2. The Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive denotes an action which was recently in progress but is no longer going on at the present moment.

e.g. You are not well today. You look distressed. You have been weeping.

What have you been doing in the kitchen so long?

The Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive is used:

a) to express repeated actions in the past:

e.g. I have been buying pictures.

He has been getting letters from his friend.

How have you been spending your money?

b) to express an activity immediately preceding the moment of speech and serving at the same time as an explanation of or excuse for something:

e.g. – Why are you laughing?

– You see, Nick has been telling funny stories again.

c) with an emotional colouring:

e.g. I suppose you have been telling lies again.

The Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive is rendered in Russian by the past imperfective:

e.g. Your eyes are red. You have been crying.

У вас покраснели глаза. Вы плакали.

Comparative Use of

the Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive

and the Present Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive The Present Continuous

I have been reading “The Financier” for three days.

(the previous duration of the action is expressed) I am reading “The Financier”.

(the action going on at the present moment is expressed)

Comparative Use of

the Present Perfect Inclusive

and the Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive

The Present Perfect Inclusive The Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive

She has taught English at school for five years.

(attention is drawn to the past) She has been teaching English at school for five years.

(attention is drawn to the process of the action continuing for a certain time)

Comparative Use of

the Present Perfect Exclusive

and the Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive

The Present Perfect Exclusive The Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive

He has made some experiments.

(the action is completed) He has been making some experiments.

(There is an implication of incompleteness)

I. Read the sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. How long have you been waiting for me here? 2. It seems to me it’s been raining for ages. 3. This hat isn’t new at all! I’ve been wearing it for years! 4. How long has he been doing this translation? 5. I’ve been waiting for you for an hour and a half. 6. She’s been working here since 1992. 7. I haven’t seen him since last month. What has he been doing? 8. Since when has the man been sitting here? 9. Have they been waiting long for the director? 10. How long has this question been under consideration? 11. Have you known Mr Sweet long? — Yes, I’ve known him since 1987. 12. Call the children in! They’ve been playing outside since morning. 13. How long have you already been living in London? 14. Since when have they been developing pictures? 15. We’ve been decorating the hall for a week. 16. Tom hasn’t been looking for a dictionary in the library.

II. Do as in the model.

Model: A: John has been sleeping rather long already. (who)

B: John has not been sleeping rather long already.

Has John been sleeping rather long already?

Has John or Mary been sleeping rather long already?

John has been sleeping rather long already, hasn’t he?

Who has been sleeping rather long already?

1. He has been working at his report since 10 o’clock. (since when) 2. They have been writing their test for nearly two hours already. (what) 3. She has been waiting long. (who) 4. His daughter has been playing the piano since morning. (what) 5. They have been discussing this problem for rather a long time. (how long) 6. The child has been reading the book too long. (who) 7. Ann and Roger have been quarrelling for 15 minutes. (who) 8. She has been dreaming to become an actress all her life. (whom) 9. I have been doing my lessons since 4 o’clock. (whose) 10. They have been living in this village nearly a month. (where) 11. You have been writing this translation since your mother came home. (what) 12. We have been playing tennis for about half an hour. (who)

III. Form as many sentences as you can using the following table. Translate the sentences into Russian.

He

Father

Ann

They

We

Henry

Wilson have been

has been looking for

keeping

reading

translating

discussing

looking for

this book

that newspaper

this magazine

these articles

those stories

the letters for a long time

for half an hour

for an hour and a half

a week

since 5 o’clock

since the morning

since I came here

IV. Answer the following questions paying attention to the Perfect Continuous Tense forms.

1. How long have you been studying English (French, German)? 2. What English (French, German, Russian) book are you reading now? Since when have you been reading it? 3. Can you play cards? Since when have you been playing them? 4. How long have you been studying this grammar rule? 5. Where have you been studying since you finished school? 6. How long have you been wearing this sweater? 7. Is Ann your friend? How long have you known her?

V. Make up questions to the italicized words.

1. We’ve been discussing the problem for two hours already. 2. My friends have been cooking since morning. 3. The teacher has been correcting mistakes for some time. 4. The schoolchildren have been learning this subject for a year. 5. The kid has been watching TV since his mother came home. 6. She has been listening to the rock music in her room for the whole day.

VI. Do as in the model.

Model 1. A.: How long have you been waiting? (two hours)

B.: I’ve been waiting for two hours.

