Free English Grammar - Mary Ansell 2000
Chapter 6. The past continuous, the past perfect and the past perfect continuous
1. Summary of the uses of the English tenses
There are four types of verb tense in English: the Simple, the Continuous, the Perfect, and the Perfect Continuous. Each type of tense has a Present, a Past, and a Future
form, as well as other modal forms.
Thus, just as there are four present tenses in English, there are also four past tenses: the Simple Past, the Past Continuous, the Past Perfect, and the Past Perfect Continuous.
As will be shown below, the three forms of each type of tense are closely related in terms of their use and formation. For instance, the Present Continuous, Past Continuous, and Future Continuous tenses are all used to express continuous, ongoing actions; and are all formed from the verb to be followed by the present participle. The differences are that the Present Continuous is formed with the Simple Present of the verb to be, and is used mainly to express present actions; the Past Continuous is formed with the Simple Past of the verb to be, and is used to express past actions; and the Future Continuous is formed with the Simple Future of the verb to be, and is used to express future actions.
The uses of the Simple, Continuous, Perfect, and Perfect Continuous tenses are summarized in the following table.
The Uses of the English Tenses
2. The past continuous
a. Use
The Past Continuous tense is used to express continuous, ongoing actions which took place in the past. In the following examples, the verbs in the Past Continuous tense are underlined.
e.g. He was traveling in Europe last summer.
They were playing tennis yesterday afternoon.
The Past Continuous tense is frequently used to refer to an ongoing action which was taking place when something else occurred in the past.
e.g. I was washing the dishes when the telephone rang.
We were entertaining friends when the parcel arrived.
In the first example, the use of the Past Continuous tense indicates that the action of washing the dishes was taking place at the time when the telephone rang. In the second example, the use of the Past Continuous tense indicates that the action of entertaining friends was taking place at the time when the parcel arrived.
b. Formation
The Past Continuous tense is formed from the Simple Past of the auxiliary to be, followed by the present participle of the verb. For example, the Past Continuous of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:
I was working you were working he was working she was working it was working we were working they were working
See Exercise 1.
c. Questions and negative statements
As is the case with other English tenses, questions and negative statements in the Past Continuous are formed using the auxiliary.
Questions are formed by placing the auxiliary before the subject. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I was working.
They were working.
Question
Was I working?
Were they working?
Negative statements are formed by placing the word not after the auxiliary. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I was working.
They were working.
Negative Statement
I was not working.
They were not working.
In spoken English, the contractions wasn't and weren't are often used.
Negative questions are formed by placing the auxiliary before the subject, and the word not after the subject. However, when contractions are used, the contracted form of not immediately follows the auxiliary. The following are examples of negative questions with and without contractions:
Without Contractions
Was I not working?
Were they not working?
With Contractions
Wasn't I working?
Weren't they working?
Tag questions are formed using the auxiliary. In the following examples, the negative tag questions are underlined. Contractions are usually used in negative tag questions. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I was working.
They were working.
Affirmative Statement with Tag Question
I was working, wasn't I?
They were working, weren't they?
See Exercises 2 and 3.
3. The past perfect
a. Use
The Past Perfect tense is used to refer to a non continuous action in the past, which was already completed by the time another action in the past took place. In the following examples, the verbs in the Past Perfect tense are underlined.
e.g. She had heard the news before I saw her.
I had finished my work by the time the clock struck twelve.
In the preceding examples, the verbs had heard and had finished are in the Past Perfect tense, and the verbs saw and struck are in the Simple Past. The use of the Past Perfect tense indicates that the actions of hearing the news and finishing the work were already completed by the time the actions expressed by the verbs in the Simple Past took place.
b. Formation
The Past Perfect tense is formed from the Simple Past of the auxiliary to have, followed by the past participle of the verb.
The Simple Past of to have is had. In spoken English, the auxiliary had is often contracted to 'd. For example, the Past Perfect of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:
Without Contractions
I had worked
you had worked
he had worked
she had worked
it had worked
we had worked
they had worked
With Contractions
I'd worked
you'd worked
he'd worked
she'd worked
it'd worked
we'd worked
they'd worked
The contraction it'd is less frequently used than the other contractions, since it is more difficult to pronounce.
