ところだった ②
Meanings
- Was just about to do something
- Was in the middle of doing something
- Almost happened but didn't
About this pattern
Explanation
ところだった ② conveys that something almost happened or you were in the middle of doing something when something interrupted or changed the situation. It emphasizes the near-miss or the moment just before a different outcome. Commonly used when recalling a recent event where the plan or action was nearly completed or interrupted. The form with 〜ている + ところだった is especially used to describe being in the middle of an ongoing action.
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Example sentences
I was just about to leave a moment ago; it started raining.
I was in the middle of a phone call, but a friend came and interrupted me.
I was about to finish the report, but an urgent matter came up.
I was in the middle of cooking a meal when the power outage happened.
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More N2 patterns
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