Present Simple Present Continuous

[VERB] + s/es in third person [am/is/are + present participle]

FORM

You speak English. You are watching TV.

Do you speak English? Are you watching TV?
You do not speak English. You are not watching TV.

 Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is  Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express
repeated or usual. the idea that something is happening now, at this very
Repeated Actions

 The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled moment.

event or something that often happens.  It can also be used to show that something is not happening

1. Now
 It can also be something a person often forgets or usually now.
does not do.
a. I play tennis. a. You are learning English now.
b. She does not play tennis. b. You are not swimming now.
c. Does he play tennis? c. Are you sleeping?
1.

d. The train leaves every morning at 8 AM. d. I am sitting.

e. The train does not leave at 9 AM. e. I am not standing.
f. When does the train usually leave? f. Is he sitting or standing?
g. She always forgets her purse. g. They are reading their books.
h. He never forgets his wallet. h. They are not watching television.
i. Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun. i. What are you doing?
Use

j. Does the Sun circle the Earth? j. Why aren't you doing your homework?

2. Longer Actions in Progress Now

2. Facts or Generalizations

 The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that  In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month,
a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the this year, this century, and so on.
future.  Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are
 It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress;
 It is also used to make generalizations about people or things. however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.
a. Cats like milk. (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a
b. Birds do not like milk. restaurant.)
c. Do pigs like milk? a. I am studying to become a doctor.
d. California is in America. b. I am not studying to become a dentist.
e. California is not in the United Kingdom. c. I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.
f. Windows are made of glass. d. I am not reading any books right now.
g. Windows are not made of wood. e. Are you working on any special projects at work?
h. New York is a small city. f. Aren't you teaching at the university now?
  It is not important that this fact is untrue.

3. Scheduled Events in the

Near Future

3. Near Future
 Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about  Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate
scheduled events in the near future. that something will or will not happen in the near future.
 This is most commonly done when talking about public
transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events
as well.
a. The train leaves tonight at 6 PM. a. I am meeting some friends after work.
b. The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM. b. I am not going to the party tonight.
c. When do we board the plane? c. Is he visiting his parents next weekend?
d. The party starts at 8 o'clock. d. Isn't he coming with us tonight?
e. When does class begin tomorrow?

4. Repetition and Irritation with

4. Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea  The Present Continuous with words such as "always" or
that an action is happening or is not happening now. "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or

"Always"
This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain shocking often happens.
Mixed Verbs.  Notice that the meaning is like Simple Present, but with
negative emotion.
 Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly"
between "be" and "verb+ing."
a. I am here now. a. She is always coming to class late.
b. She is not here now. b. He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
c. He needs help right now. c. I don't like them because they are always complaining.
d. He does not need help now.
e. He has his passport in his hand.
f. Do you have your passport with you?
It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot
Continuous Verbs/
REMEMBER Non-
be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous
Mixed Verbs meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses.
Instead of using Present Continuous with these verbs, you must
use Simple Present.
She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct
She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct
Adverb  The examples below show the a. You only speak English.  The examples below show the a. You are still watching TV.
placemen placement for grammar b. Do you only speak English? placement for grammar adverbs b. Are you still watching TV?
t adverbs such as: always, only, such as: always, only, never, ever,
never, ever, still, just, etc. still, just, etc
Active / Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active Right now, Tom is writing the letter. Active
Passive Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive Right now, the letter is being written by Tom. Passive
 Past Simple Past Continuous
[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs [was/were + present participle]
FORM

You called Debbie. You were studying when she called.

Did you call Debbie? Were you studying when she called?
You did not call Debbie. You were not studying when she called.

 Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the

Interrupted Action in the Past


started and finished at a specific time in the past. past was interrupted.
5. Completed Action in the Past

 Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the  The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past.
specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.  Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption
in time.
a. I saw a movie yesterday. a. I was watching TV when she called.
b. I didn't see a play yesterday. b. When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
c. Last year, I traveled to Japan. c. While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
d. Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. d. What were you doing when the earthquake started?
e. Did you have dinner last night? e. I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
f. She washed her car. f. You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
g. He didn't wash his car. g. While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
h. Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
Use

i. While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
j. A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
k. B: I was snowboarding.
A Series of Completed Actions

Specific Time as an
Interruption
 We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed  USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a
actions in the past. shorter action in the Simple Past.
 These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.  However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption
a. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place a. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
to swim. b. At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
b. He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel c. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work
at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00. IMPORTANT
c. Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs? In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action
began or finished.
In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.
 a. Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
b. I started eating at 6 PM.
c. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
d. I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating
dinner.