See Exercise 4.
c. Questions and negative statements
As is the case with other English tenses, questions and negative statements in the Past Perfect tense are formed using the auxiliary.
Questions are formed by placing the auxiliary before the subject. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I had worked.
They had worked.
Question
Had I worked?
Had they worked?
Negative statements are formed by placing the word not after the auxiliary. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I had worked.
They had worked.
Negative Statement
I had not worked.
They had not worked.
In spoken English, the following contraction is often used:
Without Contraction
had not
With Contraction
hadn't
Negative questions are formed by placing the auxiliary before the subject, and the word not after the subject. However, when contractions are used, the contracted form of not follows immediately after the auxiliary. For example:
Without Contraction
Had I not worked?
Had they not worked?
With Contraction
Hadn't I worked?
Hadn't they worked?
Tag questions are formed using the auxiliary. In the following examples, the negative tag questions are underlined. Contractions are usually used in negative tag questions.
Affirmative Statement
I had worked.
They had worked.
Affirmative Statement with Tag Question
I had worked, hadn't I?
They had worked, hadn't they?
See Exercises 5 and 6.
4. The past perfect continuous
a. Use
The Past Perfect Continuous tense is used to refer to a continuous, ongoing action in the past which was already completed by the time another action in the past took place. In the following examples, the verbs in the Past Perfect Continuous tense are underlined.
e.g. I had been waiting for two months by the time I received the reply.
He had been thinking about his friends shortly before they called.
In the preceding examples, the verbs had been waiting and had been thinking are in the Past Perfect Continuous tense, and the verbs received and called are in the Simple Past. The use of the Past Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the actions of waiting and thinking were continuous, and were completed by the time the actions expressed by the verbs in the Simple Past took place.
b. Formation
The Past Perfect Continuous tense is formed from the Past Perfect of the auxiliary to be, followed by the present participle of the verb. For example, the Past Perfect Continuous tense of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:
I had been working
you had been working
he had been working
she had been working
it had been working
we had been working
they had been working
The auxiliary had is often contracted to 'd in spoken English.
See Exercise 7.
c. Questions and negative statements
As is the case with other English tenses, questions and negative statements in the Past Perfect Continuous tense are formed using the first auxiliary.
Questions are formed by placing the first auxiliary before the subject. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I had been working.
They had been working.
Question
Had I been working?
Had they been working?
Negative statements are formed by placing the word not after the first auxiliary. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I had been working.
They had been working.
Negative Statement
I had not been working.
They had not been working.
Negative questions are formed by placing the first auxiliary before the subject, and the word not after the subject. However, when contractions are used, the contracted form of not follows immediately after the first auxiliary. For example:
Without Contractions
Had I not been working?
Had they not been working?
With Contractions
Hadn't I been working?
Hadn't they been working?
Tag questions are formed using the first auxiliary. In the following examples, the negative tag questions are underlined. Contractions are usually used in negative tag questions.
Affirmative Statement
I had been working.
They had been working.
Affirmative Statement with Tag Question
I had been working, hadn't I?
They had been working, hadn't they?
See Exercises 8 and 9.
5. Summary of the formation of the English present and past tenses
The following table summarizes the formation of the English present and past tenses.
⁎ In the Simple Present and Simple Past tenses, the auxiliaries are used only for emphasis, and for the formation of questions and negative statements. Auxiliaries are never used with the Simple Present or Simple Past of the verb to be .
⁎⁎ When used without the auxiliary, the third person singular of the Simple Present has the ending s.
⁎⁎⁎ When the verb is used without the auxiliary, the Simple Past form of the verb is used. For regular verbs, and for many irregular verbs, the Simple Past has the same form as the past participle.
See Exercise 10.
6. Emphatic statements
In spoken English, words can be emphasized by being pronounced with a heavier stress than usual. This type of emphasis is usually indicated in written English by means of italics or underlining. In the following examples, emphasized words are indicated by means of underlining.
Emphatic statements are often used in conversation; for instance, when one speaker is contradicting another.
e.g. "I don't believe he works very hard."
"Yes, he does work hard."
