Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect / Past perfect Continuous

Past Perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

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Use

It indicaTES An action BEFORE ANOTHER action IN THE PAST. It doesn't matte r which event is meacioned first, because the verb tense is clear about which one happened first.

FORM

Past Perfect

The "Past Perfect" is formed by the past of the verb "to have" (had) + the past participle of the main verb.

Time expressions

After, Before, When, As, as soon as, Soon, already, just, until, by, by the time, for, never, the moment that, yet...

Use

It indicaTES An action in progress BEFORE ANOTHER recent action IN THE PAST. The process is more important than the result of it. It's use in the reported speech, it's the same as the "past continuous" and "present perfect continuous" use in the direct speech.

Past Perfect Continuous

FORM

The "Past Perfect" is formed by the pAST pERFECT of the verb "to BE" (had BEEN) + the PRESENT participle of the main verb (VERB+ING).

Time expressions

For, Since, all morning/day/night, before, by the time, ...

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