1. How long have you been feeling bad? (yesterday morning) 2. How long has Nancy been playing the piano? (several years) 3. How long has the phone been ringing? (five minutes) 4. How long have Mr and Mrs Brown been living on Appleton Street? (1970) 5. How long has Maria been studying English? (ten months) 6. How long has Frank been going out with Sally? (three and a half years) 7. How long have you been having problems with your back? (high school) 8. How long have we been driving? (seven hours) 9. How long has it been snowing? (late last night) 10. How long has your baby son been crying? (early this morning) 11. How long have they been building the new bridge? (two years) 12. How long has Arnold been lying in the sun? (twelve noon)

Model 2. A.: Have they been studying for a long time?

B.: Yes, they have. They’ve been studying all day.

No, they haven’t. They haven’t been studying all day.

1. Have they been arguing for a long time? 2. Has Robert been ironing for a long time? 3. Has Laura been waiting for the bus for a long time? 4. Have you and your friends been standing in line for concert tickets for a long time? 5. Has Ricky been talking to his girlfriend for a long time? 6. Has Jane been looking for her keys for a long time? 7. Have Mr and Mrs Wilson been washing their windows for a long time? 8. Has your car been making strange noises for a long time?

VII. Practice these micro-dialogues in twos.

Model 1. A.: You look tired. What have you been doing?

B.: I’ve been writing letters since ten o’clock this morning.

A.: Really? How many letters have you written?

B.: Believe it or not, I’ve already written fifteen letters.

A.: Fifteen letters?! No wonder you are exhausted.

1. You, wash windows. 2. Dr Anderson, see patients. 3. Mrs Shultz, give piano lessons. 4. Mr and Mrs Johnson, buy Christmas presents. 5. You, pick apples. 6. Mr Williams, plant flowers. 7. Your grandmother, mend socks. 8. Bob, take photographs. 9. You and your friends, review your English lessons. 10. Jennifer, write thank-you notes. 11. John, go to job interviews. 12. You, fill out income tax forms.

Model 2. A.: I’m nervous.

B.: How come?*

A.: I’m going to fly in an airplane tomorrow, and I’ve never flown in an airplane before.

B.: Don’t worry! I’ve been flying in airplanes for years. And believe me, there’s nothing to be nervous about!

* You can also say: Why?

1. Buy a used car; 2. Have a party; 3. Drive downtown; 4. Go to a job interview; 5. Give blood; 6. Take a karate lesson; 7. Speak at a meeting; 8. Teach an English class; 9. Run in a marathon; 10. Sing in front of an audience; 11. Ask for a raise.

VIII. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Я жду вас уже 20 минут. 2. Ученые работают над этой проблемой много лет. 3. Джейн всю жизнь мечтает поехать куда-нибудь на восток. 4. Я перевожу статью с самого утра. 5. Она спит уже очень долго. Пора ее будить. 6. Анна и Роджер ссорятся с самого утра. 7. Мы живем в этой маленькой деревушке целую неделю. 8. Вы слишком долго обсуждаете этот вопрос. 9. Вы давно здесь живете? 10. Неужели он действительно так долго занимается? 11. Ты уже уложила вещи? Такси уже 10 минут ждет нас. 12. Он всегда интересовался физикой. Сейчас он работает над новой проблемой. Он работает над ней уже два месяца. 13. Мистер Уайт пишет очень хорошие рассказы. Недавно он закончил одну повесть и сейчас пишет новую. Он пишет ее уже больше месяца и говорит, что пишет ее с удовольствием. 14. Мы здесь уже с начала месяца, но все это время погода плохая. 15. Дождь идет с самого утра. 16. Давно ли ты носишь свои ботинки? Почему у них такой поношенный вид? — Я ношу их всего около полугода. 17. Мы наблюдали за самолетом, пока он не скрылся из виду.

