4. 利用主句过去时谓语考查从句过去时的用法

(1)The flowers were so lovely that they ______ in no time. (全国I)

A. sold   B. had been sold          C. were sold     D. would sell

【解析】C。根据前面的过去式谓语were可知，后面也要用一般过去时；再根据“花”与“卖”的关系可知，此处要用被动语态，故选C。

(2)The play had already been on for quite some time when we ______ at the New Theatre. (浙江卷)

A. have arrived     B. arrived    C. had arrived    D. arrive

【解析】B。由于句中的had already been用的是过去完成时，而根据句意，arrive显然应发生在其后，故要用一般过去时。全句意为：当我们到达新剧院时，戏已经演了好一会儿了

综观所有的过去进行时考题，它们无一例外地有个共同特点，就是考查在特定语境背景下某一动作正在进行的情形。请看实例：

(1)―It was really very kind of you to give me a lift home.

―Oh, don’t mention it. I ______ past your house anyway. (北京卷)

A. was coming     B. will come C. had come       D. have come

【解析】A。根据前面一句中的was可知，搭车的事发生在过去，所以“我开车要经过你的家门口”也发生在过去，因此可排除B和D。而在剩下的A和C中，不能选C，是因为C为过去完成时，表示“过去的过去”，与句意不符。

(2)―I saw Jane and her boyfriend in the park at eight yesterday evening.

―Impossible. She ______ TV with me in my home then. (福建卷)

A. watched    B. had watched   C. would watch                D. was watching

【解析】D。表示过去正在进行的动作，用过去进行时。第二句的意思是：不可能。她当时与我一起在我家看电视。

(3)―Is there anything wrong, Bob? You look sad.

―Oh, nothing much. In fact, I ______ of my friends back home. (全国II)

A. have just thought    B. was just thinking

C. would just think     D. will just be thinking

【解析】B。指刚刚在想念老家的朋友，故用过去进行时。

(4)―Did you see a man in black pass by just now?

―No, sir. I ______ a newspaper. (四川卷)

A. read   B. was reading    C. would read     D. am reading

【解析】B。由于我刚才“正在看报”(was reading a newspaper)，所以没有看到有人经过。根据语境，显然只有B最佳