 The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts  When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same
and stops in the past. sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening
A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions at the same time.
Duration in Past

5. Parallel
such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, tc  The actions are parallel.
a. I lived in Brazil for two years. a. I was studying while he was making dinner.
b. Shauna studied Japanese for five years. b. While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
c. They sat at the beach all day. c. Were you listening while he was talking?
d. They did not stay at the party the entire time. d. I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I
e. We talked on the phone for thirty minutes. made several mistakes.
f. A: How long did you wait for them? e. What were you doing while you were waiting?
g. B: We waited for one hour. f. Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
g. They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good
time.
Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which  In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe

6. Atmosphere
stopped in the past. the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.
It can have the same meaning as "used to."
To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often
add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I
was a child, when I was younger, etc.
a. I studied French when I was a child. When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing,
b. He played the violin. some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and
6.

c. He didn't play the piano.
d. Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
e. She worked at the movie theater after school.
f. They never went to school, they always skipped class.
Generaliz
customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a
secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each
other about the bad service.

Repetitio

"Always"
Irritatio
Facts or

n with
ations

n and
Past
  The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly"
generalizations which are no longer true. expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often
 As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite happened in the past.
similar to the expression "used to." The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with
negative emotion.
Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be"
and "verb+ing."
a. She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing. a. She was always coming to class late.
b. He didn't like tomatoes before. b. He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
c. Did you live in Texas when you were a kid? c. I didn't like them because they were always complaining.
d. People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
 Clauses are groups of words which a. When I paid her  Clauses are groups of words Study the examples below. They
have meaning but are often not one dollar, she which have meaning, but are have similar meanings, but they
complete sentences. answered my often not complete emphasize different parts of the
 Some clauses begin with the word question. sentences. sentence.
"when" such as "when I dropped my b. She answered  Some clauses begin with the
pen..." or "when class began..." my question word "when" such as "when a. I was studying when she
 These clauses are called when- when I paid her she called" or "when it bit called.
clauses, and they are very one dollar. me." b. While I was studying, she
important  Other clauses begin with called.

While vs. When

"while" such as "while she
When-Clauses Happen First

was sleeping" and "while he

was surfing."
 When you talk about things
Important

in the past, "when" is most

often followed by the verb
tense
 Simple Past, whereas "while"
is usually followed by Past
Continuous.
 "While" expresses the idea
of "during that time."

 When-clauses are important I paid her one dollar  It is important to remember Jane was being at my house when
Continuous Verbs /

because they always happen first when she answered that Non-Continuous Verbs you arrived. Not Correct
REMEMBER Non-

Mixed Verbs

when both clauses are in the Simple
Past.
 Both of the examples above mean
the same thing: first, I paid her
one dollar, and then, she answered
my question.
my question. cannot be used in any Jane was at my house when you
continuous tenses arrived. Correct
 . Also, certain non-continuous
meanings for Mixed Verbs
cannot be used in continuous
tenses.
  It is not important whether "when  Instead of using Past
I paid her one dollar" is at the Continuous with these verbs,
beginning of the sentence or at the you must use Simple Past.
end of the sentence.
 However, the example below has a
different meaning.
 First, she answered my question,
and then, I paid her one dollar.
Adverb  The examples below show the a. You just called Debbie. The examples below show the You were just studying when she called.
placemen placement for grammar adverbs such b. Did you just call Debbie? placement for grammar adverbs Were you just studying when she called?
t as: always, only, never, ever, still, such as: always, only, never, ever,
just, etc. still, just, etc.
Active / Tom repaired the car. Active The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store.
Passive The car was repaired by Tom. Passive Active
The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the
store. Passive
 Present Perfect
[has/have + past participle]
FORM
You have seen that movie many times.
Have you seen that movie many times?
You have not seen that movie many times
Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-
 With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of
Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show that
something started in the past and has continued up until
now.
 "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday"
are all durations which can be used with the Present
Perfect.
Continuous Verbs)
 Although the above use of Present Perfect is normally
limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses
of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and
"study" are sometimes used in this way even though they
are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.
a. I have had a cold for two weeks.
b. She has been in England for six months.
Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.
1.
c.
Use
 We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened
2. Unspecified Time Before Now
at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not
important.
 You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time
expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week,
when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment,
that day, one day, etc.
 We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific
expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several
times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
a. I have seen that movie twenty times.
b. I think I have met him once before.
c. There have been many earthquakes in California.
d. People have traveled to the Moon.
e. People have not traveled to Mars.
f. Have you read the book yet?
Present perfect continous
[has/have + been + present participle]
You have been waiting here for two hours.
Have you been waiting here for two hours?
You have not been waiting here for two hours..
Duration from the Past Until Now
 We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something
started in the past and has continued up until now.
 "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all
durations which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.
a. They have been talking for the last hour.
b. She has been working at that company for three years.
c. What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
d. James has been teaching at the university since June.
e. We have been waiting here for over two hours!
f. Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last three
days?
 You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a
duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the
tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the
words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.
a. Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
b. She has been watching too much television lately.
Recently, Lately
c. Have you been exercising lately?
d. Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
e. Lisa has not been practicing her English.
f. What have you been doing?Sammy was waiting for us when we got
off the plane.
g. While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
h. A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
i. B: I was snowboarding.
 g. Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
h. A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
i. B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.
 The concept of "unspecified time" can be very  Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning
confusing to English learners. of "lately" or "recently."
 It is best to associate Present Perfect with the  If you use the Present Perfect Continuous in a question such as
following topics: "Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person
 You can use the Present Perfect to describe your looks sick or unhealthy.
experience.  A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that
Experience  It is like saying, "I have the experience of..." you smell the smoke on the person.
TOPIC 1

