The Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense

had been + Participle I (verb + ing)

Образование

Употребление

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense обозначает длительное действие, которое началось до какого-то момента в прошлом и продолжалось вплоть до этого момента:

 The news didn’t surprise me for I had been expecting it for some time. — Новости меня не удивили, т.к. я ожидал их уже в течение некоторого времени.

Не was tired because he had been working too much. — Он устал, т.к. слишком много работал.

Момент в прошлом, вплоть до которого происходило действие, выраженное Past Perfect Continuous, может быть обозначен:

- глаголом в Past Indefinite:

He was tired because he had been working for 6 hours. – Он устал, т.к. работал в течение 6 часов.

- предлогом by:

By the time you came he had been reading for 2 hours already. – К тому моменту времени, когда ты пришел, он уже 2 часа читал.

Если речь идет о действии, которое продолжалось в определенный момент в прошлом, но не подчеркивается длительность действия до этого момента, используется the Past Indefinite Tense:

I looked out of the window. It was raining. – Я выглянул в окно. Шел дождь.

It had been raining for days. – Уже несколько дней шел дождь.

EXERCISES

Exercise 8. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Make them negative and interrogative.

1. Derek put down the book he had been reading. 2. That evening Diana called me from London, and I told her what I had been doing all day. 3. Emma, who had been listening attentively, knew with absolute certainty that he was speaking the truth. 4. Andrew had been living in New York for seven years when we met. 5. Although she tried to apply some make up we could see that Vicky had been crying. 6. By the smell in the room I could tell that Stephen had been smoking. 7. Everybody looked unhappy. They had been discussing the accident. 8. They told that they had been waiting for about thirty minutes. 9. We had been walking for about two hours when we saw the road. 10. Catherine, who had been looking at her mother, now spoke in a concerned voice.

Exercise 9. Complete the sentences with the verbs using the Past Perfect            Continuous Tense.

rain, run, quarrel, play, try, write, burn, hope, talk, consider, work, talk, drive

1. He was out of breath. He … .

2. He …the car for many hours before he came to the crossroads.

3. The pianist … the passage hour after hour till he mastered it.

4. He came into the kitchen. His parents stopped talking. They … about him.

5. When I met her, her eyes were red. She and Mike again … .

6. When I came, they … this question for more than an hour.

7. It was evening and he was tired because he … since dawn.

8. My sister’s wedding was the only thing everybody … at home for the last two  

weeks.

9. He …to get her on the phone for 15 minutes before he heard her voice.

10. By 12 o'clock they … a composition for two hours.

11. The fire … for some time before a fire brigade came.

12. I … to meet her for ages when I bumped into her by chance.

13. When I left home, it was raining, and as it … since morning, the streets were

muddy.

Exercise 10. Put the verb in brackets into the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous, the Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous.

1. Nobody (know) where Smith (go). 2. How your chief (find out) that you  (come) to work late?  3. A girl who (stand) under the beech tree (come) up to us. 4. He told me that his aunt (live) with them for three months.  5. He (work) there some time when that dreadful accident (happen). 6. He told us they (live) in this district since they (leave) Paris. 7. The discovery of the art of writing (enable) the Ancient Egyptians to remember what their ancestors (do) before them. 8. They (walk) in the garden for an hour when the storm broke out. 9. Mary (speak) to Mr Boxwell when I (see) her in the corridor this morning. 10. I (leave) my house yesterday in a hurry, but I (not/go) far before I (discover) that it (be) going to rain and I (leave) my umbrella at home.11. John (park) the car in Fifth Avenue when a young man in black glasses (appear) from nowhere and (stand) before him.12. The young girl who (look) at me ever since I had come into the room, suddenly rose and left. 13. I knew right away that that was the place I (look for) all my life. 14. While we (talk), there (come) a loud knock at the door. 15. By that time the twins already (sleep) for two hours.

Exercise 11. Open the brackets and use the proper tense.

1. When he (arrive), I (live) in London for a week. 2. We (read) while he (eat). 3. He just (leave) for the airport when I (call). 4. We (play) tennis for an hour when it (start) to rain. 5. When we (come) home, we (find) that someone (broke) into the garage and (steal) the car. 6. When Jack (phone) me, I (write) a letter.  7. When my friend (come), I (do) an exercise for an hour. 8. The library (close) by the time I (get) there. 9. I (drive) home when I (hear) the news on the radio. 10. They always (have) loud parties which (go on) till the early hours. 11. We (walk) for some hours before we (realize) that we (lose) our way. 12. No sooner I (complain) that I (not hear) from them for a long time than the letter (come). 13. The concert was a great success. When the pianist (finish) his part, the audience (applaud) the orchestra for some minutes.14. When he (dress), he (go) downstairs, (write) a long letter to his parents and another to his sister. 15. I (be) surprised at John's failure because he (be) such a good student previously.

Exercise 12. Translate into English .

1. Мы посмотрели пьесу до того, как обсудить ее. 2. Когда я вошел в комнату, все замолчали, и я понял, что говорили обо мне. 3. Он путешествовал уже два дня, но выглядел свежим и не чувствовал усталости. 4. Я был в Лондоне в прошлом году. Раньше я там не бывал. 5. Ему не нравилось письмо, которое он пытался написать уже два часа. Слова казались ему неубедительными (unconvincing). 6. Перед отъездом мы зашли к миссис Чандлер. Мы не видели ее некоторое время, и моя сестра заметила, что она сильно изменилась. 7. Когда мы пришли, он уже вер­нулся и что-то писал в своем кабинете (study). 8. Он окончил свою работу в саду и сидел на террасе (terrace). Вечер был теплый, и солнце только что зашло. 9. Она проработала с нами только два месяца, но доказала, что она опытный юрист (lawyer) . 10. Шел очень сильный снег, и я не смог разобрать (make out) номера трамвая. Когда я уже проехал (cover) несколько остановок (tram stops), я понял, что ехал в неправильном направлении. 11. Я звонила вам с 4-х часов, но не смогла дозвониться (get): ваша линия была все время занята. 12. Две недели шли дожди: наконец три дня назад установилась (set in) хорошая погода.