1.8. Past Perfect Continuous

Exercise 74. Translate into Russian and comment on the use of the Past Perfect Progressive Tense.

1. They had been living in this city for almost three years when their son came back to the USA.

2. We felt very tired when we came home because we had been walking in the rain for a long time.

3. Angela rose from the arm-chair in which she had been sitting.

4. Mark tried to stop Dinny, who had been talking for the last ten minutes.

5. I thought that he had come to talk about the problem which we had been already discussing for hours.

6. David saw that Margie had been weeping, but didn't say anything.

7. Mary looked very fit. She had keeping to a healthy diet and keeping fit since winter last year.

8. When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair was untidy and one had a black eye. They had been fighting.

Exercise 75. Make the following sentences interrogative and then negative.

1. I was tired when I arrived home. I’d been working hard all day.

2. I had been looking for nice New Year gifts for my family, relatives and friends before December began.

3. We had been living in the same house for twelve years before we decided to move.

4. People had been celebrating their New Year holiday for two weeks before they started working.

5. When Pete came Ann had been doing classes for half a day.

6. It had been raining for two hours already when we left home.

Exercise 76. Ask questions to the following sentences beginning with the words in brackets.

1. The football match had to be stopped. They had been playing for half an hour when there was a terrible storm. (Where?)

2. Ken had been smoking for 30 years when he finally gave it up. (Why?)

3. All the roads were blocked: it had been snowing all night long. (Where?)

4. She felt ill because she had been working too hard. (What … for?)

5. She was upset because she had been waiting to hear from her son for days. (Why?)

6. Last summer we had been travelling with friends for two weeks. (Where?)

7. She had been learning French for five years before she could speak fluently. (Who?)

Exercise 77. Read the story.

On Tuesday afternoon, everyone in my family was very busy - except me. During the afternoon Helen repaired her car; John practised his karate; Kate did some gardening; Stephanie played tennis; Roger swam for half an hour; Pam went horse-riding; Philip painted the ceiling in his room light blue. I spent the afternoon sitting reading.

Now answer the questions.

1. Who had black grease on her hands at teatime? Why?

(example) Helen, because she had been repairing her car.

2. Who had dirt on her hands and knees? Why?

3. Who was wearing a short white skirt? Why?

4. Who was wearing a white jacket and trousers and a black belt? Why?

5. Who was wearing high boots and a hard hat? Why?

6. Whose hair had light blue streaks in it? Why?

7. Whose hair was all wet? Why?

Exercise 78. In a murder investigation, some suspects were asked by police what they had been doing at eight o'clock the previous evening. They all told lies. Write sentences to explain what they told the police they had been doing, and what they had actually been doing.

Example: Mrs Oliver said she had been reading, but actually she had been watching the neighbours through binoculars.

NAME	TOLD POLICE HAD BEEN DOING	TRUTH
Mrs Oliver	reading	watching neighbours through binoculars
Mr Lucas	watching TV	stealing cars
Mrs Allen	talking on the phone	making a bomb
Mr Nash	washing clothes	forging £5 notes
Alice	playing cards	selling drugs
Pete	studying chemistry	fighting
Aunt Jane	writing letters	planning a bank robbery
Miss Fry	washing her hair	out dancing with her sister's boyfriend
Rob	painting his flat	playing roulette

Exercise 79. Choose the best tense (Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Continuous).

1. I knew the facts of the case because I had read / had been reading the report.

2. My eyes ached because I had read / had been reading for three hours.

3. The children were filthy. They had played / had been playing in the garden, and they were covered in mud.

4. I was very nervous at the beginning of the match. I had never played / had never been playing her before, and I didn't know how good she was.

5. Donald excelled himself as a cook. He had cooked / had been cooking a wonderful Spanish dish.

6. Donald was very cross. He had worked / had been working in the kitchen all morning, and no-one had offered to help.

Exercise 80. Use the Past Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous.

