يُسمى أيضًا past progressive. الفعل بدأ قبل لحظة ماضية معينة وكان ما يزال جاريًا فيها. وهو زمن خلفيات القصص: الشمس كانت تسطع والناس يتحدثون وشخص يعزف الغيتار.
الصيغة was أو were مع -ing. تخيّل مشهدًا سينمائيًا: المستمر يصف الخلفية والبسيط الحدث المفاجئ، كرنين الهاتف أو فتح الباب. تساعد when وwhile في الربط بينهما.
تركيب الماضي المستمر
استخدم was مع I وhe وshe وit، وwere مع you وwe وthey، ثم الفعل مع -ing.
| النوع | التركيب | مثال بالإنجليزية |
|---|---|---|
| الإثبات | الفاعل + was/were + الفعل مع -ing | I was reading a magazine. They were playing basketball. |
| النفي | الفاعل + was/were + not + الفعل مع -ing | She wasn't listening. We weren't sleeping. |
| السؤال | (أداة استفهام +) was/were + الفاعل + الفعل مع -ing? | Were you working at six? What was he doing? |
| الإجابات القصيرة | Yes, الفاعل + was/were. / No, الفاعل + wasn't/weren't. | Yes, I was. No, they weren't. |
- wasn't = was not وweren't = were not. لا اختصار مثبت لـ was أو were: I was working, you were waiting.
- نضيف -ing: reading؛ نحذف e الصامتة: riding؛ ونبدّل -ie إلى y: lying. نضاعف الساكن الأخير بعد علة واحدة في فعل أحادي المقطع: sitting, swimming، باستثناء w وx وy: snowing. الأمريكية traveling والبريطانية travelling.
- تكون was وwere عادةً غير منبورتين وقصيرتين في الكلام، فتُنطق was مثل /wəz/. ويظهر النبر في الإجابات القصيرة والنفي: Yes, I was. No, it wasn't.
- أفعال الحالة know, want, like, need, believe, understand, belong لا تأخذ المستمر عادةً: I knew her name، وليس I was knowing her name.
متى نستخدم الماضي المستمر؟
فعل جارٍ في لحظة ماضية
بدأ قبل تلك اللحظة ولم يكن قد انتهى عندها.
- At seven o'clock this morning, I was jogging in the park.
- "Where were you at six?" "I was waiting for the bus."
- This time last year, we were living in Denver.
فعل طويل يقطعه حدث قصير
المستمر للفعل الأطول، والبسيط للحدث الذي وقع في أثنائه. عادةً تسبق when الحدث القصير وwhile الفعل الطويل.
- I was taking a shower when the doorbell rang.
- When the teacher came in, the students were talking loudly.
- While she was driving to work, she saw an accident.
فعلان جاريان في الوقت نفسه
نستخدم المستمر لكليهما، وغالبًا نربطهما بـ while.
- While I was cooking, my roommate was setting the table.
- The kids were playing outside while their parents were talking.
- Was anyone watching our bags while we were buying the tickets?
خلفية القصة
تبدأ القصص كثيرًا بالمستمر لوصف المشهد، ثم يأتي البسيط لسرد الأحداث الرئيسية.
- It was a dark night. Rain was falling, and the wind was blowing hard.
- The sun was shining, and children were swimming in the lake.
- Everyone was dancing and laughing. Suddenly, the lights went out.
نشاط استمر طوال فترة
مع all day أو all morning أو all evening يبرز المستمر دوام النشاط. يصح البسيط أيضًا لكنه يعرضه كحدث مكتمل واحد.
- I was studying all evening, so I didn't see your message.
- It was raining all day yesterday.
- They were working on the project all weekend.
كلمات وتعبيرات مرتبطة بالقاعدة
- while
- when
- as
- at that moment
- at the time
- at ten o'clock last night
- all day yesterday
- all morning
- all evening
- this time last year
- still
هذه قرائن لا قواعد مطلقة؛ فقد تربط when حدثين بسيطين متتابعين: When the bus came, we got on. وإذا بدأت الجملة بـ when أو while ضع فاصلة بعد الجزء الأول: While we were eating, it started to snow.
أمثلة
الإثبات
- I was listening to a podcast on the way to work.
- At nine last night, we were having dinner with friends.
- My sister was living in Chicago when she met her husband.
- The kids were making a lot of noise, so I closed the door.
النفي
- I wasn't sleeping when you called. I was just resting.
- They weren't paying attention during the lesson.
- She wasn't wearing a coat, so she felt cold.
- We weren't expecting visitors, so the house was a mess.
