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Past Continuous는 배경이 되는 진행 행동, Past Simple은 완료된 사건(특히 끼어든 사건)을 나타냅니다.
핵심 규칙
- 긴 배경 행동에는 Past Continuous를 쓴다.
- 짧고 완료된 사건에는 Past Simple을 쓴다.
- 전형 패턴: was ...ing when + past simple
- when은 사건, while은 배경과 잘 어울린다.
- 모든 문장에 두 시제가 동시에 필요한 것은 아니다.
예문
- I was walking when it started to rain. - 제가 걷고 있을 때 비가 내리기 시작했습니다.
- She called while I was sleeping. - 제가 자고 있는 동안 그녀가 전화했습니다.
- We were having dinner when the lights went out. - 우리가 저녁을 먹고 있을 때 불이 꺼졌습니다.
- He fell while he was running. - 그는 달리다가 넘어졌습니다.
- They were driving home when they saw the accident. - 그들은 집으로 운전하던 중 사고를 봤습니다.
자주 하는 실수
- ❌ I walked when it was starting to rain. -> ✅ I was walking when it started to rain.
- ❌ She was calling while I slept. -> ✅ She called while I was sleeping.
- ❌ We had dinner when the lights were going out. -> ✅ We were having dinner when the lights went out.