1. Complete the sentences using the past perfect continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. I __________ (stand) there for nearly half an hour when I realized I was at the wrong bus-stop.

2. Maria’s sister ________ (study) at university for eight years before she finally passed her exams.

3. I’m really sorry I was so late last night. That’s OK. We __________ (not / wait) long.

4. The strange thing was that we ____________ (just / talk) about ghosts when we heard the noise upstairs.

5. Robert moved from Manchester to London in 1993. How long ________ (he / live) in Manchester?

2. Join each idea in a with an idea from b. Make sentences using the past perfect continuous of the verbs in brackets.

Example: I felt very cold because I had been standing outside for over two hours.

A	B
1. I felt very cold because 2. I (play) tennis so 3. The children’s hair was wet because 4. I (not / feel) well for weeks before 5. They (travel) all day so 6. They (drive) for about half an hour when they realized	they were lost they were very tired I finally went to see the doctor I (stand) outside for over two hours they (swim) in the sea I was feeling hot and sticky

3. In this exercise you have to read a situation and then write a sentence.

Example: The two boys come into the house. One had a black eye and the other had a cut lip. (they / fight) – They had been fighting.

1. Tom was watching television. He was feeling very tired. (he / study / hard all day). He _______________________

2. When I walked into the room, it was empty. But there was a smell of cigarettes. (somebody / smoke / in the room) Somebody ________________________

3. When Mary came back from the beach, she looked very red from the sun. (she / lie / in the sun too long) ________________________

4. The two boys came into the house. They had a football and they were both very tired. (they / play / football) ____________________________

5. Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and she didn’t know where she was. (she / dream) _________________________

4. In this exercise you have to read a situation and then write a sentence.

Example: We began playing football. After half an hour there was a terrible storm. – We had been playing for half an hour when there was a terrible storm.

1. The orchestra began playing at the concert. After about ten minutes a man in the audience suddenly began shouting.

The orchestra ____________ for about ten minutes when _________.

2. I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant. I arrived and began waiting, After 20 minutes I realized that I had come to the wrong restaurant.

I ________________ when I _______________

3. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins went to live in the south of France. Six months later Mr. Jenkins died.

They __________________ when ___________

5. Put the verb into the correct form, past perfect continuous or past continuous.

Examples: Tom was leaning against the wall, out of breath. He had been running (run).

I tried to catch Tom but I couldn’t. He was running (run) very fast.

1. Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He ___________ (look) for his cigarette lighter.

2. We ____________ (walk) along the road for about 20 minutes when a car stopped and the driver offered us a lift.

3. When I arrived, everyone was sitting round the table with their mouths full. They _______ (eat).

4. When I arrived, everyone was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty but their stomachs were full. They ______________ (eat).

5. When I arrived, Ann ___________ (wait) for me. She was rather annoyed with me because I was late and she ___________ (wait) for a very long time.