Lesson 66: Unit 121 - Past Perfect Continuous Tense

About this lesson

In this lesson you will learn how to form and use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense in English. You will master the structure had + been + verb in the -ing form and practise applying it correctly to describe actions that were in progress up to a certain moment in the past. You will work with engaging texts — a story with a tractor and a ditch, and a touching story about a mother and daughter. Through practical examples you will understand the differences between the Past Perfect Continuous and the other past tenses.

40 minutes

What you'll learn

• Form the Past Perfect Continuous Tense with had been + -ing form
• Understand when this tense is used — for an action that continued before a moment in the past
• Read and understand authentic texts containing the Past Perfect Continuous
• Complete sentences with the correct form of the verb
• Join two sentences into one with the Past Perfect Continuous and 'before'
• Recognise key vocabulary from the texts (torrential rain, ditch, bumper, gale force wind, etc.)

Lesson vocabulary

• had been + -ing She had been studying Chinese for months before she finally began to understand something.
• to turn up Fred finally turned up on the tractor.
• gale force wind A gale force wind had been blowing for the past three hours.
• torrential rain A gale force wind had been blowing accompanied by torrential rain.
• ditch My car was lying on its side in a ditch.
• to skid The car skidded out of control on the water and mud.
• bumper Fred tied a rope to the front bumper of the car.
• enormous Fred put on enormous rubber boots.
• to accompany The wind was accompanied by torrential rain.
• to brake I braked to avoid hitting the dog.
• separation They hadn't seen each other for twenty years after a cruel separation.
• coincidence But by a strange coincidence they had been living just a few miles apart.
• adoption In many countries adoption is a long and difficult procedure.
• to reunite A newspaper advertisement finally reunited them.
• the intervening years Over the intervening years Melissa had been trying to contact Paula.

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