 You can also use this tense to say that you have  Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or
never had a certain experience. feel the results of the action.
 The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a  It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.

IMPORTANT
specific event.
How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?

a. I have been to France. It is important to remember a. Sam has been having

This sentence means that you have had the that Non-Continuous Verbs his car for two years.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/


experience of being in France. Maybe you have cannot be used in any Not Correct
been there once, or several times. continuous tenses. b. Sam has had his car
b. I have been to France three times. Also, certain non-continuous for two years.

Mixed Verbs
 You can add the number of times at the end meanings for Mixed Verbs Correct
of the sentence. cannot be used in continuous
c. I have never been to France. tenses.
 This sentence means that you have not had Instead of using Present
the experience of going to France. Perfect Continuous with these
d. I think I have seen that movie before. verbs, you must use Present
e. He has never traveled by train. Perfect.
f. Joan has studied two foreign languages.
g. A: Have you ever met him?
h. B: No, I have not met him.
We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change
that has happened over a period of time.
TOPIC 2 Change

a. You have grown since the last time I saw you.

Over Time

b. The government has become more interested in

arts education.
c. Japanese has become one of the most popular
courses at the university since the Asian studies
program was established.
d. My English has really improved since I moved to
Australia.
We often use the Present Perfect to list the
hm
mp
Ac

en
co

lis

ts

accomplishments of individuals and humanity.

You cannot mention a specific time.
 Man has walked on the Moon.
Our son has learned how to read.
Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
Scientists have split the atom.

We often use the Present Perfect to say that an

Action You Are Expecting

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted
action which we expected has not happened.
Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still
waiting for the action to happen.

James has not finished his homework yet.

Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can
communicate.
Bill has still not arrived.
The rain hasn't stopped.
 We also use the Present Perfect to talk about
TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at

several different actions which have occurred in

the past at different times.
Different Times

 Present Perfect suggests the process is not

complete and more actions are possible
a. The army has attacked that city five times.
b. I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this
semester.
c. We have had many major problems while working
on this project.
d. She has talked to several specialists about her
problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.
When we use the Present Perfect it a. Have you been to
means that something has happened Mexico in the last
at some point in our lives before year?
now. b. I have seen that
Time Expressions with Present

Remember, the exact time the movie six times in

action happened is not important. the last month.
c. They have had three
tests in the last
week.
d. She graduated from
Sometimes, we want to limit the university less than
time we are looking in for an three years ago. She
Perfect

experience. has worked for

We can do this with expressions three different
such as: in the last week, in the last companies so far.
year, this week, this month, so far,
 up to now, etc. e. My car has broken
down three times
this week.

 "Last year" and "in the last a. I went to Mexico

year" are very different in last year.
meaning. b. I went to Mexico in
 "Last year" means the year the calendar year
before now, and it is considered before this one.
a specific time which requires c. I have been to
Simple Past. Mexico in the last
 "In the last year" means from year.
365 days ago until now. d. I have been to
NOTICE