الأسئلة
- What were you doing at ten o'clock last night?
- Was it snowing when you left the office?
- Who were you talking to on the phone?
- Were they still waiting when you got there?
الماضي المستمر أم الماضي البسيط؟
الماضي البسيط يعرض الفعل مكتملًا، والمستمر يعرضه في أثناء حدوثه. was painting لا يؤكد اكتمال طلاء الغرفة، وpainted يؤكده. were having dinner يعني أنهم بدأوا قبل وصولنا، وhad dinner بعد وصولنا. was making breakfast عند السابعة يعني أن البدء سبقها، وmade breakfast عندها يعني أن البدء كان حينها. الاستمرار طوال الصباح يختلف عن عدّ ثلاث مرات مكتملة.
| الماضي المستمر | الماضي البسيط |
|---|---|
| I was painting the bedroom yesterday. (كان جاريًا وربما لم يكتمل) | I painted the bedroom yesterday. (اكتمل العمل) |
| When we arrived, they were having dinner. (بدأ العشاء قبل وصولنا) | When we arrived, they had dinner. (وصلنا أولًا ثم أكلوا) |
| At seven, I was making breakfast. (بدأت قبل السابعة) | At seven, I made breakfast. (بدأت عند السابعة) |
| It was snowing all morning. (التركيز على استمرار النشاط) | It snowed three times last week. (أحداث مكتملة نعدّها) |
أخطاء شائعة وسبب التصحيح
- خطأShe was knowing the way to the station.صوابShe knew the way to the station.
Know فعل حالة يأخذ عادةً الماضي البسيط لا المستمر.
- خطأI was watch TV when you called.صوابI was watching TV when you called.
في الماضي المستمر يأتي الفعل مع -ing بعد was أو were، لا مجردًا.
- خطأThey was playing in the backyard.صوابThey were playing in the backyard.
استخدم were مع you وwe وthey، وwas مع I وhe وshe وit.
- خطأWe were having lunch when the waiter was dropping a plate.صوابWe were having lunch when the waiter dropped a plate.
الحدث القصير الذي يقطع الفعل الطويل يأخذ الماضي البسيط.
- خطأWhen I was a child, I was playing soccer every Saturday.صوابWhen I was a child, I played soccer every Saturday.
العادات الماضية المعتادة تأخذ الماضي البسيط أو used to؛ والمستمر لفعل جارٍ في وقت معين.
- خطأWhat you were doing at eight o'clock?صوابWhat were you doing at eight o'clock?
في السؤال تتقدم was أو were على الفاعل.
The blackout
تظهر أمثلة الماضي المستمر مظللة في النص التالي.
Last Friday, our whole street lost power. It was about eight o'clock in the evening. I was helping my little brother with his homework, and my parents were watching a movie in the living room. Outside, it was raining hard, and the wind was shaking the windows. Suddenly, everything went dark. My brother screamed, and the dog started barking. While my dad was looking for a flashlight, my mom was trying to find some candles. When the lights came back on an hour later, nobody was doing homework anymore. We were all sitting on the floor, playing cards and laughing. My brother was winning, of course. "Can we have another blackout tomorrow?" he asked.
اختبر فهمك
اختر إجابة لكل سؤال إنجليزي؛ سيظهر تفسيرها بالعربية. تُحفظ نتيجتك في هذا المتصفح.
أسئلة شائعة
ما الماضي المستمر؟
was أو were ثم فعل مع -ing: I was working, they were sleeping. يصف فعلًا جاريًا في وقت ماضٍ معين، غالبًا خلفيةً لحدث آخر.
ما الفرق عن الماضي البسيط؟
البسيط يقدّم فعلًا مكتملًا: I painted the bedroom yesterday. والمستمر فعلًا جاريًا قد يقطعه حدث أو لا يكتمل: I was painting the bedroom when you called. في القصص المستمر للخلفية والبسيط للأحداث الرئيسية.
هل أستخدم when أم while؟
كلاهما شائع؛ while غالبًا قبل الفعل الأطول: While I was waiting, I read the news. وwhen قبل الحدث الأقصر: I was waiting when the bus came.
هل يصح I was knowing أو I was having a car؟
لا؛ know وwant وlike وneed وhave بمعنى الملكية أفعال حالة: I knew the answer, I had a car. أما have بمعنى نشاط فيصح معها المستمر: We were having lunch.
هل past continuous هو past progressive؟
نعم، اسمان للزمن نفسه: was/were + verb-ing، وكلاهما مستخدم في كتب القواعد.