Past Perfect and past Perfect Continuous

a. When we are talking about the past, we sometimes want to refer back to an earlier past.

When I telephoned Sue, she had gone out.

We use the Past Perfect to talk about something which had happened before the past time we are thinking about.

We arrived at the cinema at 8.00, but the film had started at 7.30.

When I spoke to the woman I realized I had met her somewhere before.

b. The Past Perfect is the past form of the Present Perfect. Compare:

Present Perfect	Past Perfect
I haven’t eaten all day now, so I’m very hungry now.	I hadn’t eaten all day yesterday, so I was very hungry when I got home.

c. Compare the uses of the Past Perfect and Past Simple:

We got to the station at 8.00, but the train had left at 7.30. When Sue arrived, we had had dinner.

We got to the station at 7.20 and the train left at 7.30. When Sue arrived, we had dinner.

d. When we are talking about the past, we sometimes want to refer back to an earlier past.

Dave had been driving for an hour when his car broke down.

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to talk about something which had been in progress up to the past time we are talking about.

I’d been walking for about half an hour when it suddenly started to rain.

Mr. Woods had been working for 50 years when he finally retired in 1985.

e. The Past Perfect Continuous is the past form of the Present Perfect Continuous. Compare:

Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
I’ve been working hard all day, so I’m very tired now.	I had been working hard all day, so I was very tired last night.

f. Compare the uses of the Past Perfect Continuous and the Past Continuous:

When I looked out of the window, it had been raining.

When I looked out of the window, it was raining.

SELFCHECK

I. Complete the sentences using the correct tense forms.

1. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were in an airplane. They were very nervous as the plane took off because they (never, fly) before.

2. “Why you (be) so angry when I (see) you yesterday?” “Oh, I (just, have) a big argument with my parents.”

3. I (try) contacting my pen pal when I (be) in the United States, but she (change) her address and no one (know) where she (move) to.

4. I (stand) there for nearly half an hour when I (realize) I (be) at the wrong bus stop.

5. He (be) very nervous when he first (drive) in Britain because he (not, drive) on the left before.

6. When I (hear) his voice on the phone, I (know) I (speak) to him before. Then I (remember) I (already, meet) him. I also (remember) that I (not, like) him very much.

7. I’m really sorry I (be) so late last night. – That’s OK. We (not, wait) long.

8. Robert (move) from Manchester to London in 1988. – How long he (live) in Manchester?

9. We (just, start) lunch when the telephone (ring).

10. Andrew was late for school yesterday. When he (get) to the classroom, the lesson (start).

11. They (wait) until everybody (be) ready and then they (start) the meeting.

12. (you, catch) the train yesterday? – No, it (already, leave) when we (get) to the station.

13. Andrew (do) the test before, so he (find) it very easy.

14. I (not, laugh) at the joke because I (hear) it before.

15. When I (find) my wallet I (discover) that somebody (take) the credit cards out of it.

16. I (feel) cold because I (stand) outside for over two hours.

17. I (play) tennis so I (feel) hot and sticky.

18. The children’s hair was wet because they (swim) in the sea.

19. I (not, feel) well for weeks before I finally (go) to see the doctor.

20. They (not, eat) when I (go) to see them. They (just, finish) their dinner.

21. I (invite) Ann to dinner last night but she couldn’t come. She (already, arrange) to do something else.

22. I was very pleased to see Nora again after such a long time. I (not, see) her for five years.

23. They (drive) for about half an hour when they (realize) they (be) lost.

24. The house (be) very quiet when I got home. Everybody (go) to bed.

25. There (be) a car by the side of the road. It (break) down and the driver (try) to repair it. So we (stop) to see if we could help.

26. Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He (look) for his cigarette lighter.

27. We (walk) along the road for about 20 minutes when a car (stop) and the driver (offer) us a lift.

28. When I (arrive), everyone (sit) round the table with their mouths full.

29. When I (arrive) Ann (wait) for me. She was rather annoyed with me because I (be) late and she (wait) for a long time.

30. Class (begin, already) by the time I (get) there, so I (take, quietly) a seat in the back.

31. I (see, never) any of Picasso’s paintings before I (visit) the art museum.

32. Yesterday at a restaurant I (see) Pam Donnelly, an old friend of mine. I (see, not) her in years. At first I (recognize, not) her because she (lose) at least fifty pounds.

33. It is midnight. I (study) for five straight hours. No wonder I’m getting tired.

34. It was midnight. I (study) for five straight hours. No wonder I was getting tired.

35. Wake up! You (sleep) long enough. It’s time to get up.

36. At least two hundred people (wait) in line to buy tickets to the game. Some of them (stand) in line for more than four hours. We (decide) not to try to get tickets for ourselves.

37. He (be) a newspaper reporter before he (become) a businessman.

38. I (feel) a little better after I (take) the medicine.

39. It (rain) hard, but by the time the class (be) over, the rain (stop).

40. Ann (listen) to loud rock music when her friends (arrive) but (turn) it off so all of them could study together. When they (finish), she (turn) it back on, and they (dance) and (sing) for two hours now.

