

> "Nelly and Francois chatted as I gazed lazily out the window, *daydreaming

> *and *ignoring *their conversation."

> (If there was a good explanation in the thread or Azar, I apologize for

> missing it and repeating what was asked).

>

> What is the role of "*daydreaming *and *ignoring" *in this example? Can it

> be past progressive without starting a new clause, with a subject and

> auxilliary "be"? Certainly not gerunds.

>

> thanks

>

>

> Stephen J Churchville

> www.LessonWriter.com <http://www.lessonwriter.com/>

>  ------------------------------

>

> Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it

> out.<http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_AE_Faster_022009>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult English Language Learners mailing list

> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage

> Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com

>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090225/655802d7/attachment.html