In this English lesson we look at the past perfect and past perfect continuous difference of use in different examples.
Past perfect
The past perfect is used:
- for actions that take place prior to another action in the past (before a simple past):
I had taken the dog out before I had breakfast.
After I had taken the dog out, I had breakfast.
- to express facts.
- to focus on duration, (just like the past perfect continuous).
Signal words used with the past perfect:
already, till then, until that day, never, not yet, once
Dialogue
1/ Sentence Practice
Second Thoughts
This means that you will be going back to university for two years. I don’t think my income will be adequate to support us both.
I am going to have to mull over this decision for a while before I decide what to do.
Do not worry, I am hardly going to burden you with all that responsibility.
You are usually quicker on the uptake. You know that I have been working on that website and yet you have not yet put two and two together.
What do mean exactly? In my mind, I am still trying to piece together exactly what happened to that website.
It took me a long time to take in the fact of how much going back to university would cost. So I designed a website that would bring me revenue whilst I studied.
Tell me how you hit on such a great idea for making money. It must of taken you ages to figure out how to have a passive income.
And there was I thinking that you had not thought this through properly?
I’ve just thought up a brilliant scheme, your good at French. So, if you translate the site into French, we will double our money.
Are you round the bend? When am I going to find the time?
Sorry, but in between, Pilates, Yoga, Nights out with the girls I’m sure you can squeeze in a little work.
I’m afraid, you haven’t a leg to stand on.
No splitting hairs, go and get dressed up to the nines and we will hit the town.
Don’t let this website go to your head we have to be careful with the money.
I would prefer to stay in, I bought lots of food.
I’m sure we will land on our feet as usual but we should keep our wits about us.
Peter, had you had the idea of going back to study long before you left your job?
The truth is that when I met you, the idea had already occurred to me.
By the time we started dating, I had applied to several universities but one thing led to another and nothing ever came of it.
I got accepted because I’d studied a lot before applying
I had been studying for over five years before I had the courage to apply.
We have been talking for two hours so far and I am starving, what shall we prepare?
I was working on the oven for four hours yesterday, so it should work perfectly.
I would quite like a roast, it has been ages.
I will look at that traditional French recipe book.
My late grandmother would rely on trial and error rather than use a recipe book.
It used to be thought of as unusual for a man to like cooking.
I just like eating. Cooking is a means to an end.
Vocabulary
2/Vocabulary Practice
- past perfect and past perfect continuous difference
- go to your head ( something that makes you think you are better than you really are)
- Have your wits about you (to be alert)
- dressed up to the nines (to be exceptionally well dressed)
- to be kept in the dark (to keep information from)
- not to have a leg to stand (to be in an undefendable position)
- not see the wood for the trees ( Stuck in the details and unable to understand the whole thing)
- it doesn’t add up ( A situation with an explanation that is incoherent)
- put two and two together. ( understand what is happening by what something means)
- To land on one’s feet ( to be lucky)
- quick/slow on the uptake ( taking a short or long time to realise something)
- ring a bell (something that sounds or looks familiar)
- round the bend (mad)
- split hairs ( argue or worry about small details)
- take stock of ( consider deeply a situation)
- assume-assumption-assuming
- believe- belief-believing
- brilliant-brilliance-brilliantly
- conceive-concept-conceivable
- doubt-doubter-doubtful
- explain-explanation-explicable
- imagine-imagination-imaginary
- judge-judiciary-judgemental
- reason-reasonably-reasoning
- sense-senseless-sensibility
- think- thought-thoughtless
- wise-wisdom
Grammar past perfect and past perfect continuous difference
Past perfect and Past perfect continuous.
Past perfect
The past perfect is used:
- for actions that take place prior to another action in the past (before a simple past):
I had taken the dog out before I had breakfast.
After I had taken the dog out, I had breakfast.
- to express facts.
- to focus on duration, (just like the past perfect continuous).
Signal words used with the past perfect:
already, till then, until that day, never, not yet, once
Past perfect continuous.
The past perfect continuous.
The past perfect continuous is also called past perfect progressive. We use this tense:
- to express a cause.
They had been working too hard and suffered from exhaustion.
Since he had been working on the project we hadn’t seen him as much.
- to stress the duration of the action.
It had been running for several decades before they closed down.
He had been playing sports all afternoon.
- to specify that the action lasted a certain time.
How long had he been learning English?
I had been sleeping the whole afternoon.
So here we have various signal words that work well with this tense:
all, the whole, for, since, how long?
Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers
Had you been talking for long when I arrived?
No, I had only just started.
Have you always thought that way?
No, I used to think differently when I was younger.
Did you realise that it was him?
No, I had not put two and two together.
Did you have your wits about you?
No, unfortunately I was half asleep.
It didn’t add up, did it?
No, something wasn’t right.
Was that the first job you applied for?
No, I had applied for half a dozen before.
Had the idea already occurred to you?
No, it came to me on the spur of the moment.
You aren’t splitting hairs, are you?
No, I am trying to be fair, that is all.
Do you think it will be a success?
I usually land on my feet.
Have you been kept in the dark about her plans?
Yes, I have been to a certain degree.
Past perfect and past perfect continuous difference of meaning
Pronunciation
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https://youtu.be/4JEeEAwONW8Hi, let’s discover some consonant sounds together. se, this is a voiceless or unvoiced sound so there is no vibration your tongue simply touches the sides of your teeth and air is released. se, centipede, sausage, circle, safety, saint. semicircle, six. Let’s repeat,se, centipede, sausage, circle, safety, saint. semicircle, six.Now test time, how would you pronounce these words? The answer is, fixes, wants, arrangements. That’s it for today see you soon.
Exercises Lesson 73
Comprehension Practice
Vocabulary Practice
Grammar Practice
