Grammar Level 3- Lesson 17- Difference Between Past vs Past Continuous
In this grammar lesson, you learn about difference between Past and Past Continuous in English and how to use it in your English conversation and writing. Just follow examples and write them down a few times to learn them very well. After finishing this lesson, you should work on its quiz.
Grammar Recap
In our previous lesson, we covered the Direct and Indirect Quotations If you just landed on this page, we suggest that you complete our previous lesson including its quizzes before continuing on this lesson.
Requirement Lessons
There is no required lessons for working and learning this lesson.
Simple Past vs. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
We have already studied the present perfect continuous tense and now here’s the past perfect continuous tense:
S + had + been + ______ing
Singular
I had been working
You had been working
He had been working
She had been working
It had been working
Plural
We had been working
You had been working
They had been working
Use the past perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that was continuous in the past and happened before another past action.
I had been working on my house all day before I sat down to play my guitar.
I have been studying the guitar for many years.
After you had been working all day, you went home to study English on the internet.
You have been studying English for only a few years.
He had been having a good day until a thief came into his apartment, took all his money, and tied him up.
You can tell she had been sitting in a hot tub for awhile because she was all wet.
This little penguin had been living in Antarctica before he was captured and brought to this zoo.
We had been communicating with each other online before we stopped to take a break.We have been using the internet as a means for communication for many years.
You had been playing soccer but then your friend came by and you stopped.
They had been working for many years, but then they retired.
Note: If the past perfect continuous tense is too hard, just use the past continuous tense.
Simple Past vs Past Perfect Continuous Exercises
Now that you learned your new lesson, it is time to go to the Past & Perfect Continuous page and finish your quiz. While working on your quiz, you can always go back to its lesson to refresh your memory.
Private Lessons in English
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Next Grammar Lesson
In our next lesson, we will cover the Prepositional Phrases in English Before moving to the next lesson, we suggest that you complete this lesson including its quizzes.
Related Grammar Lessons
None
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