Past perfect progressive slides - Spot - accessible

1. By: Luissana Gómez L.
BETTER
@
ENGLISH

2. THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

In the Past Perfect Progressive, we
focus on the duration of an activity that
was in progress before another activity
or time in the past.

3. To form the past perfect progressive
tense, use had been + verb +ing
• We had been waiting for Ed for two hours before he finally
arrived yesterday.
• The police had been looking for the criminal for 2 years before
they caught him.
• She had been representing our department at software
evaluation meetings until he was laid off last year.
THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

4. This tense also may express an activity in
progress close in time to another activity
or time in the past.
When Lisa got home, her hair was still wet
because she had been swimming.
I went to Peter’s home after the funeral.
His eyes were red because he had been
crying.

5. PAST CONTINUOUS VS. PAST PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
INUOUS
Note: The past perfect Progressive is used
infrequently compared to other tenses
Past Progressive emphasizes the continuation of an
action in the past, whereas Past Perfect Progressive
emphasizes a duration of an activity that continued to
happen before another activity in the past. Study the
examples below to understand the difference.

6. EXAMPLES
 He was exercising while I was washing the
dishes last night.
THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THE CONTINUATION OF THE ACTION IN THE PAST.
He had been exercising for 2 hours
when I decided to wash the dishes.
That’s why he couldn’t help me. He
was so tired.
THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THE DURATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF
EXERCISING BEFORE I STARTED WASHING THE DISHES.