IX. Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. How long you (to wait) for me? 2. I (to know) her since my childhood. 3. He (to think) about it for three days. 4. They always (to prefer) theatre to TV. 5. How long she (to study) music? — Oh, she (to study) music since her early childhood. 6. Since she was a little girl she (to try) not to take things seriously. 7. The students (to write) their tests for two hours already. 8. She (to live) in that house round the corner about 30 years. 9. You (to play) too long. It’s high time to do your lessons. 10. She (to be ill) for more than two weeks. I (to miss) her terribly. 11. She (to paint) or pretending to paint for about six hours. 12. I (to do) a great deal of work today. 13. I (to read) your composition. I think you’ll have to polish it up a bit. 14. They (to build) that bridge for several months, but they (not to finish) it yet. 15. He (to grow) so old that he spends most of his time sitting in an easy-chair. 16. “You’ll have to speak louder, I’m afraid. I (to become) very deaf,” said Randall. 17. What you (to do) with yourself, Edward, since I saw you last? 18. I expect you (to have) already a talk with Henry. He looks more cheerful. 19. This picture (to hang) here for as long as I can remember. 20. Edward is coming! How nice! I (not to see) Edward for years. 21. What you (to do) since Sunday? 22. I want to talk to you, Aileen. I (to want) to talk to you for a long time. 23. Well, Bunter? – Everything (to be done) that can be done, my lady. 24. It’s no use denying, my dear Dick, that you (to think) too much lately. 25. He (to lose) his dictionary. He (to look for) it all day, but (not to find) it yet. 26. She (to read) all the plays by Galsworthy. How many you (to read)? 27. Jim (not to be) here for three weeks. 28. I can’t wait any longer. I (to wait) since five o’clock. 29. I (not to have) a good night’s sleep since last week. 30. On the porch he looked over his shoulder and noticed a dark figure disappear round the corner of the house. “Somebody (to follow) me again,” he thought.

X. Practice the dialogues in twos.

Model 1. A.: Guess what I’ve decided to do!

B.: I can’t guess. What?

A.: I’ve decided to get a dog.

B.: You have? That’s great! How long have you been thinking about getting a dog?

A.: For a long time, actually.

B.: Why have you decided to get a dog now?

A.: I’ve decided that if I don’t get a dog now, I never will.

B.: I think getting a dog is a wonderful idea! You’ve made the right decision.

1. Move to Chicago; 2. Buy a new car; 3. Go on a diet; 4. Grow a beard; 5. Go back to college; 6. Start my own business.

Model 2. A.: I have some good news!

B.: What is it?

A.: I’ve decided to quit putting on weight.

B.: That’s great! Do you really think you’ll be able to do it?

A.: I think so. But it won’t be easy. I’ve been putting on weight for a long time.

B.: Have you ever tried to stop putting on weight before?

A.: Yes. Many times. But every time I’ve stopped putting on weight, I’ve started to put on weight again after a few days.

B.: I hope you’ll be successful this time.

A.: I hope so, too. After all, I can’t keep on putting on weight for the rest of my life!

1. Smoke; 2. Gamble; 3. Eat junk food; 4. Be a couch potato; 5. Oversleep; 6. Miss classes.

XI. Replace the infinitives by the Present Indefinite, the Present Continuous, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. He (to solve) the crossword puzzle for half an hour. 2. The actors (to rehearse) since early morning; now they (to go over) the first scene as they (not to be) satisfied with their acting. 3. Here you (to be) at last! I (to wait) for you for 20 minutes. You (not to be) ashamed? 4. She (to speak) over the telephone long enough, it (to be) time for her to stop talking. 5. The lecturer (to mention) this name several times but I cannot remember it. 6. He (to work) at the language all the time and (to make) great progress. His phonetics (to be) perfect, only a slight accent (to remain). 7. It (to snow) steadily the whole week and it still (to snow). 8. The typist (to miss) several words as she (to talk) all the time. 9. He says he (to listen) to the same tunes for fifteen years. 10. Wait till you (to see) Moose and (to talk) with him. 11. I (to be) happy. I (to be) always happy. 12. The sun (to shine) with different degrees of heating power in different parts of the world. 13. I must not let my eyes get all red and swollen, or Henry’ll know I (to cry). 14. I want to see how much he (to change) since I saw him last.

XII. Translate it into English.

1. Теперь я поняла. 2. Я всегда интересовалась естественными науками. 3. Кто взял мой словарь? Я уже полчаса ищу его. 4. Она вечно говорит по телефону. 5. Целую вечность вас не видела. 6. Бетти давно хочет жить самостоятельно. 7. Он не играл в шахматы почти десять лет. 8. Псина, ты откуда? Я тебя ушиб? 9. Она уже скрылась за поворотом, а Ричард все стоит и смотрит в окно. 10. Ты что делаешь сегодня вечером?

THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

The Formation

The Past Perfect Continuous is formed by means of the Past Perfect of the auxiliary verb “to be” and Participle I of the notional verb.

In the interrogative form the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle “not” is placed after the first auxiliary verb.

