Past Perfect Simple and Continuous

ENGLISH

PAST PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE

START

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PAST perfect simple

USES

FORM

PAST perfect CONTINUOUS

USES

FORM

PAST perfect SIMPLE VS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

✪ We use the past perfect continuous to talk about actions that started in the past and continued up to another point also in the past. ✰ Example: He had been working in a bank until he got fired. ✪ The past perfect continuous is often used with the following words and expressions: ✰ For: The girl had been reading for hours. ✰ Since: The champion had been hoping to win the race since last year. ✰ Before: They had been talking about Chris before he turned up. ✰ All day / all night: They had been partying all night.

✪ To talk about a completed action before another action in the past. ✰ When we arrived, the film had already started (first, the film started, and then we arrived). ✪ To explain or give reason for something in the past. ✰ I had eaten, so I wasn’t hungry. ✪ These are the most common time expressions we can find with this verbal tense: ✰ By (+ then / 3 o’clock…): He had finished his essay by 10 o’clock. ✰ By the time: By the time we got to the station, our train had already left. ✰ Before: They had already checked in their luggage before their plane arrived. ✰ After: I left after I paid the bill. ✰ Just: I had just closed the door when the doorbell rang.

Watch out IRREGULAR VERBS! For these verbs, you need to use the PAST PARTICIPLE FORM, which is, the THIRD COLUMN (3) OF YOUR LIST.