Past Perfect Progressive

For me the hardest grammatical use in English is the Past Perfect Progressive. I think that the grammatical part is not so difficult to me. The really difficult part of this past tense to me is that I have some problems to know when do I have to use it. I didn´t care so much about this problem, but now a realzed that this past tense is really useful in English and that I have no choice but to learn to use it.

I did a huge reserach about this past tense, and I´m going to put here in my blog some things that I think are very helpful to star beginnig to learn a little bit about this English time that is very difficult to me. (=

When do we have to use the Past Perfect Progressive?
We use it to put emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

 

Grammatical Structure:

Uses:

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
• sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
• puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action

 Differences Between Present and Past Perfect Progressive: 

Some Examples:

Exercises:

Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect progressive).

1. We (sleep) had been sleeping for 12 hours when he woke us up.
2. They (wait) had been waiting at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived.
3. We (look for) had been looking for her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom.
4. I (not / walk) had not been walking for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain.
5. How long (learn / she) had she been learning English before she went to London?
6. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he (sing) had been singing in the rain too long.
7. He (drive) had been driving less than an hour when he ran out of petrol.
8. They were very tired in the evening because they (help) had been helping on the farm all day.
9. I (not / work) hadn´t been working all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night.
10. They (cycle) had been cycling all day so their legs were sore in the evening.