Upgrade 2 - Unit 5 Grammar Reference Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous

Honey, did you pay the bills I asked you to? Unfortunately not! When I arrived at the bank, it had already closed!

We use the Past Perfect to talk about an action in the past before another action in the past. It is frequently used to report what someone else said or thought. For example: When I arrived at the station the bus had already left. João told me that he had traveled with his wife.

When I arrived at the station, the bus had already left. 1: 2: The bus left. I arrived at the station. FUTUREPAST PRESENT I arrived at the station the bus left

AFFIRMATIVE FORM traveled. I You He SheIt We YouThey had

NEGATIVE FORM not traveled. I You He SheIt We YouThey had had nothadn’t

INTERROGATIVE FORM traveled? I you he sheit we youthey Had

It is similar to the Past Perfect Simple. However, the continuous form expresses longer actions before another action in the past. It is also similar to the Present Perfect Continuous. Nevertheless, instead of the time being NOW, the time is the PAST. For example: I had been waiting in the line for hours until I could finally pay my bills. I had been waiting for hours, when my wife arrived.

FUTUREPAST PRESENT I had been waiting for hours when my wife arrived. 1: 2: waiting the wife arrived waiting

AFFIRMATIVE FORM been I You He SheIt We YouThey had waiting.

NEGATIVE FORM not had nothadn’t been I You He SheIt We YouThey had waiting.

INTERROGATIVE FORM been I you he sheit we youthey Had waiting?

And you? Had you studied English before you started studying in your current school? How long had you been waiting before this class started?