 It is not considered a specific Mexico at least once

time, so it requires Present at some point
Perfec between 365 days
ago and now.
Adverb The examples below show the a.You have only seen that The examples below show the a. You have only been waiting here for
placement placement for grammar adverbs such movie one time. placement for grammar adverbs one hour.
as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, b.Have you only seen that such as: always, only, never, ever, b. Have you only been waiting here for
etc. movie one time? still, just, etc one hour?
Active / Many tourists have visited that castle. Active Recently, John has been doing the work. Active
Passive That castle has been visited by many tourists. Passive Recently, the work has been being done by John. Passive
NOTE: Present Perfect Continuous is less commonly used in its passive form.
 Past Perfect Past perfect continous
(had + past participle] [had been + present participle]
You had studied English before you moved to New York. You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived. b
Had you studied English before you moved to New York? Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived? n
You had not studied English before you moved to New York. You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived. +
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 r
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 The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something  We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something
occurred before another action in the past. started in the past and continued up until another time in the
Completed Action Before Something in the Past

 It can also show that something happened before a past.

specific time in the past.  "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations
which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous.
 Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous;

Duration Before Something in the Past

however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops
before something else in the past.
a. I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I a. They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
went to Kauai. b. She had been working at that company for three years when
b. I did not have any money because I had lost my it went out of business.
wallet. c. How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?
c. Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited d. Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day
the city several times. at work.
d. Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to e. James had been teaching at the university for more than a
Use

Thailand? year before he left for Asia.

e. She only understood the movie because she had f. A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved
read the book. to Ankara?
f. Kristine had never been to an opera before last g. B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.
night.
g. We were not able to get a hotel room because we
had not booked in advance.
h. A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in
2006?
i. B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.
Continuous Verbs)
Something in the

in the Past
Duration Before

Something
Cause of
Past (Non-

`
 With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past
uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to is a good way to show cause and effect.
show that something started in the past and
continued up until anher action in the past
 a. We had had that car for ten years before it broke a. Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
down. b. Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
b. By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in c. Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending
London for over eight years. class.
c. They felt bad about selling the house because they
had owned it for more than forty years.
Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally  If you do not include a a. He was tired because he
limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses duration such as "for five was exercising so hard.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and minutes," "for two weeks" or
"study" are sometimes used in this way even though they "since Friday," many English
are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs. speakers choose to use the
Past Continuous rather than
the Past Perfect Continuous.
 Be careful because this can
change the meaning of the
sentence.
 Past Continuous emphasizes
interrupted actions, whereas
Past Perfect Continuous
emphasizes a duration of
time before something in the
past. Study the examples
below to understand the
difference.
 This sentence emphasizes
that he was tired because
he was exercising at that
exact moment.
b. He was tired because he
had been exercising so
hard.
 This sentence emphasizes
that he was tired because
he had been exercising
over a period of time. It is
possible that he was still
exercising at that moment
OR that he had just
finished.

Unlike with the Present Perfect, She had visited her It is important to remember a. The motorcycle had been
IMPORTANT

Mixed Verbs
REMEMBER
Times with

it is possible to use specific time Japanese relatives that Non-Continuous Verbs belonging to George for

Continuous
the Past
Specific

words or phrases with the Past once in 1993 before cannot be used in any years before Tina bought
Perfect

Verbs /
Non-
Perfect. she moved in with continuous tenses. it. Not Correct
Although this is possible, it is them in 1996.  Also, certain non-continuous b. The motorcycle had
usually not necessary. meanings for Mixed Verbs belonged to George for
 If the Past Perfect action
did occur at a specific
time, the Simple Past can
be used instead of the
Past Perfect when
 She had visited cannot be used in continuous years before Tina bought
her Japanese tenses. it. Correct
relatives once in  Instead of using Past Perfect
1993 before she Continuous with these verbs,
moved in with you must use Past Perfect.

Moreover
"before" or "after" is them in 1996.
used in the sentence. The  She visited her
words "before" and Japanese
"after" actually tell you relatives once in
what happens first, so the 1993 before she
Past Perfect is optional. moved in with
For this reason, both them in 1996.
sentences below are
correct.

If the Past Perfect is not For this reason,

referring to an action at a Simple Past cannot
specific time, be used
Past Perfect is not
However

optional. a.
She never saw a
Compare the examples bear before
below. she moved to
Here Past Perfect is Alaska. Not
referring to a lack of Correct
experience rather than an b. She had never
action at a specific time.. seen a bear
before she
moved to
Alaska. Correct
The examples below show the a. You had previously studied The examples below show the You had only been waiting there for a
placement for grammar adverbs English before you moved to placement for grammar adverbs such few minutes when she arrived.
placement
Adverb

such as: always, only, never, New York. as: always, only, never, ever, still, Had you only been waiting there for a
ever, still, just, etc. b. Had you previously studied just, etc. few minutes when she arrived?
English before you moved to
New York?
George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years
Active /

license. Active before he moved to Paris. Active

Passive

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for
mechanic's license. Passive two years before he moved to Paris. Passive
NOTE: Passive forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are not common
 Past Perfect Past perfect continous
(had + past participle] [had been + present participle]
You had studied English before you moved to New York. You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived. b
Had you studied English before you moved to New York? Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived? n
You had not studied English before you moved to New York. You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived. +
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 The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something  We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something
occurred before another action in the past. started in the past and continued up until another time in the
Completed Action Before Something in the Past