41. Oscar (train) for the Olympics for the last three years and wants to make the national team next year.

42. Tom had a hard time finding a job. He (try) to get a new job for six months before he finally (find) a position at a local community college. Now he has a two-year contract. He (teach) there for only a few weeks, but he likes his job very much.

43. The marathon runner (run) for almost two hours when she (collapse) to the pavement. She (receive) immediate medical attention.

44. We (wait) for Nancy for the last two hours, but she still (arrive, not).

45. He (give) me back the book, (thank) me for lending it to him and (say) that he (enjoy) it very much; but I (know) that he (not read) it because most of the pages (be) still uncut.

46. When he (see) his wife off at the station, he (return) home as he (not, have) to be at the airport till 9.30. He (not, have) to pack, for his wife already (do) that for him and his case (be) ready in the hall. He (not, have) to check the doors and windows either, for his wife always (do) that before she (leave) the house. All he (have) to do (be) to decide whether or not to take his overcoat with him. In the end he (decide) not to. At 8.30 he (pick) up his case, (go) out of the house and (slam) the door behind him. Then he (feel) in his pockets for the key, for his wife (remind) him to double-lock the front door. When he (search) all his pockets and (find) no key he (remember) where it (be). He (leave) it in his overcoat pocket. Then he (remember) something else; his passport and ticket (be) in his overcoat as well.

47. When the old lady (return) to her flat she (see) at once that burglars (break) in during her absence, because the front door (be) open and everything in the flat (be) upside down. The burglars themselves (be) no longer there, but they probably just (leave) because a cigarette still (burn) on the table. Probably they (hear) the lift coming up and (run) down the fire escape. They (help) themselves to her whisky too but there (be) a little left, so she (pour) herself out a drink. She (wonder) if they (find) her jewellery and rather (hope) they had. The jewellery (be given) her by her husband, who (die) some years before. Since his death she (not, have) the heart to wear it, yet she (not, like) to sell it. Now it (seem) that fate (take) the matter out of her hands; and certainly the insurance money would come in handy.

48. I (put) the £5 note into one of my books; but next day it (take) me ages to find it, because I (forget) which book I (put) it into.

49. A woman (come) in with a baby, who she (say) just (swallow) a safety pin.

50. I (think) my train (leave) at 14.33, and (be) very disappointed when I (arrive) at 14.30 and (learn) that it just (leave). I (find) later that I (use) an out-of-date timetable.

51. He (park) his car under a No Parking sign and (rush) into the shop. When he (come) out of the shop ten minutes later the car (be) no longer there. He (wonder) if someone (steal) it or the police (drive) it away.

52. When I (open) the door I (see) a man on his knees. He clearly (listen) to our conversation and I (wonder) how much he (hear). When I (ask) him what he (do), he (say) that he (drop) a 50p piece outside the door and (look) for it.

II. Translate into English.

1. Когда я вернулся домой, дети уже спали. Мать сказала, что они спят с 9 часов.

2. Позови детей обедать. Они играют во дворе с самого утра.

3. В прошлом году мы отдыхали в Ялте. К концу июня я сдал все экзамены и был свободен. Мои родители заказали билеты заранее, и в начале июля мы отправились в Крым.

4. Он спросил, что мы сделали с тех пор, как начали работать над этой проблемой.

5. Пока мы шли со станции, он успел рассказать мне обо всем, что произошло со времени моего отъезда.

6. Виктор приехал? – Да, он здесь уже два дня. Он приехал еще в пятницу.

7. Обед уже был готов; все давно проголодались, но двоих гостей еще не было.

8. Девочка плакала. Она заблудилась.

9. Автобус запаздывал, и я пожалел, что не взял такси.

10. Как только я заказал номер в гостинице, я поехал на завод.

11. Она дала мне письмо только после того, как я назвал свое имя.

12. Преподаватель сказал, что его произношение улучшилось после того, как он поработал в лингафонном кабинете.

13. Солнце еще не взошло, когда мы тронулись в путь.

14. Он не мог принять участия в экспедиции, так как он еще не совсем оправился после болезни.

15. Целый день мы осматривали город. Вечером мы вернулись в гостиницу, усталые, но довольные.

16. Когда я проснулся, уже стемнело. Я посмотрел на часы. Я спал три часа.

17. Преподаватель сказал, что я пропустил много занятий и мне придется много работать.

18. Он отправил телеграмму до того, как мы ему позвонили.

19. Когда я пришел, он сидел у камина, перелистывая журнал.

20. Студенты пишут контрольную работу уже почти два часа. Пока только двое из студентов сдали работы.

21. Я вернулся домой в пять часов вечера. К этому времени моя жена уже уложила вещи и ждала меня. Мы вызвали такси по телефону, и через полчаса были в аэропорту. Не успели мы приехать, как объявили наш рейс.

22. Художники работали с утра, так как мы хотим повесить стенную газету еще сегодня вечером.

23. Утро было солнечное, но с одиннадцати часов погода изменилась, и теперь идет дождь.

24. Она выглядит усталой. Я думаю, что она опять читает книги по ночам.

FLUENCY

Listen, read and practice.

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