2.7: Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Progressive
- Page ID
- 273818
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The past perfect and past perfect progressive (also called past perfect continuous) tenses both describe actions that happened before a point in the past, but they have different focuses:
🟨 Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle)
Use: To show that one action was completed before another action or time in the past.
Structure:
Subject + had + past participle
Focus: The completion of the action.
Example:
- She had finished her homework before dinner.
(= Homework was completely done before dinner started.)
🟧 Past Perfect Progressive Tense (had been + present participle)
Use: To emphasize the duration or ongoing nature of an action before another action or time in the past.
Structure:
Subject + had been + verb-ing
Focus: The continuity or duration of the action.
Example:
- She had been studying for two hours when she stopped to eat dinner.
(= She was studying continuously for 2 hours leading up to dinner.)
🔄 Comparison:
|
Sentence |
Focus |
|
He had worked at the company for 10 years before he left. |
Focus on completed action (past perfect) |
|
He had been working at the company for 10 years before he left. |
Focus on duration (past perfect progressive) |
Note: When using the verbs "work" and "live," either past perfect or past perfect progressive can be used with little difference in meaning.
📝 Exercises
✍️ Exercise 2.7.1: Fill in the blanks
Choose either past perfect (had + past participle) or past perfect progressive (had been + verb-ing) to complete each sentence.
📌 Hints:
- Use past perfect when you want to focus on the completion of an action.
- Use past perfect progressive when you want to emphasize the duration or ongoing nature of an action before something else happened.
- By the time the show started, we _____________________________ (find) our seats.
- She _____________________________ (work) on the painting for weeks before she finally finished it.
- They _____________________________ (never try) sushi before the trip to Japan.
- When the teacher entered the room, the students _____________________________ (chat) loudly for several minutes.
- I _____________________________ (finish) the book before the movie adaptation was released.
- The ground was wet because it _____________________________ (rain) all night.
- We _____________________________ (live) in the city for five years before moving to the countryside.
- He was exhausted because he _____________________________ (run) for over an hour.
- Before they got married, they _____________________________ (know) each other for ten years.
- I ________________________________ (not hear) the news until I turned on the TV.
- She _____________________________ (drive) for hours when she realized she was lost.
- The thief had already escaped when the police _____________________________ (arrive).
- My clothes were dirty because I _____________________________ (work) in the garden.
- We _____________________________ (visit) Paris once before we went again last summer.
- The teacher was surprised that the student _____________________________ (memorize) the entire poem.
✍️ Exercise 2.7.2: Sentence transformation
For each sentence, determine which action happened first. Then, rewrite each sentence using either past perfect or past perfect progressive for the action that happened first. Pay attention to what needs to be emphasized: the completion of the action or the duration of the activity.
1. She was cooking (first action) for two hours before the guests arrived.
➡️ (Emphasize the ongoing action) She had been cooking for two hours before the guests arrived.
2. He took a shower after he cleaned the garage.
➡️ (Emphasize that cleaning was done before the shower)
3. We waited for half an hour when the concert finally started.
➡️ (Focus on the duration of waiting)
4. They already left when we reached the station.
➡️ (Focus on completed action)
5. I practiced piano every day before the recital.
➡️ (Focus on ongoing practice leading to an event)
6. He felt tired because he walked all day.
➡️ (Highlight continuous activity)
7. The kids played outside for three hours before dinner.
➡️ (Focus on duration)
8. She read all the documents before the meeting.
➡️ (Emphasize the completed action)
9. It snowed for hours before the roads were closed.
➡️ (Focus on the ongoing cause of the road closure)
10.They talked for hours before making a decision.
➡️ (Emphasize duration of discussion)
✍️ Exercise 2.7.3: Error Correction
Each sentence has an error with past perfect or past perfect progressive usage. Identify and correct it.
1. I had been saw that movie before we watched it together.
2. She had finished dinner when the phone was ringing.
3. They had work in the same company before they met.
4. We had been waited for over an hour when the bus finally arrived.
5. He had never visit New York before last year.
6. The children had played outside all morning and they were tired.
7. By the time we arrive, the meeting had already starting.
8. I had been knowing him for a long time before we became partners.
9. She had studied for hours when the fire alarm went off.
10. The train had been leave before we reached the station.
✍️ Exercise 2.7.4: Create Sentences
Read the situations and make sentences from the words in brackets. Use Past Perfect or Past Perfect Progressive (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)
2. I was very angry when I got home yesterday. (my roommate/ leave the front door unlocked again)
3.I was energetic this morning. (I / drink / coffee /all morning)
4. He looked very handsome. (He / comb / his hair)
5. She was tired after work. (She / take care of patients/ all day)
6. She was soaked. (She / fall / in the river)
7. They were relieved. (They / escape / a landslide)
8.They were exhausted. (They / hike / ten miles / in the heat.)
9. We were so pleased. (We / hope / for that result)
10. We were very dirty. (We / work / in the garden)
✍️ Exercise 2.7.5 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 2.7.1 from We Love Teaching English is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Non-Commercial - No-Derivatives 4.0 International License.