Affirmative

singular plural

1. I had (I’d) been reading 1. We had (we’d) been reading

2. You had (you’d) been reading 2. You had (you’d) been reading

3. He/she had (he’d) been reading 3. They had (they’d) been reading

Interrogative

singular plural

1. Had I been reading? 1. Had we been reading?

2. Had you been reading? 2. Had you been reading?

3. Had he/she been reading? 3. Had they been reading?

Negative

singular plural

1. I had not (hadn’t) been reading 1. We had not (hadn’t) been reading

2. You had not (hadn’t) been reading 2. You had not (hadn’t) been reading

3. He/she had not (hadn’t) been reading 3. They had not (hadn’t) been reading

Interrogative-Negative

singular Plural

1. Had I not (hadn’t I) been reading? 1. Had we not (hadn’t we) been reading?

2. Had you not (hadn’t you) been reading? 2. Had you not (hadn’t you) been reading?

3. Had he/she not (hadn’t he) been reading? 3. Had they not (hadn’t they) been reading?

The Use of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

They distinguish two uses of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense: the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive.

1. The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive denotes an action which began before a definite moment in the past, continued up to that moment and was still going on at that moment. Either the starting point of the action is indicated or the whole period of duration. The preposition for is used to denote the whole period of duration. Since is used to indicate the starting point of the action. The period of time can be also indicated by such adverbials as for some time, since smb did smth.

e.g. We could not go out because it had been raining since early morning.

We could not go out because it had been raining for two hours.

With verbs not admitting of the Continuous form instead of the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive the Past Perfect Inclusive is used:

e.g. He said he had not seen his parents since 1990.

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive is rendered in Russian by the past imperfective.

e.g. I had been reading about an hour when he came.

Я читал около часа, когда он пришел.

2. The Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive denotes an action which was no longer going on at a definite moment in the past (it had just been completed), but which had been in progress not long before. In this case the period of the action is not always mentioned, it is clear from the context:

e.g. He felt very tired when he came home, as he had been playing volleyball since morning.

I sobbed a little still, but that was because I had been crying, not because I was crying then.

Comparative Use of the Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The Past Perfect Tense The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

He said he had worked for twenty years.

(the fact is emphasized) He said he had been working for a long time without achieving final results.

(the process is emphasized)

Comparative Use of the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Continuous

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive The Past Continuous

The magnificent motor-car was waiting at the kerb. It had been waiting for two hours.

(the previous duration of the action is expressed) The magnificent motor-car was waiting at the kerb.

(an action going on at a definite moment in the past is expressed)

I. Read the sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. He said he had been studying English for two years before he joined the courses. 2. I was told your friend had been waiting half an hour before you telephoned him. 3. Though my friend had long been out of practice, he won the Institute Chess Championship. 4. He said he had looked for the magazine everywhere, but he could not find it anywhere. 5. I had been looking for my note-book the whole morning before I finally discovered it under the newspaper. 6. For a long time Mark Twain had been trying to get some poor little corner in the sleeper when suddenly a conductor came up and offered him two good seats. 7. When I saw her last, she was wearing a well-cut sleeveless dress. I don’t think she had been wearing it long. It looked quite new. 8. I realized that he had come away with me in order to discuss once more what he had been already discussing for hours with his sister-in-law. 9. He felt Ann’s clasp upon his arm. She had been saying something to him. 10. There were bits of work, I had been doing them so long and alone because I knew how to do them better than anyone else. 11. There was no doubt that their arrival had transformed the factory for her. Rosa had been working in the factory for about two years. Before that she had been a journalist.

II. Do as in the model.

Model: A.: They had been translating the article for a long time when I joined them. (who, what)

B.: They had not been translating the article for a long time when I joined them.

Had they been translating the article for a long time when I joined them?

Had they been translating or writing the article for a long time when I joined them?

They had been translating the article for a long time before I joined them, hadn’t they?

Who had been translating the article for a long time before I joined them?

What had they been doing for a long time before I joined them?