When it is desired to emphasize a verb, it is generally the first auxiliary which is stressed. For instance, in the sentence I am working hard, the verb can be emphasized by stressing the auxiliary am.
e.g. I am working hard.
Usually, no auxiliary is required for affirmative statements in the Simple Present and Simple Past. However, in order to make such statements emphatic, for verbs other than the verb to be, the auxiliary to do is used, followed by the bare infinitive. For example, in the Simple Present, the emphatic form of the verb to work is formed with the Simple Present of the auxiliary to do, as shown below:
Affirmative Statement
I work.
You work.
He works.
She works.
It works.
We work.
They work.
Emphatic Affirmative Statement
I do work.
You do work.
He does work.
She does work.
It does work.
We do work.
They do work.
In the Simple Past, the emphatic form of the verb to work is formed with the Simple Past of the auxiliary to do, as shown below:
Affirmative Statement
I worked.
You worked.
He worked.
She worked.
It worked.
We worked.
They worked.
Emphatic Affirmative Statement
I did work.
You did work.
He did work.
She did work.
It did work.
We did work.
They did work.
For the emphatic form of the Simple Present of the verb to be, no auxiliary is used. Instead, the verb itself is stressed. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I am ready.
It is ready.
They are ready.
Emphatic Affirmative Statement
I am ready.
It is ready.
They are ready.
Similarly, for the emphatic form of the Simple Past of the verb to be, no auxiliary is used. Instead, the verb itself is stressed. For example:
Affirmative Statement
I was ready.
It was ready.
They were ready.
Emphatic Affirmative Statement
I was ready.
It was ready.
They were ready.
Examples of emphatic statements in all of the present and past tenses are given in the following table:
It should be noted that questions may be emphasized in the same way as statements. e.g.
Did it work?
Are they ready?
Sometimes it is desired to emphasize a negative statement containing the word not. In spoken English, often both the auxiliary and the word not are stressed, but in written English, usually only the word not is underlined or written in italics. For example:
Negative Statement
He does not know the answer.
Emphatic Negative Statement
He does not know the answer.
When a contracted form of the word not is used, it is generally the auxiliary which is stressed in an emphatic statement. For example:
Negative Statement
He doesn't know the answer.
Emphatic Negative Statement
He doesn't know the answer.
Exercises for Chapter 6
1. Using the Past Continuous tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
I ... a salad. (to make)
I was making a salad.
They ... to find some boots. (to try)
They were trying to find some boots.
1. He ... a book. (to read)
2. We ... money. (to save)
3. She ... school. (to attend)
4. It ... . (to thunder)
5. They ... for the exam. (to study)
6. We ... ourselves. (to sun)
7. They ... they way. (to lead)
8. You ... by bus. (to leave)
9. We ... through the snow. (to plod)
10. You ... your goals. (to attain)
Answers
2. Rewrite the following affirmative statements as questions, negative statements, negative questions without contractions, negative questions with contractions, and affirmative statements followed by negative tag questions. For example:
You were learning French.
Were you learning French?
You were not learning French.
Were you not learning French?
Weren't you learning French?
You were learning French, weren't you?
1. We were starting a business.
2. She was waiting outside.
3. He was singing.
Answers
3. Using the Past Continuous tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
... you ... last night? (to work)
Were you working last night?
It ... not ... . (to rain)
It was not raining.
They ... home. (to hurry)
They were hurrying home.
1. We ... for the test. (to prepare)
2. … she ... notes? (to take)
3. I ... not ... long. (to wait)
4. They ... at Woolco. (to shop)
5. … it not ... outside? (to freeze)
6. She ... on Almond Street last year. (to live)
7. ... you ... supper when the phone rang? (to eat)
8. He ... asleep by the time the lesson ended. (to fall)
9. ... we not the next chapter? (to discuss)
10. They ... their books away, when their friends arrived. (to put)
11. You ... not ... the news. (to follow)
12. ... I ... too much noise? (to make)
Answers
4. Using the Past Perfect tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
I ... the parcel. (to open)
I had opened the parcel.
They ... to the opera. (to be)
They had been to the opera.
