Unit 16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)

A

Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The sun was shining but the ground was very wet. It had been raining.

It was not raining when I looked out of the window; the sun was shining. But it had been raining before. That's why the ground was wet.

Had been -ing is the past perfect continuous:

Some more examples:

· When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair was untidy and one of them had a black eye. They'd been fighting.

· I was very tired when I arrived home. I'd been working hard all day.

B

You can say that something had been happening for a period of time before something else happened:

· Our game of tennis was interrupted. We 'd been playing for about half an hour when it started to rain very heavily.

· Ken gave up smoking two years ago. He 'd been smoking for 30 years.

C

Had been -ing (past perfect continuous) is the past of have been -ing (present perfect continuous).

Compare:

D

Compare had been doing and was doing (past continuous):

• It wasn't raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it had been raining, so the ground was wet.

• Ann was sitting in an armchair watching television. She was tired because she 'd been working very hard.

E

Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous:

• We were good friends. We had known each other for years, (not 'had been knowing')

For a list of these verbs, see Unit 4A.

Exercises

16.1 Read the situations and make sentences from the words in brackets.

1 I was very tired when I arrived home.

(I / work / hard all day)........... I had been working hard all day................

2 The two boys came into the house. They had a football and they were both very tired

(they/play / football)............................................................................

3 There was nobody in the room but there was a smell of cigarettes.

(somebody / smoke / in the room).......................................................

4 Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn't know where she was.

(she / dream).......................................................................................

5 When I got home, Mike was sitting in front of the TV. He had just turned it off.

(he / watch / TV).................................................................................

16.2 Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 We played tennis yesterday. Half an hour after we began playing, it started to rain.

We........ had been. playing for half an hour ........ when.............. started to rain............

2 I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant. I arrived and waited for him. After 20 minutes I suddenly realised that I was in the wrong restaurant.

I................................................ for 20 minutes when I........................

3 Sarah got a job in a factory. Five years later the factory closed down.

At the time the factory......................................., Sarah......................

...................... there for five years.

4 I went to a concert last week. The orchestra began playing. After about ten minutes a man in the audience suddenly began shouting.

The orchestra................................................................. when.............

5 This time make your own sentence:

I began walking along the road. I........................................................

when.................................................................................................

16.3 Put the verb into the most suitable form, past continuous (I was doing), past perfect (I had done) or past perfect continuous (I had been doing).

1 It was very noisy next door. Our neighbours...... were haying........(have) a party.

2 We were good friends. We.... had known........(know) each other for a long time.

3 John and I went for a walk. I had difficulty keeping up with him because he..................................................(walk) so fast.

4 Mary was sitting on the ground. She was out of breath. She.......................

(run).

5 When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table with their mouths full. They....................(eat).

6 When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty but their stomachs were full. They.................................................(eat).

7 Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He..............................(look) for his

contact lens.

8 When I arrived, Kate...........................(wait) for me. She was rather annoyed with me because I was late and she.......................................(wait) for a very long time.

9 I was sad when I sold my car. I........................(have) it for a very long time.

10 We were extremely tired at the end of the journey. We....................(travel)

for more than 24 hours.

Unit 17 Have and have got

A

Have and have got (= possess, own etc.)

We often use have got rather than have alone. So you can say:

· We've got a new car. or We have a new car.

· Ann has got two sisters, or Ann has two sisters. We use have got or have for illnesses, pains etc.:

· I've got a headache, or I have a headache.

In questions and negative sentences there are three possible forms:

When have means 'possess' etc., you cannot use continuous forms (is having / are having etc.

• I have / I've got a headache, (not 'I'm having')

For the past we use had (usually without 'got'):

• Ann had long fair hair when she was a child, (not 'Ann had got')

In past questions and negative sentences we normally use did/didn't:

• Did they have a car when they were living in London?

• I didn't have a watch, so I didn't know the time.

• Ann had long fair hair, didn't she?

B

Have breakfast / have a bath / have a good time etc.

Have (but not 'have got') is also used for many actions and experiences.

For example:

· Goodbye! I hope you have a nice time.

· Mary had a baby recently.

'Have got' is not possible in these expressions. Compare:

· I usually have a sandwich for my lunch, (have = 'eat' - not 'have got')
but I've got some sandwiches. Would you like one?

In these expressions, have is like other verbs. You can use continuous forms (is having / are having etc.) where suitable:

· I had a postcard from Fred this morning. He's on holiday. He says he's having a wonderful time, {not 'he has a wonderful time')

· The phone rang while we were having dinner, (not 'while we had')

· In questions and negative sentences we normally use do/does/did:

· I don't usually have a big breakfast, (not 'I usually haven't')

· What time does Ann have lunch? (not 'has Ann lunch')

· Did you have any difficulty finding somewhere to live?

Exercises

17.1 Write negative sentences with have. Some are present (can't) and some are past (couldn't).

1 I can't make a phone call, (any change)........... Ihaven't got any change................

2 I couldn't read the notice, (my glasses)............. I didn't have my glasses.................

3 I can't climb up onto the roof, (a ladder) I...................................................

4 We couldn't visit the museum, (enough time) We........................................

5 He couldn't find his way to our house, (a map)..........................................

6 She can't pay her bills, (any money)...........................................................

7 They can't get into the house, (a key).........................................................

8 I couldn't take any photographs, (a camera)...............................................

17.2 Complete these questions with have. Some are present and some are past.

1 Excuse me,.................... have you got......................... a pen I could borrow?

2 Why are you holding your face like that?...............................a toothache?

3......................................................a bicycle when you were a child?

4 '......................................the time, please?' 'Yes, it's ten past seven.'

5 When you did the exam,.............................time to answer all the questions?

6 I need a stamp for this letter..........................................one?

7 'It started to rain while I was walking home.' 'Did it?..............................an

umbrella?'

17.3 In this exercise you have to write sentences about yourself. Choose four of the following things (or you can choose something else):

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