1. My friend had been serving in the army for ten years before he came to work at our company. (where, who) 2. We had been showing the new engineer around the factory for three hours before he said: “That’ll do for now.” (what, for how long) 3. The scientists had been discussing the plan since the noon. (since when, what) 4. She stated she had been reading the collection of short stories for a month. (what kind of, who) 5. The Campbells had been waiting for a week before the circus arrived. (who, up to when) 6. Mark Twain had been looking for a seat for some time before the porter noticed him. (how long, what) 7. I saw that it was 2 o’clock. We had been sitting there an hour and a half. (who, where) 8. He turned off the electric light. The electric light had been burning all night. (what light, how long) 9. As he was wearing a dinner dress, Fanny asked where he had been dining. (where) 10. Here I saw this man, whom I had lost sight of some time; for I had been travelling in the provinces. (who, where)

III. Do as in the model.

Model: A.: I heard that Arnold failed his driver’s test last week.

B.: Yes, it is... and it’s really a shame. He had been practising for a long time.

1. Lucy lost her job at the bank; work there. 2. Boris lost the chess match; practice. 3. Ted and Carol broke up; go together. 4. Robert did poorly on his English examination; study for it. 5. Sally had to cancel her trip to Canada; plan it. 6. Dick and Janet cancelled their wedding; plan to get married. 7. Mrs Gold had another heart attack; feel better. 8. Mr and Mrs Hardy moved; live in this neighbourhood. 9. Lisa got sick and couldn’t see the parade; hope to see it. 10. Roger caught a cold and couldn’t go camping; look forward to it.

IV. Read and practise.

Patty had planned to have a party last weekend.

She had been getting ready for the party for a long time.

She had invited all her friends.

She had cooked lots of food.

And she had cleaned her apartment from top to bottom.

But at the last minute, she got sick and had to cancel her party.

Poor Patty!

She was really disappointed.

Michael had planned to ask his boss for a raise last week.

He had been preparing to ask his boss for a raise for a long time.

He had come to work early for several weeks.

He had worked late at the office every night.

And he had even bought a new suit to wear to the appointment with his boss.

Unfortunately, before Michael could even ask for a raise, his boss fired him.

John and Julia had planned to get married last month.

They had been planning their wedding for several months and all of their friends and relatives had been looking forward to the ceremony.

Julia had bought a beautiful wedding gown.

John had rented a fancy tuxedo.

And they had sent invitations to 150 people.

But at the last minute John “got cold feet”* and they had to cancel the wedding.

* “got cold feet” means “get scared”.

V. Talk to other students in your class about plans you had that “fell through”.

What had you planned to do? How long had you been planning to do it? What had you done beforehand? What went wrong? (What happened?) Were you upset? Disappointed?

VI. Translate it into English.

1. Мама готовила сэндвичи до того, как зазвонил телефон. 2. Она долго работала в саду. Она не знала, что происходит в доме. 3. Я не знала, что вы меня ждали. 4. Я был занят с тех пор, как видел вас в последний раз. 5. Он сказал, что они выполняли эту работу с августа. 6. Она смотрела на меня с минуту, потом отвернулась и вышла. 7. Сэм уже несколько недель посещал занятия, прежде чем он начал рисовать красную розу. 8. Мисс Ролстон пробыла в Филадельфии около недели, прежде чем поняла, что ничего не может сделать для Сэма. 9. Элиза была очень утомлена, так как целый день ходила. 10. Молодые художники жили несколько месяцев вместе, прежде чем Джонси заболела. 11. Ленни долгое время мечтал о том, чтобы уехать из города, прежде чем сообщил друзьям о своих планах.

VII. Replace the infinitives in brackets by the Past Indefinite, Past Continuous, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

A. 1. He (to read) his evening paper as usual when a friend of his called him on the phone. 2. He (to read) before the fire for half an hour when the telephone rang. 3. When we went to see them last night, they (to play) chess; they said they (to play) since six o’clock. 4. She felt chilly after she (to swim) for an hour. 5. They told me that Ben still (to swim). 6. The boys (to play) football and did not hear their mother calling them from the window. 7. The boys were tired because they (to play) football. 8. We (to work) in silence for some time when John spoke. 9. He (to look) three or five minutes at the fire and (to think) of something. 10. He asked me what I (to look) for. 11. She (to put) aside the book she (to read) and (to stand) up from the table. 12. When I entered the room Sir George (to talk) in a loud voice.

B. 1. They (to drive) in the car for many hours before they (to come) to the crossroads. 2. The scientists (to carry) out dozens of experiments before they (to achieve) satisfactory results. 3. The violinist (to practise) the passage hour after hour until he (to master) it at last. 4. He told me he (not to see) much of her since he (to move) to another place. 5. He (to consult) his watch nervously several times before he (to see) her at the end of the platform. 6. My sister (to make) soup in the kitchen and (not to hear) the bell. 7. Roger (to say) he (to come) back in an hour. 8. The silence in the room (to tell) that the rain (to stop). 9. Then she (to get) up and (to go) to the kitchen and (to open) the fridge. 10. For some time she (not to realize) where she (to be) and what (to happen).

