- •Introduction
- •1.1. Past Simple versus Past Continuous.
- •1.2. Past Simple versus Present Perfect.
- •1.3. Reported speech.
- •Changing from Direct into Reported Speech (Statements)
- •1.4. Conditionals.
- •1.5. Time Clause.
- •1.6. Passive Voice.
- •2.1. Present Perfect Continuous.
- •2.2. Present Perfect Versus Present Perfect Continuous.
- •2.3. Past Perfect.
- •2.4. Past Perfect Continuous.
- •2.5. Past Perfect versus Past Perfect Continuous.
- •2.6. Future Simple.
- •2.7. Future Continuous.
- •2.8. Future Perfect versus Future Perfect Continuous.
- •2.9. Infinitive.
- •2.10. Articles.
- •Indefinite article (a /An)
- •Irregular Verbs
- •Appendix.
- •1.1. Past Simple versus Past Continuous.
- •1.2. Past Simple versus Present Perfect.
- •2.3. Changing from Direct into Reported Speech (Statements)
- •1.4. Conditionals.
- •1.5. Time Clause.
- •1.6. Passive Voice.
- •2.1. Present Perfect Continuous.
- •2.2. Present Perfect Versus Present Perfect Continuous.
- •2.3. Past Perfect.
- •2.4. Past Perfect Continuous.
- •2.5. Past Perfect versus Past Perfect Continuous.
- •2.6. Future Simple.
- •2.7. Future Continuous.
- •2.8. Future Perfect versus Future Perfect Continuous.
- •2.9. Infinitive.
- •2.10. Indefinite article (a /An)
- •Literature
2.4. Past Perfect Continuous.
Rule
We form the past perfect continuous with the verb to have (in past simple) +been and V+ing.
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Affirmative |
Negative |
Interrogative |
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|
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Long form |
Short form |
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I had been listening You had been listening
He had been listening
She had been listening
It had been listening We had been listening
You had been listening
They had been listening |
I had not been listening You had not been listening He had not been listening She had not been listening It had not been listening We had not been listening You had not been listening They had not been listening |
I hadn’t been listening You hadn’t been listening He hadn’t been listening
She hadn’t been listening It hadn’t been listening We hadn’t been listening
You hadn’t been listening They hadn’t been listening |
Had I been listening? Had you finished?
Had he finished?
Had she finished?
Had it finished? Had we finished?
Had you finished?
Had they finished?
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|
Rule |
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The Past Perfect Continuous is used for: |
E.g. They had been skating together for five years before they entered the competition. |
E.g. She had been working hard that day, so she was tired. (She spent all day working hard and the result of the action was visible in the past, too.) |
Time expressions used with past perfect continuous:
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for, since, how long, before, until etc.
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1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form of the past perfect continuous.
1. Sophie …had been painting… (paint) the walls all day before she finished them.
2. …………………………… (you / wait) long when the boss announced that he couldn't see you?
3. Tom …………………………… (look) for a job for six months when he found one.
4. We …………………………… (watch) TV for half an hour when the doorbell rang.
5. They …………………………… (sunbathe) for an hour when it started to rain.
6. Stan …………………………… (work) as a postman for forty years when he retired.
7. I …………………………… (live) in France for ten years when I met my husband.
2. Fill in the gaps with one of the verbs from the list in the past perfect continuous.
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play, work, walk, wait discuss, sit
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1. She was wet. She …had been walking... in the rain.
2. They were happy. They …………………………… together for hours.
3. He was irritated. He ……………………………for the bus for half an hour.
4. He was hot. He…………………………… in the barn. 5. She was suntanned. She …………………………… in the sun for hours.
6. They were tired. They…………………………. Business problems for four hours.