The Past Perfect Progressive Tense

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian and comment on the use of the Past Perfect Progressive Tense.

1. They had been living in this city for almost three years when their son came back to the USA. 2. We felt very tired when we came home because we had been walking in the rain for a long time. 3. It had been raining for two hours already when we left home. 4. Mark tried to stop Danny, who had been talking for the last ten minutes. 5. Angela rose from the arm-chair in which she had been sitting. 6. David saw that Margie had been weeping, but didn’t say anything. 7. I thought that he had come to talk about the problem, which we had been already discussing for hours. 8. She had been learning French for five years before she could speak fluently. 9. How long had you been waiting before he came?

Exercise 2. Make up sentences from the words given below using the Past Perfect Progressive Tense.

1. Mary woke up suddenly. She was frightened. (She/dream) 2. Jim came home. He was tired. His hands were dirty. (He/work/in the garden) 3. She was tired and angry when I came home. The first thing she told me was that she hated music. (Our neighbour/practise/the piano) 4. When I entered the room no one was smoking. But there was a smell of cigarettes. (Someone/smoke/in the room) 5. Ben felt frustrated. He was staring hopelessly at the lock. (He/try to open his own door/an hour) 6. When Mother came home, jack and Larry were in different rooms. They didn't want to talk and Larry had a black eye. (They/fight) 7. When the test was over, the students looked really tired. (They/write/two hours) 8. Betty came from the beach. Her eyes were red. (She/lie/in the sun/too much) 9. When the children came home, dinner was ready, but Carol was tired and couldn’t eat at all. (She/cook/since morning) 10. When he got up from the table, his eyes hurt and his head was going to burst. (He/read up/for the exam) 11. When Jane opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was deep snow lying everywhere. She ran up to the window. There had been no snow the day before. (It/snow/all night)

Exercise 3. Join the following pairs of sentences using the Past Perfect Progressive Tense.

Pattern:They began watching TV. After half an hour their parents came. – They had been watching TV for half an hour when their parents came.

1. We had arranged to meet in the cafe. I came and began waiting. After fifteen minutes I realised that I had come to the wrong cafe. 2. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson went to live in Sussex. Six months later their son joined them. 3. We started to play football at about three. Somewhere about half past three it began to rain. 4. Bernard couldn't calm the baby down. It was crying. After fifteen minutes his wife came. 5. The teacher left the room. The boys began to fight. After ten minutes the teacher came back and they were still fighting. 6. Jane came home. She realised that she had forgotten her keys. She tried to find them in her handbag. After ten minutes her husband came with the keys. 7. Mother started cooking dinner. After ten minutes Hazel came to help her. 8. Brian was trying to fix his car. After three hours he gave up the idea. 9. Faith sat down and began to write her report. After half an hour her sister called her. 10. She worked for this company. After 25 years she retired. My sister studied French. Then, after 5 years, she went to France. 12. Pete began to play chess when he was six. He took part in his first tournament when he was ten. 13. The orchestra began playing. After ten minutes a man ran into the hall. 14. The family began watching an interesting film. After half an hour the TV broke down. 15. We settled down in London. After a fortnight our two cousins joined us. 16. We sat down to dinner. After five minutes the doorbell rang. 17. Margaret went to the park. After ten minutes she realised she had forgotten to close the door.

Exercise 4. Ask questions to the sentences from Exercise 3 beginning with HOW LONG

Exercise 5. Use the Past Simple or the Past Perfect Progressive Tense instead of the infinitives in brackets.

1. He (look) at her. He (know) she (cry). 2. She (tell) him about her plan, which she (think of) all morning. 3. Molly (close) the book which she (read) and (look up) at her mother. 4. Through the window he (see) the room where they (sit) the previous night. 5. Paul (think) for some time before he (dare) to answer. 6. They (sit down) to dinner which mother (cook) all morning. 7. How long Tony (read) when this terrible accident (happen)? 8. When I (come) everyone (stop) talking. They (talk) about my birthday and the presents and (not want) to tell me anything beforehand. 9. When the lesson (be) over, the teacher (ask) the students to turn in the tests they (write) since its beginning. 10. How long this man (stand) there and (watch) you before you (notice) him? 11. How long they (wait) for a taxi before it (come)?

Exercise 6. Use the Past Simple, the Past Progressive, the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Progressive Tense instead of the infinitives in brackets.

