Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Continuous | English Nerd

Home/Tenses/Past Perfect Continuous/Past Perfect vs Continuous

Set 1 — Result/Completion vs Duration

Choose Past Perfect (had + past participle) for completed results, or Past Perfect Continuous (had been + -ing) for duration/process. Roughly half PP, half PPC.

Set:

By the time she arrived, I ___ three chapters. (specific number = completed)

had been readinghad readwas readingread

She looked exhausted because she ___ for hours. (duration = process)

had runranhad been runningwas running

He was proud because he ___ the project. (completion = result)

had been finishingfinishedwas finishinghad finished

Her hands were covered in paint because she ___ all afternoon. (duration causing visible result)

had paintedpaintedhad been paintingwas painting

By 10 a.m., they ___ two miles. (specific distance = completed)

had been walkingwalkedwere walkinghad walked

The room was smoky because she ___ in there. (process causing result)

had smokedsmokedwas smokinghad been smoking

I was surprised because she ___ the whole cake. (completed quantity)

had been eatingwas eatingatehad eaten

He was sweating because he ___ for an hour without stopping. (duration = process)

had danceddancedwas dancinghad been dancing

She knew the script perfectly because she ___ it 20 times. (repeated completed action)

had been practisingpractisedwas practisinghad practised

The children were tired because they ___ all day. (all day = duration)

had playedplayedwere playinghad been playing

Home/Tenses/Past Perfect Continuous/Past Perfect vs Continuous

Set 1 — Result/Completion vs Duration

Choose Past Perfect (had + past participle) for completed results, or Past Perfect Continuous (had been + -ing) for duration/process. Roughly half PP, half PPC.

Set:

By the time she arrived, I ___ three chapters. (specific number = completed)

had been readinghad readwas readingread

She looked exhausted because she ___ for hours. (duration = process)

had runranhad been runningwas running

He was proud because he ___ the project. (completion = result)

had been finishingfinishedwas finishinghad finished

Her hands were covered in paint because she ___ all afternoon. (duration causing visible result)

had paintedpaintedhad been paintingwas painting

By 10 a.m., they ___ two miles. (specific distance = completed)

had been walkingwalkedwere walkinghad walked

The room was smoky because she ___ in there. (process causing result)

had smokedsmokedwas smokinghad been smoking

I was surprised because she ___ the whole cake. (completed quantity)

had been eatingwas eatingatehad eaten

He was sweating because he ___ for an hour without stopping. (duration = process)

had danceddancedwas dancinghad been dancing

She knew the script perfectly because she ___ it 20 times. (repeated completed action)

had been practisingpractisedwas practisinghad practised

The children were tired because they ___ all day. (all day = duration)

had playedplayedwere playinghad been playing

PP vs PPC

Set 1 — Result/Completion vs Duration

PP vs PPC

Set 1 — Result/Completion vs Duration