PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (3/B)

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (I HAD BEEN DOING)

A. Study this example situation:
Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The sun was shining but the ground was very wet.
It had been raining.
It was not raining when I looked out of the window; the sun was shining. But it had been raining before. That's why the ground was wet.
Had been ~ing is the past perfect continuous:
B. You can say that something had been happening for a period of time before something else happened:
* Our game of tennis was interrupted. We'd been playing for about half an hour when it started to rain very heavily.
Ken gave up smoking two years ago. He'd been smoking for 30 years.
C. Had been ~ing (past Perfect continuous) is the past of have been ~ing (present perfect continuous). Compare:
present perfect continuous
* I hope the bus comes soon. I've been waiting for 20 minutes. (before now)
* He's out of breath. He has been running.
past perfect continuous
* At last the bus came. I'd been waiting for 20 minutes. (before the bus came)
He was out of breath. He had been running.
D. Compare had been doing and was doing (past continuous):
* It wasn't raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it had been raining, so the ground was wet.
Ann was sitting in an armchair watching television. She was tired because she'd been working very hard.
E. Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous:
* We were good friends. We had known each other for years. (not 'had been knowing')

EXERCISE: Put the verb into the most suitable form, past continuous (I was doing), past perfect (I had done) or past perfect continuous (I had been doing).

1. It was very noisy next door. Our neighbours ............................................... (have) a party.
2. We were good friends. We ..................................................(know) each other for a long time.
3. John and I went for a walk. I had difficulty keeping up with him because he ............................................. (walk) so fast.
4. Mary was sitting on the ground. She was out of breath. She ................................................ (run)
5. When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table with their mouths full.
They ...........................................................(eat).
6. When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty but their stomachs were full. They ...................................................... (eat).
7. Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He .................................................. (look) for his contact lens.
8. When I arrived, Kate --- (wait) for me. She was rather annoyed with me because I was late and she ................................................................... (wait) for a very long time.
9. I was sad when I sold my car. I ................................................................. (have) it for a very long time.
10. We were extremely tired at the end of the journey. We ............................................................... (travel) for more than 24 hours.

Exercise: For each of the following sentences, fill in the blank with the reflexive pronoun which agrees with the underlined word.

1. He should take better care of ____________
2. You may help ____________.
3. I saw it _____________.
4. She likes to involve ____________ in community affairs.
5. We could see ________________ reflected in the mirror.
6. The bird perched ________________ on the window sill.
7. The students found the solution ___________.
8. You _____________ must decide what to do.
9. The teenagers amused ______________ by telephoning their friends.
10. We ______________ were surprised at the news.
11. He likes to hear ______________ talk.
12. She prides ____________ on her ability to speak French.
13. I told ____________ not to lose hope.
14. The fox hid _____________ under a bush.
15. I found _____________ in a difficult situation.
16. The children warmed ________________ in front of the fire

A) Fill in the blanks using the CORRECT TENSE
1. Listen! An old tune ……………………………………. (play) on the radio.
2. Nobody ……………………. (help) Mr. Green while we ………………………………… (paint) the garage.
3. Mary …………………….. (have) a bath before she …………………… (call) by one of her friends yesterday.
4 …………………….. (not / look) behind you. I think, someone ……………….. (follow) us.
5 Before I ………………………………….. (do) my homework, I …………………. (have) dinner.
6. When Jane ………………………… (arrive) late for the interview,the Director ……………………………….. (leave).

C) Supply the CORRECT TENSE
1. After he ………………………………………….. (decide)to give up smoking, he ………………..……………………. (begin) to carry a pocket of sweets in his pocket.
2. He must have a break. He …………………………………………….. (drive) for hours.
3. My cousin, Tom ………………………………………. (just / finish) his military service. He ………………………………………….. (look) for a good job since then. Yesterday he …………………………… (receive) a letter from his old boss.
4. After they ……………………………..…… (learn) the new words last term, they …….………………………. (start) the course book.
5. Please don’t disturb us, we ……………………………… (record) the Director’s conversation.
6. By the time I ……………………………………. (get up), my brother …………..…………….. (take) a photo of me.
7. We are quite anxious about Jane now. She ……………….…………… (leave) home a fortnight ago to spend her vacation with her friends but she …………………………….. (write) to us yet.
8. They ………………………………. (live) in bad conditions since the war ……………….……… (start).
9. Before I ………………..……..….. (come) to the USA, I …………….…………... (study) English in my own country.
10. I …………………………………….. (not / have) any trouble with my car so far.
11. The building at the top of the hill …………………………………. (build) in 1920. A number of changes ………………………………………. (make) since then.
12. When the boss ………………………………. (come) in the office, the letters ………………..………….
……………………….. (type) by the secretary.
13. Barbara is a writer. She ……………….…. already ……………………. (write) several novels. A few years ago, she …………………………………… (give) the Pulitzer Prize.
14. Tom’s father ……………..………………………….. (go / swim) everyday. He says swimming ……………..………………. (be) really good to keep fit.
15. Everybody …………………………………… (know) him as an honest man since he ………………………………………. (start / live) here.
16. Everybody …………….………………. (have) dinner before they ………………….………… (finish) the conversation.
17. As it ……………….……………………….. (rain), a car accident …………………………. (happen) on Main Street.
18. The bills ……………………..………………….. (pay) yet.
19. The tourits ……………………………………. (wait) for hours at the airport by the time their plane ………………………….………… (take off).
20. Most of the houses ……………………………………. (pull) down last month, but they ………………………………………… (not / touch) the old shop at the corner yet.
21. He ……………………………….. (be) in different countries before he …………………. (arrest) by the police.


Cemalettin Şener
English teacher