2.7: Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Progresive
- Page ID
- 273818
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Past Perfect Progressive vs Past Progressive
Background Events
"Backgrounding" with past perfect progressive
| SETTING A SCENE | |
|---|---|
|
Past progressive relates two past activities with the focus on the activities rather than their timing. Timing can be expressed by adding connectors indicating sequence: and then, next, etc. |
|
| BACKGROUND ACTIVITY | FOCUS ACTIVITY |
| PAST PROGRESSIVE | SIMPLE PAST |
|
We were sitting there having lunch, |
and suddenly the waiter dropped his tray on the table. |
|
He was talking on his phone. |
Then, he crashed into the back of a bus. |
|
She was drinking an icy fruit drink, |
and then her head started to ache. |
|
We were sitting there an hour |
Then he arrived. |
| SETTING AN EARLIER SCENE | |
|---|---|
|
Past perfect progressive relates the timing of two past activities: one that was ongoing and another interrupting or focal activity. Backgrounding sets the scene for the "main activity". |
|
| BACKGROUND ACTIVITY | FOCUS ACTIVITY |
| PAST PERFECT PROG. | PAST |
|
We had been sitting at our table for thirty minutes |
when the waiter finally came to take our order. |
|
He had been talking on his phone |
before he crashed into the back of a bus. |
|
She had been drinking an icy fruit drink |
when her head started to ache. |
|
We had been sitting there for an hour |
by the time he arrived. |
Also see By the time.
Charts by Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
Exercise 1
Read the situations and make sentences from the words in brackets. Use Past Perfect of Past Perfect Continuous Forms
For example, I was very tired when I arrived home (I / work / hard all day) = I had been working hard all day.
- I was very happy when I received the letter. (I / wait / for my letter)
- I was very angry when I got home yesterday. (my roommate/ leave the front door unlocked again)
- I was energetic this morning. (I / drink / coffee /all morning)
- He looked very handsome. (He / comb / his hair)
- She was tired after work. (She / take care of patients/ all day)
- She was soaked. (She / fall / in the river)
- They were relieved. (They / escape / a landslide)
- They were exhausted. (They / hike / ten miles / in the heat.)
- We were so pleased. (We / hope / for that result)
- We were very dirty. (We / work / in the garden)
Exercise 2: Past Perfect and Past Perfect Progressive: The Storm
Fill in the blanks with Past Perfect or Past Perfect Progressive forms of the verbs in parentheses.
Example: Many people did not expect their houses to flood because their houses had never flooded before.
1. We were ready for the storm because we____________________________ (buy) supplies two days before it hit.
2. Her car got flooded because she ________________________________ (leave) it in a low spot.
3. My car didn’t get flooded because I ________________________(park) it on higher ground.
4. Many people had to pay for all of the repairs to their homes because they _____________________ ( purchase / flood insurance/ not) before the storm.
5. Some people had to be rescued from their roofs. They _________________________ (climb) on their roofs so that the rescuers could see them.
6. When we went outside, the streets were flooded because it ____________________________(rain) for three days.
7. By the time the storm was over, thousands of people ____________________________ (lost) their homes.
8. Some families ___________________________________(wait) for hours before they were rescued.
9. One man climbed on the roof of his car because he ______________________________(drive) into high water.
10. Some people had to leave their homes because their homes _______________________________. (flood /already)
11. The debris stayed on the street in front of people’s houses for a long time because no one _________________________________(pick / it ) up yet.
12. The country __________________________ (see /never) such a terrible loss of property in any previous storms.
Exercise 2-Original Content by Allyson Marceau
Videos and Other Resources
Watch this video for more explanation of past perfect tense...
Practice past perfect with this fun grammar gameshow...
For more written explanation and exercises, try this website and this website...
Practice the Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Tenses
- Watch the Nepal Earthquake video again. Write three sentences using the past perfect continuous. The earthquake hit at 11:52. What had people been doing when the earthquake hit?
- Read the article "Alaska Earthquake" again. Had Kirsten Arnold experienced an earthquake before the one in Alaska? Where?
- Write three sentences. What are some things you hadn't tried before you started this class?
Exercise 1 from We Love Teaching English is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Non-Commercial - No-Derivatives 4.0 International License.