| I/He had been readingThey had been reading | I/He had not been readingThey had not been reading | HadI/he been reading Hadthey been reading |
I'd been reading I hadn't been reading
The Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous
| Past Perfect | Past Perfect Continuous | |
| ? | . | , . |
| ? | by 5 'clock yesterday before he came by the end of the last week | for a month/3 days/ for a long time... before/when.. since 5 o'clock/when he left |
| He had finishedhis work before I came. I had writtenthe paper by the end of the last week. | He had been workingfor 5 hours when they arrived. She had been crying before 1 came in. |
Self check.
Ex. 1. (A, B) Put the verb in brackets into the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. Clouds (gather) all day and now rain came down in sheets. 2. "I'm coming all right," said Mr Dilinger, who (shiver) for the last ten minutes. 3. I realized that he had come away with me in order to discuss once more what he already (discuss) for hours with his sister-in-law. 4. I slowly released a breath and only then realized that I (hold) it for some time.
Ex. 2. (B) Put the verb in brackets into the Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. When I (left) home, the snow already (stop). 2. It (was) 6 p.m. and Jack (was) tired because he (work) hard all day. 3. He clearly (listen) to our conversation and I (wondered) how much he (hear). 4. She (said) she (teach) at this school for twenty years. 5. He (said) he just (finish) the book he (read) all this time. 6. The postman (came) after lunch and (brought) me a letter which I (expect) for a long time. 7. It (rain) since the morning, and the fields (were) quite muddy.
9. Compare:
| Past Indefinite | Past Continuous | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Continuous |
| He workedon Monday and Tuesday last week. | He was working all day long yesterday. | He had worked at a restaurant before he started his own business. | He had been workingfor two hours when his brother came. |
Self check.
Ex. 1. (A, B, C) Answer the questions.
Examples: Did you work at your English yesterday? Yes, I did.
How long had you been working at your English before you went for a walk?
(for an hour) / had been work i ng at my English for an hour.
1. Did it rain yesterday?_________________ _________ ______________________
How long had it been raining when you left home? (for 3 hours) ______________
2. Did she work at the University before she retired?______________________
How long had she been working there before she retired? (for 25 years)____________
3. Did you stay at the hotel when you were in London? ________________
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How long had you been living there when Jane arrived? (for a fortnight) _________
4. Did they study French before they went to France? _______________________
How long had they been studying it before they went there? (for 5 years) ___________
5. Did they work on their book last year? ______________________________________
How long had they been working on it before they sent it to the publishing-house?
(for 2 years)__________________________________________________________ _______
6. Did your brother play football yesterday?__________________________________________
How long had he been playing football before he took part in the world championship for the first time? (for 6 years) ________________________________________________ _____
7. Did he listen to that record yesterday? _________________________________________
How long had he been listening to it before he could understand all the words? (for an hour) ___________________________________________________ _________
8. Did the children walk in the wood in the morning?________________________________
How long had they been walking before you called them back?
(for 2 hours) ___________________________________________________
Ex.2. (A, B) Put the verb into the correct form, the Past Perfect Continuous or
the Past Continuous.
Examples: Their swimming suits were wet. - They had been swimming.
She was in the swimming pool. - She was swimming.
1. The boy was leaning against the tree, out of breath. He _______ (run) very fast.
2. He came into kitchen. His parents stopped talking. They _________ (talk) about him.
3. She came into the room. Her husband was at his desk. He___________ (write).
4. When the newly weds arrived at the restaurant, their guests _________ (wait) for them.
They felt rather hungry because they ___________ (wait) for a long time.
5 Julia ________ (stand) at the bus stop for twenty minutes when Ive drove up and got out of
the car.
Ex. 3. (B, C) Put the verb in brackets into the Past indefinite, the Past Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. When I (get) home that evening, my little son (eat) dinner himself for the first time. 2. My sister's wedding (be) the only thing anybody (talk) at home for the last two weeks. 3. They (go) back to the hotel and up to their suite, where they (expect) the inspector at six-thirty. 4. Presently he (turn) to look at the corner where, she (stand). 5. Scarlett, who (fan) herself with a turkey-tall fan, (stop) abruptly. 6. He just (leave) for the airport when I (call). 7. "Who are you thinking of?", he (ask) after he (look) at me for a few seconds. 8. They (stand) in the open front doorway, waiting for her to come in out of the rain. 9. Their daughter (not/say) where she (sleep) and she (have) a curiously looking box in her hands.
Ex. 4. (A, B, C) Put the verb in brackets into the Past indefinite, the Past Continuous, the Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. Nobody (know) where Smith (go). 2. A girl who (stand) under the beech tree (come) up to us. 3. Mary (speak) to Mr Boxwell when I (see) her in the corridor this morning. 4. John (park) the car in Fifth Avenue when a young man in black glasses (appear) from nowhere and (stand) before him. 5. He again (come) to the village where he (live) in childhood. 6. While we (talk), there (come) a loud knock at the door. 7. He (look) into the drawing-room. The old man (sleep) peacefully in the armchair at the fire-place. 8. When their visitor (leave) John and his mother (stand) near the window. 9. When he (dress), he (go) downstairs, (write) a long letter to his parents and another to his sister. 10. She (welcome) her with a bright smile and (turn) back to the offensive dandy lions she (fight) with. 11. While she (read) this notice, a middle-aged woman (appear) in the doorway. 12. When he (come) back to the conference room, he (see) that the situation (change). 13. She (sit) at the table only five minutes when a car (come). 14. Their father (be) still silent, even when they (have) coffee. 15.The three (sit) down to the meal that Susan (prepare). 16. He (sit) thinking of his wife whom he (leave) alone in Europe. 17. They (look) over the accounts together and (find) where she (make) her mistake. 18. I (be) surprised at John's failure because he (be) such a good student previously.
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Ex. 5. (B, C) Put the verb in brackets into the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous and
the Past Perfect.
I.
1. He (close) the window and (sit) in his armchair, reading a newspaper. 2.When I (arrive) the lecture already (start). 3. The rain (stop) and the sun (shine) brightly. 4, Unfortunately when I arrived Ann just (leave), so we only had time for a few words. 5. I (watch) his eyes pretty closely while we (exchange) these remarks. 6. When we (reach) the field, the game already (start). 7. He suddenly (realize) that he (travel) in the wrong direction. 8. When I (look) for my passport, I (find) this old photograph. 9. You looked very busy when I saw you last night. What you (do)? 10. He (not/ be) there five minutes, when the storm (begin). 11. He (not/ allow) us to go out in the boat yesterday as a strong wind (blow). 12. I (call) Paul at 7.00 but it wasn't necessary because he already (get) up. 13. When I (hear) his knock I (go) to the door and (open) it, but I (not / recognize) him at first because I (not / wear) my glasses. 14. When he (seal and stamp) the envelope, he (go) back to the window and (draw) a long breath. 15. I (see) you yesterday from the bus. Why you (use) a stick? - I (use) because I (hurt) my leg that morning. 16. We (return) home at nightfall and we (be) very glad to get home again, but we (have) a wonderful day. 17. As they (walk) along the road they (hear) a car coming from behind them. Tom (turn) round and (hold) up his hand. The car (stop). 18. When I (arrive) at the station Mary (wait) for me. She (wear) a blue dress and (look) very pretty. 19. When I (see) him he (paint) a portrait of his wife. 20. While he (water) the flowers it (begin) to rain. 21. While I (say) goodbye to the rest of the guests Isabel (take) Sophie aside. 22. The men (say) that they (work) on the road outside my house and that they (want) some water to make tea.
