The Past Perfect Simple and the Past Perfect Continuous in Contrast
A. Structure
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Past Perfect Simple |
Past Perfect Continuous |
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Affirmative Had + past participle She had eaten. We had worked. They had written. |
Affirmative Had been + verb-ing She had been eating. We had been working. They had been writing. |
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Negative Had not (hadn’t) + past participle She hadn’t eaten. We hadn’t worked. They hadn’t written. |
Negative Had not (hadn’t) + been + verb-ing She hadn’t been eating. We hadn’t been working. They hadn’t been writing. |
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Interrogative Had + subject + past participle Had she eaten? Had you worked? Had they written? |
Interrogative Had + subject + been + verb-ing Had she been eating? Had you been working? Had they been writing? |
B. Use
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Past Perfect Simple |
Past Perfect Continuous |
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Past action which happened before another past action or before a stated past time. He had already left when I got there. She had finished lunch by 1:30. |
Past action of a certain duration continuing up to a specific time in the past. She had been working in a bank for three years before she got fired. I had been doing my homework for an hour before the phone rang. |
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Completed past action with visible results in the past. She was sad because she had failed her exam. She was upset because she had lost her watch. |
Past action of a certain duration with visible results in the past. They were wet because they had been walking in the rain. Her eyes were red because she had been crying. |
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Past Equivalent of the Present Perfect Simple Now: He can’t find his wallet. He has lost it. Yesterday: He couldn’t find his wallet. He had lost it. |
Past Equivalent of the Present Perfect Continuous. Now: He is going to the doctor. His leg has been hurting him for two days. Yesterday: He went to the doctor. His leg had been hurting him for two days. |
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TIME EXPRESSIONS By the time By + time (by 5 o’clock) Before After When As soon as No sooner….than Since |
TIME EXPRESSIONS For Since All day /night / week etc |
COMPARE!
(a) I was eating dinner when my friends arrived. (I was still eating when they arrived)
Past Continuous = past action in progress at a certain past time
(b) I had been eating dinner when my friends arrived. (I had already finished my meal when they arrived)
Past Perfect Continuous = past action of duration continuing up to a certain time in the past.
Source: Mastering Use of English by Georgia Graham (Burlington Books)
