crutches

Simple past vagy past continuous? A past continuous ugyanolyan logika alapján működik, mint a present continuous. Éppen valami történik (present), ill. történt (past). Itt egy példa:
1. She looked out of the window. (Kinézett az ablakon)
2. She was looking out of the window (Nézett ki az ablakon.)
[A két igeidőben különbözőképp használjuk az igekötőt magyarul.]

A két mondatot valószínűleg különböző módon fejezhetnénk be/bővíthetnénk ki:
1. She looked out of the window and then sat at her desk. (Kinézett az ablakon és aztán az leült az asztalához.) - Ezek mind befejezett, egész cselekmények. Egymást követik.
2. a) She was looking out of the window when the telephone rang (Épp nézett ki az ablakon amikor megszólalt a telefon.) -  Erre a mondatra a  befejezetlenség jellemző,  a  nézésnek csak egy szakaszát látjuk, egy hosszú folyamatnak ábrázolódik, aminek során sok minden történhet (pl. szólhat a telefon).
2. b) The woman was looking out of the window and the man was sitting at his desk. (A nő nézett ki az ablakon és a férfi az asztalánál ült.) Ezek befejezetlen cselekvések, csak egy szeletet látunk belőlük, így nyilván nem is követhetik egymást, mert csak befejezett cselekvéseket tudunk egymás után pakolni (lásd első mondat). A 2b) mondat olyankor hangozhat el amikor egy helyzetet írunk körül: ő épp itt volt, ő meg amott, a nap sütött, a madarak visítottak stb stb.

Hirtelen mozgásoknál ezért nem nagyon használunk folyamatost, mert az például furcsa lenne, hogy Éppen ült lefele, amikor...

Mr Lee's office is in the City of London. It is not far from Tower Bridge. It's on the fifth floor of a modern buliding.
    On Friday morning Mr Lee __________ (not be) in his office. He __________ (be) in another architect's office. Only his secretary and his typist __________ (be) in his office. They weren't working, because Mr Lee, their boss, wasn't in.
    The typist  __________ (sit) at a small table. There was a typewriter on the table, but she __________ (type) . She  __________ (cut) her nails. There were two large windows in the room. The sun __________ (shine) and the sky was blue. The windows were open. Between the windows there was a bookcase with a lot of books. The secratary  __________ (stand) near the books. He  __________ (hold) a book in his hand but he  __________ (not read) . He __________ (look) out of the window. After a few minutes the secretary __________ (put) the book back, and went to his desk. He sat down and __________ (put) his feet on the desk. He __________ (take) a newspaper from the desk and __________ (begin) to read.
    The typist __________ (stop) cutting her nails, __________ (look) at her fingers and __________ (get) up. She __________ (go) to the window and __________ (look) out.
    The secretary  __________ (read) and the typist  __________ (look) out of the window when the telephone  __________ (ring). The telephone was on his desk but he  __________ (not stop) reading and he  __________ (not lift) the receiver. The telephone  __________ (ring), she  __________ (look) out of the window and he __________ (read). Nothing happened. At last he __________ (say) to her,"Answer the phone please." She didn't even turn around. "It's on your desk," she __________ (say) sleepily.He __________ (ask) her again to answer the phone. "I must read this newspaper", he said. "Oh must you really?" she  __________ (say). "All right." She __________ (go) to the phone and __________ (lift) the receiver.
 - It didn't hurt, did it? - said the voice from the phone.