The past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

HAD BEEN + V + ING

Exercise 1. Respond to the following statements giving your reasons in the Past Perfect Continuous. Use the prompts in brackets.

Model: John was short of breath.(run all the way)

John was short of breath because he had been running all the way.

1. His hands were dirty. (work in the garden) 2. She looked upset when I saw her last month. (look for a job for four months) 3. She passed all her examinations very well. (study hard) 4. He was behind the class. (not study properly) 5. When Mary came back from the beach, she looked very red from the sun. (lie in the sun too long) 8. Her eyes were red. (cry) 9. When I looked out into the street yesterday morning the ground was wet. (rain at night) 10. She looked half asleep. (rest) 11. Susan woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn’t know where she was. (dream) 12. Lisa caught a cold. (walk in the rain)

Exercise 2. Translate into English using the Past Perfect Continuous.

1. Я два года работал на заводе, прежде чем смог поступить в университет. 2. До нашего приезда два дня шел сильный снег. 3. Она посмотрела на часы. Было около двенадцати. Она работала над докладом в течение 6 часов. 4. Туристы ждали автобуса очень долго, и когда он подошел, было уже очень поздно, и они уже не хотели никуда ехать. 5. Я знал, что они уже много лет переписываются. 6. Я очень устал, так как переводил статью с раннего. 7. Когда ты позвонил, я уже работал два часа.

Exercise 3. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form: Past Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. Tom was leaning against the wall, out of breath. He (run). 2. I tried to catch Tom but I couldn’t. He (run) very fast. 3. We (walk) along the road for about 20 minutes, when a car stopped and the driver offered us a lift. 4. When I arrived everyone was sitting round the table with their mouths full. They (eat). 5. When I arrived, Ann (wait) for me. She was rather annoyed with me because she (wait) for a long time. 6. It (rain) when they left the house. It (rain) hard during the whole morning. 7. They (sit) on the platform for 15 minutes before the train arrived. 8. It was very noisy next door. Our neighbours (have) a party. 9. When I arrived, everyone was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty but their stomachs were full. They (eat). 10. We were extremely tired at the end of the journey. We (travel) for more than 24 hours. 11. It (not to rain) when we went out. But it (rain), so the ground was wet.

Exercise 4. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form: Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. We were good friends. We (know) each other for a long time. 2. Jack (fish) for three hours before he caught his first fish. 3. I knew the facts of the case because I (read) the report. 4. My eyes ached because I (read) for three hours. 5. He said he (look for) a flat for five weeks and he (not to find) one. 6. They (stay) at the seaside for two days when the weather suddenly changed for the worse. 7. He already (park) the car when I arrived. 8. He (drive) all day, so he was very tired when he arrived. 9. I (finish) cleaning the car before 1 o’clock. 10. What you (do) in the garden before we came. 11. I (live) in Germany before I came to Russia. 12. The child (sleep) for an hour before his father came. 13. I (stand) there for nearly an hour when I realized I was at the wrong bus stop. 14. Edward went to Baghdad last week. He (plan) this trip for three months. 15. My watch (keep) good time before I dropped it. 16. By that time he already (change) his mind.

Exercise 5. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. He (read) his evening newespaper when a friend of his (call) him on the telephone. 2. By the end of the summer he (learn) a lot of English words. 3. He (read) before the fire for half an hour when the telephone (ring). 4. When we (come) to their place last night, they (play) computer games; they (say) they (play) since six o’clock. 5. When I first (meet) him, he (lecture) at Cambridge University for ten years. 6. She (feel) chilly after she (swim) for an hour. 7. She (look) at him since they (sit) down; and he wondered what she (think) about all the time. 8. The boys (play) football and (not to hear) their mother calling them from the window. 9. The boys (be) tired because they (play) hockey. 10. I (be) pleased to see my old college friends at the conference last week as we (not to see) each other since we (finish) out college. 11. At the end of their meal they (find) they couldn’t pay the bill because they (not to bring) any money with them. 12. At first the authorities (think) the athlete (take) drugs, but they soon (realized) they (mix up) the results of the tests. 13. When we (reach) the city we couldn”t find a parking space, so we (decide) to go by bus the next time. 14. Mary (meet) her husband while she (work) in the States. 15. Maggie (take) a hot bath because she (work) in the garden all afternoon. 16. He (look) at the fire and (think) of something. 17. He (look) three or four minutes at the fire and then (turn) his face to me.

Exercise 6. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuoius.

1. At last I (find) the book, which I (look for) all. 2. He asked me what I (look for). 3. When I (enter) the room my uncle (talk) in a loud voice. 4. They (tell) me that my uncle just (talk) about me. 5. Greta boasted that her boss (give) her an extra half hour for lunch because she (work) very hard all morning. 6. Bruce (go) to hospital because he (cut) his hand while he (try) to mend a broken window. 7. I (be) very pleased when my son (find) my watch because we (look for) it for hours. 8. As Mary (get) out of the boat her foot (slip) and she (fall) into the river. 9. While I (wait) for the bus I (notice) a group of tourists who (listen) attentively to a guide. 10. I (lose) my purse while I (go) to work. 11. How often you (visit) your cousins when you (be) in the States last year? 12. The children (fight) for some time when the door (open) and the teacher (come) into the classroom. 13. They (drive) for about half an hour when they (realize) they (be) lost. 14. While I (swim) across the lake somebody (steal) my bicycle. 15. My sister’s birthday (be) the only thing anybody (talk) about for the last two weeks. 16. Clara (prepare) a marvelous meal last night. 17. She (cook) the inner for half an hour when she (remember) that she (forget) to buy the bread.

Exercise 7. Translate into Englisg using the most suitable form of the verbs: Present Perfect, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. Мэри уехала к родителям до того, как пришла эта телеграмма. 2. Когда последний раз шел снег? - В пятницу. 3. Вы когда-нибудь изучали английский язык? 5. Что она готовила, когда вы вошли в кухню? 6. К пяти часам все студенты собрались в актовом зале. 7. Посмотри на мальчиков! Они уже уснули. 8. Мы прожили в деревне два месяца, когда мой брат приехал навестить нас. 9. Мы как раз говорили о нем, когда он вошел. 10. Вчера, когда я мыла посуду, я разбила чашку. 11. Мы прожили у Смитов два дня и вернулись в Лондон поездом. 12. В субботу мы зашли к нему в 10 часов вечера. Он все еще работал.