Lesson 68: Problem points
This lesson looks at typical grammar difficulties at A2 level — Past Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect Progressive — with practical exercises to consolidate them.
About this lesson
In this lesson you will come to understand the most common difficulties in learning English and master techniques for overcoming them. We will focus on two complex verb tenses — Past Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect Progressive — and see how they are used in context. Through practical exercises you will improve your skills and gain confidence when communicating in English.
40 minutes
What you'll learn
- Recognise and form the Past Perfect Continuous.
- Recognise and form the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous).
- Distinguish between the two tenses by use and context.
- Use the time markers 'for', 'since', 'by the time' and 'how long' correctly.
- Apply what you have learned in short conversational sentences.
Lesson vocabulary
- had been working She had been working for three hours before she took a break.
- had been waiting They had been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
- had been studying He had been studying English for two years before he moved abroad.
- had been running She had been running for an hour when it started to rain.
- have been learning I have been learning English for six months.
- have been living We have been living here since 2020.
- have been trying She has been trying to call you all morning.
- have been feeling He has been feeling tired all week.
- for I have been waiting for thirty minutes.
- since She has been working here since Monday.
- by the time By the time he arrived, we had been cooking for an hour.
- how long How long have you been studying English?
- still They have still been looking for a solution.
- already She had already been sleeping for two hours when he called.
- recently Have you been feeling well recently?
In other languages: Български