1. She ... a sweater. (to buy)
2. He ... to work. (to start)
3. You ... the message. (to understand)
4. We ... the appointment. (to forget)
5. They ... us. (to convince)
6. She ... the book. (to find)
7. He ... the envelope. (to tear)
8. You ... your breakfast. (to finish)
9. We ... to school. (to go)
10. They ... the beds. (to make)
Answers
5. Rewrite the following affirmative statements as questions, negative statements, negative questions without contractions, negative questions with contractions, and affirmative statements followed by negative tag questions. For example:
He had attended the concert.
Had he attended the concert?
He had not attended the concert.
Had he not attended the concert?
Hadn't he attended the concert?
He had attended the concert, hadn't he?
1. You had entered the contest.
2. I had wanted to come.
3. We had arrived on time.
Answers
6. Using the Past Perfect tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
He ... hard. (to practise)
He had practised hard.
... they ...a good job? (to do)
Had they done a good job?
I ... not ... the news. (to hear)
I had not heard the news.
1. You ... it carefully. (to consider)
2. She ... her way in the woods. (to lose)
3. ... he not ... his hands? (to wash)
4. ... they ... the letter? (to read)
5. I ... not ... the words. (to forget)
6. We ... to come even before we received the letter. (to decide)
7. ... he not ... everything well? (to organize)
8. They ... not ... a holiday in a long time. (to have)
9. She ... to talk to us. (to stop)
10. He ... not yet ... . (to arrive)
11. ... you ... to meet him? (to plan)
12. I ... not ... her for a long time. (to see)
Answers
7. Using the Past Perfect Continuous tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
We ... for an apartment. (to search)
We had been searching for an apartment.
She ... extra courses. (to take)
She had been taking extra courses.
1. We ... the grass. (to cut)
2. You ... at the photographs. (to look)
3. They ... you the letters. (to give)
4. He ... for us. (to wait)
5. She ... a business. (to run)
6. It ... all night. (to rain)
7. We ... them. (to encourage)
8. You ... on the beach. (to lie)
9. They ... the sauce. (to taste)
10. He ... behind. (to lag)
Answers
8. Rewrite the following affirmative statements as questions, negative statements, negative questions without contractions, negative questions with contractions, and affirmative statements followed by negative tag questions. For example:
She had been keeping a diary.
Had she been keeping a diary?
She had not been keeping a diary.
Had she not been keeping a diary?
Hadn't she been keeping a diary?
She had been keeping a diary, hadn't she?
1. We had been raking the leaves.
2. You had been visiting your cousins.
3. They had been swimming in the lake.
Answers
9. Using the Past Perfect Continuous tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
We ... . (to argue)
We had been arguing.
... he ... well? (to feel)
Had he been feeling well?
I ... not ... much walking. (to do)
I had not been doing much walking.
1. You ... the stove. (to clean)
2. She ... not ... regularly. (to come)
3. ... they not ... on you? (to count)
4. We ... for shoes. (to look)
5. ... it not ... that day? (to snow)
6. I ... for groceries. (to shop)
7. ... he not ... to the news? (to listen)
8. They ... not ... to drive far. (to intend)
9. ... we ... on time? (to leave)
10. ... you ... that? (to expect)
11. They ... television. (to watch)
12. He ... not ... long when the bus arrived. (to wait)
Answers
10. For each of the following sentences, paying attention to whether the underlined auxiliary is a form of to be, to do or to have, fill in the blank with the bare infinitive, present participle, or past participle of the verb given in brackets, as appropriate. Refer if necessary to the table summarizing the formation of the English present and past tenses. For example:
He was ... medicine. (to study)
He was studying medicine.
You have ... the food. (to bring)
You have brought the food.
We had been ... a long time. (to wait)
We had been waiting a long time.
Does she ... classical music? (to like)
Does she like classical music?
1. She was ... a picture. (to draw)
2. We have ... our homework. (to finish)
3. I have been ... for an opportunity. (to wait)
4. Do you ... a bicycle? (to own)
5. We are ... coffee. (to drink)
6. Did he ... the book? (to enjoy)
7. They were ... us. (to expect)
8. You had ... a job. (to find)
9. He is ... the truth. (to tell)
10. It had been ... all morning. (to snow)
11. We had ... the window. (to open)
12. I am ... potatoes. (to peel)
13. You did not ... my letter. (to answer)
14. It does not ... . (to matter)
15. I have ... this movie before. (to see)
Answers
11. Make the following statements emphatic. For example:
He likes cats.