1. When he (come) home, he (see) that something (happen). His wife (cry). Someone (smoke) in the room, though no one (smoke) in his family. 2. Tony (return) to the book he (read) before his mother (enter). He (try) to concentrate, but he couldn't. Her last words still (ring) in his ears. 3. The town (not be) large, but he (not be) sorry that he (come) there. His parents (live) in this very street for thirty years before they all (leave) for London! 4. Who (sit) here before I (come)? 5. He (go) back to the drawing-room. His wife (stand) near the window. She still (look) at the garden. The leaves (fall) down all night, and the trees (stand) bare and (whisper) something… when William (come) back he (see) that his wife (try) to keep back tears… 6. When he (dress), he (go) downstairs and (write) a long letter to his sister who (stay) at her friends’ 7. She (phone) and (call) a taxi. She (sit) and (wait) only five minutes when a car (come). She (rush) to the station where Mike (wait) already. 8. I (not be) here ten minutes before your brother (come in). 9. Dave (enter) the room. Margie (read). She (look up) at him and (smile). Their two sons (sit) and (watch) TV. They (not talk) to each other). Dave (see) they (quarrel). 10. I (try) to remember what I (do) yesterday before he (call). “What you (do) during the last ten minutes before his call?” the inspector (keep) asking. But I (not remember) anything at all. 11. Eighteen years (go) since he first (come) into this house. He still (remember) every detail of that first day. when he (come) and Gerry (introduce) him and everybody (sit down), he (notice) that one place at the table (be) free. They (not eat) fifteen minutes before Betty (enter). She (murmur) ‘Good day’ and (go) straight to her room. Her mother (apologize), but he (sit) and (look) after her and (not hear) what Mrs. Gordon (say). 12. She (wait) for half an hour already. Mrs. Lamb was late. She (look through) the newspaper she (buy) and thought she (come) in vain or…she (get) her message wrong? But Mrs. Lamb (write) clearly: “In the park”. 13. ‘What are you thinking of?’ he (ask) after he (look) at her a few seconds. But she (not answer). She (try) to gather her thoughts. 14. Presently he (turn) to greet his workmate, who (wait) for the bus, too. He (stand) at the bus-stop already when John (come) there.

Exercise 7. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Кейт села в машину и поехала домой. всю дорогу она думала о письме, которое получила на кануне. 2. С кем ты вчера разговаривал когда я встретил тебя? – С приятелем. Он два дня назад вернулся из Бостона. Мы говорили уже минут десять, когда ты нас увидел. 3.что ты делал вчера в это время? – Точно не помню. Я готовился к экзамену. Я занимался уже часа два, когда мне позвонила Джейн и напомнила о том что мы договорились пойти в театр. 4. Почему ты вчера не ждал меня в кафе, как мы договорились? – Но я пришел туда в пять. Тебя там не было. Я ждал полчаса… – Нет, это я прождала полчаса, прежде чем решила уйти. Мы же договорились встретиться в четыре! 5. Когда она вошла в квартиру, то сразу поняла, что в ней побывали взломщики, так как дверь была открыта и все вещи лежали не на своих местах. Кроме того, они сломали шкаф, в котором она всегда хранила ценности… Точнее, хранила раньше. 6. Когда вы вошли, я как раз рассказывала Джулии, что мы отлично провели отпуск. 7. Они пытались перевести статью уже полчаса, прежде чем пришла Кэтрин и помогла им. Она когда-то изучала немецкий и еще не забыла его. 8. Марджи повесила трубку, вздохнула и приступила к работе. Она не проработала и пяти минут, как телефон снова зазвонил снова. 9. Итен чинил машину уже три часа, когда Мэри позвала его обедать. Он пошел в дом, вымыл руки и сел за стол. Мэри приготовила отличный обед – просто превосходный. 10. Тони сел за стол и начал читать. Он читал целый час, но прочел всего двадцать страниц – книга была сложная – когда пришло время позвонить Майклу. 11. Она думала целый час, но ничего не придумала, и, когда пришло время отвечать, не знала что сказать. 12. Джоан рассматривала альбом со старыми фотографиями Хилари. Она всегда любила смотреть на старые фотографии, в них было что-то завораживающее. Но этот альбом был особенно хорош. Она рассматривала альбом уже целый час когда голос Хилари напомнил ей, что пора уходить. 13. Брайан читал письмо. Он читал его уже целых 15 минут, но почерк был такой неразборчивый, что читать было очень тяжело.