sigoto ni hokori wo motte imasita.

Because the pattern is X に 誇りを持つ, which means to take pride in X or to have pride in X.

In this sentence:

• 仕事に = in one’s work / about one’s work
• 誇りを持つ = to have pride

So に marks the thing that the pride is directed toward.

A very literal breakdown is:

• 仕事に = toward the work
• 誇りを = pride
• 持っていました = was having / had

This is just the normal Japanese pattern for this expression.

Because 誇り is the direct object of 持つ.

The verb 持つ literally means to hold or to have, so in grammar terms, the thing being held/had is marked by を.

So:

• 誇りを持つ = to have pride

Even though English says be proud of something, Japanese often expresses it as have pride in something.

Literally, yes, 持つ often means to hold or to carry, but in this sentence it is being used in a more abstract sense: to have.

Japanese uses 持つ in many abstract expressions, for example:

• 興味を持つ = to have interest
• 自信を持つ = to have confidence
• 疑問を持つ = to have doubts/questions
• 誇りを持つ = to have pride

So here it does not mean physically holding pride. It means to possess that feeling.

持っていました is the -te iru form in the past polite style.

• 持ちました = had / held
• 持っていました = was having / had over a period of time / had been in that state

With a verb like 持つ, especially in an abstract expression like 誇りを持つ, 〜ている often describes an ongoing state. So 持っていました suggests that this was not just a one-time moment. It was a continuing condition in the past.

In natural English, this is often still translated simply as:

• He/She had pride in their work
• He/She was proud of their work

So the Japanese has a bit of a sense of duration, even if English does not always show it clearly.

Because 〜ている does not only mean an action in progress. It also often shows a resulting state or an ongoing condition.

For example:

• 結婚している = is married
  not usually is getting married
• 知っている = know
  not is knowing

Similarly:

• 誇りを持っている = have pride / be proud

So in this sentence, 持っていました is best understood as describing a state that continued in the past.

Yes. That is also a very natural sentence.

• 仕事に誇りを持っていました
• 仕事を誇りに思っていました

Both mean something like was proud of their work.

There is a slight difference in structure:

• 誇りを持つ = to have pride
• 誇りに思う = to regard something as a source of pride / to feel proud of something

Both are common. The original sentence is a very standard way to express pride in one’s job or work.

仕事 usually means work, job, or one’s duties/tasks, depending on context.

職業 means occupation or profession in a more formal, category-like sense.

So:

• 仕事に誇りを持つ = to take pride in one’s work / job
• 職業に誇りを持つ = to take pride in one’s profession

In many cases, 仕事 sounds more natural if you mean the actual work someone does.

The subject is omitted, which is very common in Japanese.

So 仕事に誇りを持っていました could mean:

• I was proud of my work
• He was proud of his work
• She was proud of her work
• They were proud of their work

You figure out the subject from context.

Japanese often leaves out information that is already understood, especially subjects like I, he, or she.

Yes. 持っていました is polite past style.

Here are the related forms:

• dictionary form: 持つ
• plain past: 持っていた
• polite non-past: 持っています
• polite past: 持っていました

So this sentence would sound normal in polite narration, conversation, or writing.

Yes, that is possible, but it is slightly different.

• 仕事に誇りを持っていました focuses on having pride as a personal attitude.
• 仕事に誇りがありました states that there was pride in relation to the work.

The original sentence with 持っていました often sounds a bit more personal and active, as if the person consciously held that pride.

A helpful breakdown is:

• 仕事に = in one’s work
• 誇りを = pride
• 持っていました = had / was proud

So the structure is:

thing proud of + に + pride + を + have

Japanese puts the verb at the end, so the core pattern is:

X に 誇り を 持つ

This is one of those patterns that is best learned as a chunk.

It is read:

しごと に ほこり を もって いました。

A few notes:

• 仕事 = しごと
• 誇り = ほこり
• 持って = もって

Be careful with ほこり, because depending on the kanji it can mean different things:

• 誇り = pride
• 埃 = dust

They are both pronounced ほこり, so the kanji or context tells you which one it is.

Yes, 誇り is a common and important word. It means pride in a positive sense, often dignity, honor, or professional pride.

In 仕事に誇りを持つ, it often suggests:

• caring about the quality of one’s work
• having professional dignity
• respecting what one does

So it is stronger and more meaningful than just saying someone liked their job. It suggests a deeper sense of value and self-respect connected to the work.