He does like cats.
You have finished.
You have finished.
They were here.
They were here.
We are not ready.
We are not ready.
1. I enjoy reading.
2. They do not like music.
3. It snowed.
4. I have found my pen.
5. She cooks well.
6. You were listening to the radio.
7. They found the answer.
8. He was right.
9. She understands.
10. They had locked the door.
11. He did not arrive late.
12. You ran fast.
Answers
Answers to the exercises for Chapter 6
Answers to Exercise 1:
1. was reading 2. were saving 3. was attending 4. was thundering 5. were studying 6. were sunning 7. were leading 8. were leaving 9. were plodding 10. were attaining
Answers to Exercise 2:
1. Were we starting a business? We were not starting a business. Were we not starting a business? Weren't we starting a business? We were starting a business, weren't we?
2. Was she waiting outside? She was not waiting outside. Was she not waiting outside?
Wasn't she waiting outside? She was waiting outside, wasn't she?
3. Was he singing? He was not singing. Was he not singing? Wasn't he singing? He was singing, wasn't he?
Answers to Exercise 3:
1. were preparing 2. Was, taking 3. was, waiting 4. were shopping 5. Was, freezing 6. was living 7. Were, eating 8. was falling 9. Were, discussing 10. were putting 11. were, following 12. Was, making
Answers to Exercise 4:
1. had bought 2. had started 3. had understood 4. had forgotten 5. had convinced 6. had found 7. had torn 8. had finished 9. had gone 10. had made
Answers to Exercise 5:
1. Had you entered the contest? You had not entered the contest. Had you not entered the contest? Hadn't you entered the contest? You had entered the contest, hadn't you?
2. Had I wanted to come? I had not wanted to come. Had I not wanted to come? Hadn't I wanted to come? I had wanted to come, hadn't I?
3. Had we arrived on time? We had not arrived on time. Had we not arrived on time? Hadn't we arrived on time? We had arrived on time, hadn't we?
Answers to Exercise 6:
1. had considered 2. had lost 3. Had, washed 4. Had, read 5. had, forgotten 6. had decided 7. Had, organized 8. had, had 9. had stopped 10. had, arrived 11. Had, planned 12. had, seen
Answers to Exercise 7:
1. had been cutting 2. had been looking 3. had been giving 4. had been waiting 5. had been running 6. had been raining 7. had been encouraging 8. had been lying 9. had been tasting 10. had been lagging
Answers to Exercise 8:
1. Had we been raking the leaves? We had not been raking the leaves. Had we not been raking the leaves? Hadn't we been raking the leaves? We had been raking the leaves, hadn't we?
2. Had you been visiting your cousins? You had not been visiting your cousins. Had you not been visiting your cousins? Hadn't you been visiting your cousins? You had been visiting your cousins, hadn't you?
3. Had they been swimming in the lake? They had not been swimming in the lake. Had they not been swimming in the lake? Hadn't they been swimming in the lake? They had been swimming in the lake, hadn't they?
Answers to Exercise 9:
1. had been cleaning 2. had/been coming 3. Had/been counting 4. had been looking 5. Had/been snowing 6. had been shopping 7. Had/ been listening 8. had/been intending 9. Had/been leaving 10. Had/ been expecting 11. had been watching 12. had/been waiting
Answers to Exercise 10:
1. drawing 2. finished 3. waiting 4. own 5. drinking 6. enjoy 7. expecting 8. found 9. telling 10. snowing 11. opened 12. peeling 13. answer 14. matter 15. seen
Answers to Exercise 11:
1. I do enjoy reading. 2. They do not like music. 3. It did snow. 4. I have found my pen. 5. She does cook well. 6. You were listening to the radio. 7. They did find the answer.
8. He was right. 9. She does understand. 10. They had locked the door. 11. He did not arrive late. 12. You did run fast.