Transcript lesson 1
PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
1 Read the sentence below
One unfortunate counter agent was
dealing with all the passengers
when an angry man, who had been
queuing for some time, pushed his
way to the front.
Does the underlined verb form
describe:
a) an event that happened before other
events in the past?
b) a longer activity that was happening
before the main event?
2 We use the Past Perfect Continuous to
stress:
1. longer activities in the past that happened before
other past events
2. the repeated actions that happened before a
particular point in the past
3. an action that was still in progress and had not
been completed at a particular time in the past
3. Use the cues in brackets and the Past
Perfect Continuous to explain the
situations.
Example: His arms were sunburnt because he had
been sitting in the sun all day.
1 His arms were sunburnt. (sit in the sun all day)
2 She was very tired. (work for hours without a break)
3 Their clothes were muddy. (play football)
4 She was fired. (not come to work on time)
5 She was very angry. (wait for her boyfriend for half
an hour)
6 His ear ached. (talk on the phone for hours)
7 He was messy. (repair his car all afternoon)
8 She was very scared. (watch a thriller on TV)
2 she was very tired because she had been working
for hours without a break.
3 Their clothes were muddy because they had been
playing football.
4 She was fired because she hadn't been coming to
work on time.
5 She was very angry because she had been waiting
for her boyfriend for half an hour.
6 His ear ached because he had been talking on the
phone for hours.
7 He was messy because he had been repairing his
car all afternoon.
8 She was very scared because she had been
watching a thriller on TV.
4. Complete the following sentences in
the Past Perfect Continuous.
Example: John complained that his troublesome
neighbours had been having parties every day for
two weeks.
1 John complained that his troublesome neighbours
(have parties every day for two weeks).
2 The eager fans
(wait for 6 hours)
before they finally got the tickets for the football
match.
3 As he
(repair his car all afternoon), he was
messy.
4 He told us that the director
(try to
complete his film) swiftly.
5 The river was near bursting point as it
(rain
for weeks).
2. The eager fans had been waiting for 6 hours before
they finally got the tickets for the football match.
3. As he had been repairing his car all afternoon, he
was messy.
4. He told us that the director had been trying to
complete his film swiftly.
5. The river was near bursting point as it had been
raining for weeks.
5. Write two explanations for each
situation(1-5) - one in the Past Perfect
and one in the Past Perfect Continuous.
Example: She had been eating too many
sweets. She had dropped her keep-fit classes.
1 Sharon put on five pounds.
2 Steve was feeling down.
3 Jack's shirt was torn.
4 Ann failed her final, exam.
5 Emily and Tessa were very excited.
His girlfriend had left him, / He had been having a
bad day.
He had caught his shirt on the door. / He had been
playing football
She hadn't studied well enough. / She hadn't been
feeling well.
They had won a free trip to Greece. / They had
been talking to their favourite singer.
6. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past
Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.
1 We couldn't open the door because it _____
(snow) heavily alt night.
had been snowing
2 She Looked shocked and she said she
__________________
(see) a UFO.
had seen
3 Billy had a black eye and Joe's Lip was cut they had
________________
been fighting (fight).
4 John decided to complain as his neighbours
had
been (have)
havingparties every day for two weeks.
______
had lost
5 Jill Looked great - she ______________
(lose)
a few pounds and _______________
(put on) a
had put on
smart evening dress.
Ken Coates (1) was enjoving (enjoy) his 52nd birthday at the
King's Arms in Aston. He (2)______
(play) in a local, pool
was playing
tournament in a room at the back of the pub. Ken (3) _____
had been playing
won(win) three of
(play) well, for half an hour and (4)had
_____
/ had put
the first five games. He (5)put
________
(put) down the glass
drinking
was getting/ got ready
he (6)was
_______
(drink) from and (7) ____________(get)
to hit the black ball, to win the final, game when his false
teeth (8)dropped
______ out
(drop out). Unfortunately, instead of hitting
hit
the ball, he (9) _________ (hit) his own false teeth! Ken's wife,
been watching (watch) him play all night,
Alice, who (10)had
________________
rushed (rush) to help her husband. She
immediately (11) _________
put
(12) ______
(put) her hand in the pocket to take out the false
struck (strike). Alice's hand get
teeth when disaster (13) ________
stuck in the pocket and she (14) _________________
could not / couldn’t (cannot)
made
get it out again. Final,[,y, after Ken (15) ____________
(make)
arrived (arrive)
an emergency phone call, fire officers (16) ________
on the scene. With the help of power tools and some
freed
washing-up liquid, they (17) _________
(free) Alice's hand.
has been trying
"Poor Ken, he (18) ___________
(try) to win the tournament
for years," said a friend. "When he tried again, he
played
(19) ________________
(play) terribly. I think he (20)
___________
was worried(worry) about his teeth."
Grammar summary
On page 99:
3 PAST PERFECT
COTINUOUS
Homework
1. Revise what we have learnt
today.
2. Finish exercises on pages
68-69.