LONGMAN ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRACTICE

9 Verbs, verb tenses, imperatives

9.6 The simple past perfect and past perfect progressive tenses

9.6A Uses of the simple past perfect tense: 'I had worked' [> LEG 9.29-30]

1 When we have two past references, we are not obliged to use the simple past perfect:

After I finished work, I went home, (simple past + simple past)

2 But we often need the past perfect for the event that happened first to avoid ambiguity:

When I arrived, Ann left. (i.e. at that moment)

When I arrived, Ann had left. (i.e. before I got there)

We use the past perfect to refer to 'an earlier past', that is to describe the first of two or more

actions: First the patient died. Then the doctor arrived.

The patient had died when the doctor arrived.

We often introduce the past perfect with conjunctions like when, after, as soon as, by the time

that. We use adverbs like already, ever, never... before.

Write: Supply the simple past or the simple past perfect. Show when both are possible.

1 They the gates before I there, (lock, get)

2 By the time we the party (arrive, finish)

3 I the shop as soon as I the contents of the box. (ring, check)

4 After we it on the phone, I him a letter about it. (discuss, write)

We a good rest when our guests (have, all leave)

When she the office this morning, Jim (ring, already go out)

Before we Tim to the theatre, he a stage play before, (take, never see)

8 I the carpet when the dog in and himself, (just clean, come, shake)

9 He to do the job in an hour, but he still by 10 o'clock, (promise, not finish)

5

6

7

9.6B

Study:

[*3

Uses of the present and past perfect progressive: 'I have/had been

working' [> LEG 9.32-33]

The past perfect progressive is the 'past' form of the present perfect progressive. [> 9.5B]

The progressive forms have the effect of emphasizing continuity.

We use them to describe actions in progress throughout a period:

present perfect progressive: She is very tired. She has been typing all day.

past perfect progressive: She was very tired. She had been typing all day.

Depending on context, she was still typing, or had recently stopped, (then, not now)

Some verbs like learn, lie, live, wait, work, naturally suggest 'continuity' [> 7.3B, 9.5B]:

We say: I've waited for two hours, (simple present perfect)

Or: I've been waiting for two hours, (present perfect progessive)

We say: I'd waited for two hours before he arrived, (simple past perfect)

Or: I'd been waiting for two hours before he arrived, (past perfect progressive)

3 Repeated actions:

present perfect progressive:

past perfect progressive:

4 Drawing conclusions:

present perfect progressive:

past perfect progressive:

He's been phoning every night for a month.

He'd been phoning every night for a month.

Her eyes are red. It's clear she's been crying.

Her eyes were red. It was clear she'd been crying.