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Past Perfect Simple or V-ing

Past Perfect simple

- for actions that happened before a past event :

The performance had already started by the time we arrived.

- to refer to activities that were completed before a point of time :

By 2010, Tom had lived in that village for six years.

- to express an action taking place before a certain time in the past :

( to put emphasis only on the fact, not the duration )

By the time I arrive at your house, I had already visited your grandparents.

- when explaining or giving a reason for something in the past :

I had eaten three sandwiches so I wasn't hungry.

- conditional sentences, TYPE III :

If I had known you were in need, I would have helped you.

- when expressing dissatisfaction with the Past :

( ' I wish ' , ' If only ' )

I wish I had eaten more soup. I am hungry now.

If only I had taken more soup. I am hungry now.

- when formulating the passive voice we use - had + been + past participle :

The cake had been made.

Past Perfect V-ing

- this is like the Past Perfect but it expresses a longer activity in the past before another activity in the past :

I was absolutely exhausted. I had been mending the roof.

- to show something that had been happening before something else :

I had been playing football for 2 hours when my friend arrived.

- to express something that had been happening over a period of time in the past until another point :

He fainted because he had been riding a bike for five hours.

- to express something that had been happening in preparation for something else :

I had been studying for five days and I was ready for the exam.

- we use this tense in conditional Type III to show imagined conditions :

If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have been late for the exam.

- to refer to an activity that was in process :

By the time they got to the pub, we had already been waiting for 2 hours.

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1. My daughter all her homework before I came back home.

2. Tony said he his room all day.

3. When Rebecca got to the shop, she realised that she her money in her car.

4. If Robert so hard all year, he would probably have failed the exams.

5. Aniela for 3 hours when her boyfriend finally arrived.

6. I your brother until I came to the city.

7. I off all the lights before I left.

8. I for my sunglasses for one hour and then I found them under the desk.

9. I was sure that I that girl before.

10. They in the city for ten years by the time they moved out.

11. After I the poems I did my English homework.

12. Eva was pale and she looked as if she for hours.

13. I for fifteen minutes when I suddenly felt very tired and out of energy.

14. She told me that she to Poland before.

15. They all day by the time they got to the capital.

16. If only she harder while she was at university.

17. I failed my exam.I wish I harder.

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