C. 1. I think he showed me about thirty canvases. It was the result of the six years during which he (to paint). 2. Mr Moore (to sit) silent for several minutes. 3. Then she found that the tears (to flow) quietly from her eyes. Perhaps they (to flow) for a long time. 4. After he (to leave) school he (can) not find a job and (to decide) to go to New York. 5. Monty (to tremble) too in fits which shook his body from top to bottom. 6. Johnson (to stay) in those islands for eight months, awaiting some sort of transportation to the Western Hemisphere. 7. By that time Johnson (to develop) a conviction that something (to try) to get him somewhere for some reason. 8. He told me about a factory that (to grow) big crystals. 9. The girls (to prepare) to sing in the outer office. 10. The room that (to be) the laboratory of Dr Felix Hoenikker was on the sixth floor, the top floor of the building.

VIII. Translate it into English, using the proper tense.

1. Он уехал в тот день, когда я приехал. 2. Все эти дни он работал усерднее, чем ты. 3. Почему ты не слушаешь, когда я говорю с тобой? 4. Не возвращайся, пока не найдешь его. 5. Вы давно знаете друг друга? 6. Я сейчас работаю усиленно, чтобы догнать группу. Я был болен две недели. 7. В тот вечер у нас было очень мало времени, так как мы уезжали на следующий день. 8. Холодный ветер со снегом дул с Альп; в долину пришла зима. 9. Мальчик чувствовал себя виноватым, так как целый день играл в снежки и не сделал уроков. 10. Я вижу, все смеются. Ты опять рассказываешь небылицы! (to tell tales) 11. Сколько времени вы занимаетесь спортом? – С детства. 12. Девочка вскочила со скамьи, на которой сидела, и побежала встречать мать, которая как раз входила в сад с улицы. 13. Лекция еще не началась, и студенты болтали и смеялись. 14. Он не мог не думать о том, что уже где-то видел это лицо прежде.

THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

The Formation

The Future Perfect Continuous is formed by means of the auxiliary verb “to be” in the Future Perfect and Participle I of the notional verb.

In the interrogative form the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle “not” is placed after the first auxiliary verb.

Affirmative

singular plural

1. I shall (I’ll) have been working 1. We shall (we’ll) have been working

2. You will (you’ll) have been working 2. You will (you’ll) have been working

3. He/she will (he’ll) have been working 3. They will (they’ll) have been working

Interrogative

singular plural

1. Shall I have been working? 1. Shall we have been working?

2. Will you have been working? 2. Will you have been working?

3. Will he/she have been working? 3. Will they have been working?

Negative

singular plural

1. I shall not (shan’t) have been working 1. We shall not (shan’t) have been working

2. You will not (won’t) have been working 2. You will not (won’t) have been working

3. He/she will not (won’t) have been working 3. They will not (won’t) have been working

Interrogative-Negative

singular plural

1. Shall I not

Shan’t I have been working? 1. Shall we not

Shan’t we have been working?

2. Will you not

Won’t you have been working? 2. Will you not

Won’t you have been working?

3. Will he/she not

Won’t he/she have been working? 3. Will they not

Won’t they have been working?

The Use of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous denotes an action which will begin before a definite moment in the future, will continue up to that moment and will be going on at that moment.

e.g. We shall have been working at this problem for a month when you visit us a second time.

By the end of this month, we shall have been learning this language for ten years.

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is seldom used in Modern English (the Future Perfect Tense is used instead).

e.g. By this time next year our teacher will have taught at our Institute for 25 years.

THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES

The sequence of tenses is a certain dependence of the tense of the verb in a subordinate clause on that of the verb in the principal clause: if the verb in the principal clause is in one of the past tenses, a past tense (or future in the past) must be used in the subordinate clause. The rule is generally observed in object clauses.

e.g. I thought you had better sense. (Dreiser)

I always thought it would come to this.

Note: It is implied in the rule of the sequence of tenses that if a present or future tense is used in the principal clause, any tense required by the sense can be used in the subordinate clause;

e.g. I’ve seen which way the wind is blowing. (Dreiser)

If the past action expressed in the subordinate clause is simultaneous with that expressed in the principal clause, the Past Indefinite or the Past Continuous is used in the subordinate clause:

e.g. I thought you had more courage than this. (Dreiser)

Я думал, что у вас больше мужества.

