PELISSIER Jean Philippe
Group 8
GRAMMAR POINT
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Past perfect continuous, form
The past perfect continuous is composed of two elements - the past perfect of the verb to be (=had been) + the present participle (base+ing).
Examples:
|
Subject |
had been |
verb-ing |
|
I |
had been |
walking |
|
Affirmative |
||
|
She |
had been |
trying |
|
Negative |
||
|
We |
hadn't been |
sleeping |
|
Interrogative |
||
|
Had you |
been |
eating |
|
Interrogative negative |
||
|
Hadn't they |
been |
living |
Example: to buy, past perfect continuous
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
Interrogative |
|
I had been buying |
I hadn't been buying |
Had I been buying? |
|
You had been buying |
You hadn't been buying |
Had you been buying |
|
He,she,it had been buying |
He hadn't been buying |
Had she been buying? |
|
We had been buying |
We hadn't been buying |
Had we been buying? |
|
You had been buying |
You hadn't been buying |
Had you been buying |
|
They had been buying |
They hadn't been buying |
Had they been buying |
Past perfect continuous, function
The past perfect continuous
corresponds to the present perfect continuous, but with reference to a time
earlier than 'before now'. Again, we are more interested in the process.
Examples:
a. Had you been waiting long before the taxi arrived?
b. We had been trying to open the door for five minutes when
Jane found her key.
c. It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets
were very wet.
d. Her friends had been thinking of calling the police
when she walked in.
This form is also used in reported speech. It is the equivalent of the past continuous and the present perfect continuous in direct speech:
Jane said "I have been gardening all afternoon." --------Jane said she had been gardening all afternoon.
When the police questioned him, John said "I was working late in the office that night." -------When the police questioned him, John told them he had been working late in the office that night.
EXERCISES:
I'm sorry I left without you last night, but I told you to meet me early because the show started at 8:00. I (try)
to get tickets for that play for months, and I didn't want to miss it. By the time I finally left the coffee shop where we were supposed to meet, I (have)
five cups of coffee and I (wait)
over an hour. I had to leave because I (arrange)
to meet Kathy in front of the theater.
When I arrived at the theater, Kathy (pick, already)
up the tickets and she was waiting for us near the entrance. She was really angry because she (wait)
for more than half an hour. She said she (give, almost)
up and (go)
into the theater without us.
Kathy told me you (be)
late several times in the past and that she would not make plans with you again in the future. She mentioned that she (miss)
several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time! several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time!