 It can also show that something happened before a past.

specific time in the past.  "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations
which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous.
 Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous;

Duration Before Something in the Past

however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops
before something else in the past.
j. I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I h. They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
went to Kauai. i. She had been working at that company for three years when
k. I did not have any money because I had lost my it went out of business.
wallet. j. How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?
l. Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited k. Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day
the city several times. at work.
m. Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to l. James had been teaching at the university for more than a
Use

Thailand? year before he left for Asia.

n. She only understood the movie because she had m. A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved
read the book. to Ankara?
o. Kristine had never been to an opera before last n. B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.
night.
p. We were not able to get a hotel room because we
had not booked in advance.
q. A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in
2006?
r. B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.
Continuous Verbs)
Something in the

in the Past
Duration Before

Something
Cause of
Past (Non-

`
 With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past
uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to is a good way to show cause and effect.
show that something started in the past and
continued up until anher action in the past
 d. We had had that car for ten years before it broke d. Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
down. e. Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
e. By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in f. Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending
London for over eight years. class.
f. They felt bad about selling the house because they
had owned it for more than forty years.
Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally  If you do not include a c. He was tired because he
limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses duration such as "for five was exercising so hard.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and minutes," "for two weeks" or
"study" are sometimes used in this way even though they "since Friday," many English
are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs. speakers choose to use the
Past Continuous rather than
the Past Perfect Continuous.
 Be careful because this can
change the meaning of the
sentence.
 Past Continuous emphasizes
interrupted actions, whereas
Past Perfect Continuous
emphasizes a duration of
time before something in the
past. Study the examples
below to understand the
difference.
 This sentence emphasizes
that he was tired because
he was exercising at that
exact moment.
d. He was tired because he
had been exercising so
hard.
 This sentence emphasizes
that he was tired because
he had been exercising
over a period of time. It is
possible that he was still
exercising at that moment
OR that he had just
finished.

Unlike with the Present Perfect, She had visited her It is important to remember c. The motorcycle had been
IMPORTANT

Mixed Verbs
REMEMBER
Times with

it is possible to use specific time Japanese relatives that Non-Continuous Verbs belonging to George for

Continuous
the Past
Specific

words or phrases with the Past once in 1993 before cannot be used in any years before Tina bought
Perfect

Verbs /
Non-
Perfect. she moved in with continuous tenses. it. Not Correct
Although this is possible, it is them in 1996.  Also, certain non-continuous d. The motorcycle had
usually not necessary. meanings for Mixed Verbs belonged to George for
 If the Past Perfect action
did occur at a specific
time, the Simple Past can
be used instead of the
Past Perfect when
 She had visited cannot be used in continuous years before Tina bought
her Japanese tenses. it. Correct
relatives once in  Instead of using Past Perfect
1993 before she Continuous with these verbs,
moved in with you must use Past Perfect.

Moreover
"before" or "after" is them in 1996.
used in the sentence. The  She visited her
words "before" and Japanese
"after" actually tell you relatives once in
what happens first, so the 1993 before she
Past Perfect is optional. moved in with
For this reason, both them in 1996.
sentences below are
correct.

If the Past Perfect is not For this reason,

referring to an action at a Simple Past cannot
specific time, be used
Past Perfect is not
However

optional. c.
She never saw a
Compare the examples bear before
below. she moved to
Here Past Perfect is Alaska. Not
referring to a lack of Correct
experience rather than an d. She had never
action at a specific time.. seen a bear
before she
moved to
Alaska. Correct
The examples below show the c. You had previously studied The examples below show the You had only been waiting there for a
placement for grammar adverbs English before you moved to placement for grammar adverbs such few minutes when she arrived.
placement
Adverb

such as: always, only, never, New York. as: always, only, never, ever, still, Had you only been waiting there for a
ever, still, just, etc. d. Had you previously studied just, etc. few minutes when she arrived?
English before you moved to
New York?
George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years
Active /

license. Active before he moved to Paris. Active

Passive

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for
mechanic's license. Passive two years before he moved to Paris. Passive
NOTE: Passive forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are not common