He looked at Cowperwood and saw at once... that the latter was preparing a big fight of some sort. (Dreiser)

Он посмотрел на Каупервуда и сразу понял, что тот замышляет какой-то бой.

If the past action expressed in the subordinate clause is prior to that expressed in the principal clause, the Past Perfect is used in the subordinate clause:

e.g. He knew that she (Hetty) had not had time to read the letter. (Eliot)

Он знал, что она еще не успела прочесть письмо.

If the action expressed in the subordinate clause lasted a certain time before the action expressed in the principal clause, the Past Perfect Continuous or the Past Perfect Inclusive is used in the subordinate clause.

e.g. He realized that the old life he had lived in that city since boyhood was ended. (Dreiser)

Он понял, что та жизнь, которой он жил в этом городе с детства, окончилась.

If the action expressed in the subordinate clause is posterior to that of the principal clause the Future in the Past is used.

e.g. He knew they would read the book the following year. (Future Indefinite in the Past)

He knew they would have read the book by the 1st of June. (Future Perfect in the Past)

Occasionally we find examples of should being used with the 3rd person and would with the 1st. This generally occurs when the speaker wants to preserve the same verb that was used by the original speaker.

e.g. See! Here’s his writing; I made him put it down this morning when he told me he shouldn’t be back before I came here. (Dickens)

He asked me if there wasn’t any hope that I would change. (Webster)

If there are several subordinate clauses in a sentence, the rule of the sequence of tenses is observed in all of them.

e.g. As the weeks went by... he began to believe that she had been able to think of her girlish fancy that Arthur was in love with her and would marry her as a folly of which she was timely cured. (Eliot)

The rule of the sequence of tenses also holds good when a past tense is used in a subordinate clause to which other clauses are subordinated.

e.g. She says he knew they would never return. (Bennett)

He said he was sure you were in.

It should be noted that the rule of the sequence of tenses is observed after verbals if they depend on a finite verb in the past tense:

e.g. Cowperwood stood by his desk... wondering where he should get one hundred thousand dollars. (Dreiser)

In Russian, the tense of the verb in the subordinate clause does not depend on the tense of the verb in the principal clause.

Tenses Used in English and Russian Subordinate Clauses after a Past Tense in the Principal Clause

English Russian

Past Indefinite Present

I knew she played the piano every day. Я знал, что она играет (играла) на рояле каждый день.

Past Continuous Present

I knew she was playing the piano and did not want to disturb her. Я знал, что она играет (играла) на рояле, и не хотел ее беспокоить.

Past Perfect Past

I knew she had played the piano at the evening party. Я знал, что она играла на рояле на вечере.

Past Perfect Continuous

(Past Perfect Inclusive) Present

(in affirmative sentences)

I knew she had been playing (had played) the piano for two hours. Я знал, что она играет (играла) на рояле два часа.

Past Perfect Past

(in negative sentences)

I knew she had not played the piano for a long time. Я знал, что она давно не играла (не играет) на рояле.

Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive Past

I knew she had been playing the piano. Я знал, что она играла на рояле.

Future in the Past Future

I knew she would play the piano at the evening party. Я знал, что она будет играть на рояле на вечере.

The sequence of tenses is not observed if the object clause expresses a general truth:

e.g. The pupils knew that water consists of oxygen and hydrogen.

In political language a present tense is often used in the object clause after a past tense in the principal clause.

e.g. The speaker said that the peoples want peace.

The sequence of tenses is often not observed if something is represented as habitual, customary, or characteristic.

e.g. He asked the guard what time the train usually starts. (Curme)

He did not seem to know that nettles sting. (Curme)

INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH

If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, the tenses are changed according to the rule of the sequence of tenses.

The Present Indefinite is replaced by the Past Indefinite.

e.g. She said, “We often write letters.”

She said they often wrote letters.

The Present Continuous is replaced by the Past Continuous.

e.g. She said, “We are writing a letter.”

She said they were writing a letter.

The Present Perfect is replaced by the Past Perfect.

e.g. She said, “We have just written a letter”.

She said they had just written a letter.

The Present Perfect Continuous is replaced by the Past Perfect Continuous.

e.g. She said, “We have been writing for an hour.”

She said they had been writing for an hour.

