语法

Past Perfect Continuous Tense 过去完成进行时态

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by combining‘had been’ with a present participle.

过去完成进行时态的形成方式是把‘had been’及现在分词结合起来。

‘had been’+ Present Participle = Past Perfect Continuous Tense

‘had been’+ 现在分词 = 过去完成进行时态

Examples:

例子:

had been + dancing = had been dancing

had been + singing = had been singing

We use the past perfect continuous tense to show that an action started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. The action usually stopped when something else happened.

我们用过去完成进行时态来形容一个在过去开始的行动，这个行动持续到过去的另一个时间。这个行动通常是因为另一件事情的发生而停止的。

Examples:

例子:

I had been painting my house for two hours when Wenwen arrived.

当文文到达时，我已油漆我的家两个小时了。

We had been singing for only five minutes when the blackout occurred.

停电时，我们只唱了五分钟的个歌。

When Fengxia left Japan, she had been living in Tokyo for seven years.

当凤霞离开日本时，她已在东京居住七年了。

Xiaohuang had been waiting for Liqing for an hour by the time she arrived.

当丽卿到达时，小黄已等待她一个小时了。

My mum had been staying in the hospital for five weeks when she was discharged.

当我母亲出院时，她已在医院住了五个星期。

Binbin had been learning to play the violin for a year when he sat the exam.

在彬彬参加考试之前，他已学习拉小提琴一年了。

Exercises 习题

A. Fill in the blanks with the past perfect continuous tense of the verbs in brackets.

试用括号里动词的过去完成进行时态填充空格。

A. Fill in the blanks with the past perfect continuous tense of the verbs in brackets.

1. By the time Sarah was stung by a bee, she ____________ (weed) in the garden for twenty minutes.

2. We ____________ (dance) for half an hour when the doorbell rang.

3. When the earthquake occurred, we ____________ (live) in Taiwan for three years.

4. I ____________ (sleep) for five hours by the time a loud noise woke me up.

5. They ____________ (rehearse) the play for a month before performing it on the stage.

6. When it started raining, Adrian and Felix ____________ (playing) badminton for half an hour.

7. Victoria ____________ (wait) for 15 minutes before a waiter served her.

8. The engine ____________ (run) for an hour by the time someone turned it off.

B. Rewrite the following sentences, using the past perfect continuous tense of the verbs in brackets.

重写以下的句子，并用括号里动词的过去完成进行时态。

1. Mr. Jefferson (teach) in this school for 12 years when he was transferred to another school.

2. By the time the girl was rescued, she (suffer) for a week.

3. The secretary (type) for forty minutes when her boss called her name.

4. When it started to rain, the children (play) Frisbee for about an hour.

5. Paula (work) as an attorney for 25 years by the time she retired.

6. Mr. Smith (drive) for 45 minutes before his car ran out of gas.

7. When the eggs hatched, the hen (keep) them warm for 21 days.

8. Henry (fly) his kite for about an hour when the string broke.

Answers 答案

A.

1. had been weeding

2. had been dancing

3. had been living

4. had been sleeping

5. had been rehearsing

6. had been playing

7. had been waiting

8. had been running

B.

1. Mr. Jefferson had been teaching in this school for 12 years when he was transferred to another school.

2. By the time the girl was rescued, she had been suffering for a week.

3. The secretary had been typing for forty minutes when her boss called her name.

4. Before it started to rain, the children had been playing Frisbee for about an hour.

5. Paula had been working as an attorney for 25 years by the time she retired.

6. Mr. Smith had been driving for 45 minutes before his car ran out of gas.

7. When the eggs hatched, the hen had been keeping them warm for 21 days.

8. Henry had been flying his kite for about an hour when the string broke.