Study this example situation:
Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window.
yesterday morning
The sun was shining, but the ground was very wet.
lt had been raining.
lt was not raining when I looked out of the window;
the sun was shining. But it had been rain ing before.
Had been -ing is the past perfect continuous:
1/we/you/they (= I'd etc.)
I doing
had been working
he/she/it (=he'd etc.)
playing etc.
Some more examples:
8 When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair was untidy and one of
them had a black eye. They'd been fighting.
C I was very tired when I got home. I'd been working hard all day.
l__ When I went to Madrid a few years ago, I stayed with a friend of mine. She hadn't been
Living there very long, but she knew the city very well.
You can say that something had been happening for a period of time before something else happened:
0 We'd been playing tennis for about half an hour when it started to rain heavily.
0 Paul went to the doctor last Friday. He hadn't been feeling well for some time.
Compare have been -ing (present perfect continuous) and had been -ing (past perfect continuous):
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
I have been -ing I had been -ing
past now past now
0 I hope the bus comes soon. I've been 0 At last the bus came. I'd been waiting
waiting for 20 minutes. (before now) for 20 minutes. (before the bus came)
0 James is out of breath. He has been C James was out of breath. He had been
running. running.
Compare was -ing (past continuous) and had been -ing:
._. lt wasn't raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it had been raining,
so the ground was wet.
0 Katherine was sitting in an armchair resting. She was tired because she'd been working
very hard.
Some verbs {for example, know and Like) are not normally used in the continuous:
~] We were good friends. We had known each other for years. (not had been knowing)
0 I was surprised when Lisa cut her hair. She'd had long hair since I first met her.
(not she'd been having)
For a list of these verbs, see Unit 4A. For have, see Unit 17.
Present perfect continuous -+ Unit 9- 10 Past perfect simple -+ Unit 15
Exercises
Read the situations and make sentences from the words in brackets.
1 I was very tired w hen I arrived home.
(I I work I hard all day) .. 1 ~.. b~r wgrk~g .Y:lo...r.4 . o-.4.. ~ :.............................................
1
2 The two boys came into the house. They had a football and they were both very t ired .
(they I play I football) .. .. ..... . ... ....... .. . .... ....................................................
3 I was disappointed when I had to cancel my holiday.
(I I look I forwa rd to it) ... .. .. ........................... . .............
4 Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn't know where she was.
(she I dream) ... .. ...... ....... .... ...................... ..... ..... ..... ....................... ........... ...
5 When I got home, Mark was sitting in front of the TV. He had just turned it off.
(he I watch I a film) .. . ......... . . ..... .. ..... . ...... . ..... ........................................................................................................... ................. .
Read the situations and complete the sentences.
1 We played tennis yesterday. Half an hour after we began playing, it started t o rain .
We .....h%... P~[Link].~ill.9.... f9.r ... .h..~f ...(.Y'1 ... ~.[Link].t.... when ......~ ...?..~~....t9... .r.W.. . . .
2 I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant. I arrived and waited for him. After 20 minutes
I realised that I was in the wrong restaurant.
I .................................. ............................................... ..... for 20 minutes w hen I .......................................................... ............ ..
....................................................................... .......... .. the wrong restaurant.
3 Sarah got a job in factory. Five years later the factory closed down .
At the time the factory .......... , Sarah ......................... .
. .. ........................ .. . there for five years.
4 I went to a concert last week. The orchestra began playing. After about ten minutes a man in
the audience suddenly started shouting.
The orchestra ............................ . .... .... . .. .. ........ ............... ...... . .. ....................................................................... when
This time make your own sentence:
5 I began walking along the road. I
when ............................... .. ...... ....... ............................
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 lt was very noisy next door. Our neighbours ....N.~~....h(A..Y.i.r.l.g ...... (have) a party.
2 We were good friends. .. ..W.~'~ . kY).Q.w~. (we I know) each other for years.
3 John and I went for a walk. I had difficulty keeping up with him because
.................................................. ........................ (he I walk) so fast.
4 Sue was sitting on the ground. She was out of breath. ........................................................................... (she I run).
5 When I arrived} everybody was sitting round the table with their mouths fu lL
...................... ......................................... (they I eat).
6 When I arrived} everybody was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty,
but their stom achs were full. . ................ ..... .. .............. (they I eat).
7 j ames was on his hands and knees on the floor. ....... . ...... ... ....................................... (he I look) for his
contact lens.
8 When I arrived, Kate ................................. ..... .. .... (wait) for me. She was annoyed because I was
late and .. .. ..... .. ...... . ..... . ....... . (she I wait) for a long time.
9 I was sad when I sold my car. . (I I have) it for a very long time.
10 We were extremely tired at the end of the journey. .... ............. ........................... ........ ....... .. (we I travel) for
more than 24 hours.
_.Additiona l exercises 5- 8 (pages 30 4-07) 33