1. He (look) at her. He (know) she (to cry).

2. She (tell) him about the plan, which she (think off) all morning.

3. Molly (close) the book which she (read) and (look up) at her mother.

4. Through the window he (see) the room where they (sit) the previous night.

5. Paul (think) for some time before he (dare) to answer.

6. They (sit down) to dinner which Mother (cook) all morning.

7. How long Tony (read) when this terrible accident (happen)?

8. When I (come) everyone (stop) talking. They (talk) about my birthday and the presents and (not want) to tell me anything beforehand.

9. How long this man (to stand) there and (to watch) you before you (to notice) him.

10. How long they (to want) for a taxi before it (to come)?

Exercise 81. Use the proper tense (Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous).

1. When he (arrive), I (live) in London for a week.

2. We (read) while he (eat).

3. When Jack (phone) me, I (write) a letter.

4. When my friend (come), I (do) an exercise for an hour.

5. The library (close) by the time I (get) there.

6. I (drive) home when I (hear) the news on the radio.

7. They always (have) loud parties which (go on) till the early hours.

8. We (walk) for some hours before we (realize) that we (lose) our way.

9. No sooner I (complain) that I (not hear) from them for a long time that the letter (come).

10. The concert was a great success. When the pianist (finish) his part, the audience (applaud) the orchestra for some minutes.

Exercise 82. Revision of past and perfect tenses. Choose the right tenses (Present Perfect Simple, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect Simple, Past Perfect Continuous).

A

1. Reports are coming in that a train (crash) near Birmingham. According to eyewitnesses, it (hit) a concrete block which somebody (put) on the line.

2. Halfway to the office Paul (turn) round and (go) back home, because he (forget) to turn the gas off.

3. I (do) housework all day today. I (clean) every room in the house.

4. I (lie) in bed thinking about getting up when the doorbell (ring).

5. It wasn't surprising that she (start) getting toothache. She (not go) to the dentist for two years.

6. I (play) a lot of bridge recently.

7. When I (get) home everybody (watch) TV.

8. We (not see) your mother for ages.

9. How long (you learn) English?

10. London (change) a lot since we first (come) to live here.

B

11. 'How many times (you see) this film?' 'This is the first time I (see) it.'

12. 'Who's that?' 'I (never see) him before in my life.'

13. I hear Joe (get) married last summer.

14. I (often wonder) where she (get) her money.

15. (You read) Pam Marshall's latest book?

16. They (just discover) a new fuel - it's half the price of petrol, and much

cleaner.

17. (You hear) the storm last night?

18. My sister (be) married three times.

19. While she (talk) on the phone the children (start) lighting and (break) a window.

20. He used to talk to us for hours about all the interesting things he (do) in his life.

C

21. You know, she (stand) looking at that picture for the last twenty minutes.

22. The old cross (stand) on top of the hill as long as anybody can remember.

23. I (spend) a lot of time travelling since I (get) this new job.

24. When I (be) at school we all (study) Latin.

25. After he (finish) breakfast he (sit) down to write some letters.

26. When I (meet) him he (work) as a waiter for a year or so.

27. I (never learn) to ski.

28. (you finish) with the bathroom yet?

29. We (live) in Scotland until 1 (be) eighteen.

30. She (have) a hard life, but she's always smiling.

Exercise 83. Translate into English.

1. Мы посмотрели фильм до того, как обсудили его.

2. Мы посмотрели фильм, а затем обсудили его.

3. Я был в Лондоне в прошлом году. Раньше я там не бывал.

4. Ему не нравилось письмо, которое он пытался написать уже два часа. Слова казались ему неубедительными.

5. Когда мы пришли, он уже вернулся и что-то писал в своем кабинете.

6. Он окончил свою работу в саду и сидел на террасе. Вечер был теплый, и солнце только что зашло.

7. Она проработала с нами только два месяца, но доказала, что она опытный юрист.

8. Шел очень сильный снег, и я не мог разобрать номера трамвая. Когда я уже проехал несколько остановок, я понял, что ехал в неправильном направлении.

9. Я звонила вам с четырех часов, но не могла дозвониться: ваша линия была все время занята.

10. Две недели шли дожди: наконец три дня назад установилась хорошая погода.