The Past Indefinite is replaced by the Past Perfect.

e.g. She said, “We wrote a letter last night.”

She said they had written a letter on the previous night.

The Past Continuous generally remains unchanged, or is replaced by the Past Perfect Continuous.

e.g. She said,“I was writing at 5 o’clock.”

She said she was (had been) writing at 5 o’clock.

The Past Perfect remains unchanged.

e.g. She said, “We had written the letter by 5 o’clock.”

She said they had written the letter by 5 o’clock.

The Past Perfect Continuous remains unchanged.

e.g. She said, “We had been writing for an hour by 5 o’clock.”

She said they had been writing for an hour by 5 o’clock.

The Future Indefinite is replaced by the Future Indefinite in the Past.

e.g. She said, “We’ll write a letter to-morrow.”

She said they would write a letter the next day.

The Future Continuous is replaced by the Future Continuous in the Past.

e.g. She said, “We’ll be writing at 5 o’clock.”

She said they would be writing at 5 o’clock.

The Future Perfect is replaced by the Future Perfect in the Past.

e.g. She said, “We’ll have written the letter by 5 o’clock.”

She said they would have written the letter by 5 o’clock.

The Future Perfect Continuous is replaced by the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past.

e.g. She said, “We’ll have been writing for 2 hours by 5 o’clock.”

She said they would have been writing for 2 hours by 5 o’clock.

If the Past Indefinite in direct speech denotes an action taking place at a definite moment, it remains unchanged in indirect speech.

e.g. She said, “I had left home before the telegram came.”

She said she had left home before the telegram came.

The Past Indefinite after since generally remains unchanged.

e.g. She said, “I have been writing since I came.”

She said she had been writing since she came.

Indirect questions

Word order in an indirect question is the same as in a statement.

An indirect general question is introduced by the conjunction if or whether.

e.g. I said to her, “Have you lived here long?”

I asked her if she had lived there long.

She asked if she knew him. (Bennett)

An indirect special question is introduced by the same adverb or pronoun that introduces a direct question.

e.g. I said to her, “Where do you live?”

I asked her where she lived.

I asked her where she was going and where her friends were. (Ch. Bronte)

If a direct question to the subject contains the link verb to be, the direct order of words is not always strictly observed.

e.g. He asked, “Who is that man?”

He asked who the man was/who was the man.

The direct question What is the matter? can be converted in two ways:

e.g. He asked what was the matter.

He asked what the matter was.

Indirect questions are generally introduced by the verb to ask. In more official style the verb to inquire is used.

e.g. She called at the office and said, “When does the secretary usually come?”

She called at the office and inquired when the secretary usually came.

If the person addressed is mentioned, the verb to inquire is used with the preposition of. This occurs in bookish style only.

e.g. She said to him, “Where does Mrs Brown live?”

She inquired of him where Mrs Brown lived.

In rendering answers the verbs to answer and to reply are generally used.

Occasionally, answers are rendered in the following way: His reply (answer) was that... He said in reply... This is not colloquial.

Indirect orders and requests

An order or a request in indirect speech is expressed by an infinitive:

e.g. She said to him, “Open the window (Do not open the window).”

She told him to open the window (not to open the window).

She said to him, “Please, open the window (Do not open the window).”

She asked him to open the window (not to open the window).

The choice of the verb is determined by the character of the order (request).

Indirect offers, suggestions and advice

When converting offers and suggestions into indirect speech, we use the verbs to offer and to suggest. There is a difference between these two verbs, though both are rendered in Russian by “предложить”: the person who makes an offer intends to do the action himself, and the action is an act of kindness. A suggestion may also be an act of kindness, but not necessarily; the person who makes a suggestion may or may not intend to do the action himself.

e.g. He said to her, “Shall I fetch you a glass of water?” She said, “Do, please.” (“No, don’t trouble.”)

He offered to fetch her a glass of water and she accepted the offer (declined the offer).

He said to her, “Suppose we go there together?” She said, “Very well.” (“No, I would rather you went alone.”)

He suggested that they should go there together and she consented (refused).

Note: If the verb to suggest is followed by a subordinate clause, the predicate of the subordinate clause is expressed by a verb in the analytical form of the Subjunctive Mood with the auxiliary should.

Sentences expressing advice are converted into indirect speech by means of the verb to advise.

e.g. He said to them, “You had better take a taxi, you may be late.”

He advised them to take a taxi, as otherwise they might be late.