有一读者问： 我在一本英国小说中遇到过：
(1)I looked afterward at the principal news page. The Secretary for Education was announcing a six-year plan to eliminate illiterary in the north — why the north in particular?
这里的was announcing应如何理解？ 为何不用announced呢？
was announcing与announced在此区别不大，亦指动作已完成，并无正在延续的含义。如细加揣摩，announced强调一个过去事实，仅此而已；was announcing则似乎有“最后结果如何尚不清楚”的内涵。有人说进行时态可以表一种在延续的结果，也许这里的was announcing即属于这种情况。再试比较：
(2)He told me about it.此事他已全告诉我了。
(3)He was telling me about it. 此事他跟我谈起过。
