Past Perfect Continuous

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Basic form

Subject + HAD + BEEN + Verb (continuous form)

Quick examples

• The boys had been quarreling for half an hour when we arrived home.
• I had been dating Angelina for 3 years before we got married.
• If it hadn't been raining, we would have gone to the park.
• She told me that she had been working as a teacher for over 40 years.

Past Perfect

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Basic form

Subject + HAD + Verb (past participle form)

Quick examples

• I had written the letter before you came home.
• If she had studied hard, she would have passed the English language exam.
• I wish I had been brave enough.
• Mary looked as if she had not slept for 48 hours.

We use the Past Perfect tense to emphasize that an action in the past finished before another action in the past started. This tense is also used in reported speech, third conditional sentences, or to show dissatisfaction with the past.

Past Simple

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Basic form

Subject + Verb (past form)

Quick examples

• I was sleepy.
• He didn't learn any Italian when he was in Italy two year ago.
• I went to the cinema, bought popcorn and watched a movie.

We use the Past Simple to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short or long. There can be a few actions happening one ofter another.

Past Continuous

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Basic form

Subject + WAS/WERE + Verb (continuous form)

Quick examples

• The boys had been quarreling for half an hour when we arrived home.
• I had been dating Angelina for 3 years before we got married.
• If it hadn't been raining, we would have gone to the park.
• She told me that she had been working as a teacher for over 40 years.

We usually use the Past Continuous to talk about activities that lasted for some time in the past. The actions can be interruped by something or can be happening at the same time.

Past Tenses

The past tense is a verb tense expressing activity, action state or being in the past. In English, there are two types of past tense:

1. simple past
2. present tense

1. Simple past include:

• Past Progressive
• Past Simple
• Past Perfect
• Past Perfect Continuous

2. The present tenses:

• Present Perfect Continuous
• Present Perfect

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) both refer to the present and to the past.

• I have just eaten my chocolate bar.
• Mike has never seen a car like this before.