Question

Откройте скобки и используйте Past Perfect Continuous My sister … (to practise) for two months before that concert. The boys … (to fish) for three hours before Tom caught the first fish.We … (to discuss) that problem for more than an hour before we found the right solution. Henry … (to wait) for half an hour before he saw his girlfriend getting off the tram. Driving to the hospital was difficult as it … (to snow) all night.Polly … (to study) economy since she entered university. Ron’s collection of coins was valuable as he … (to collect) them since he was a schoolboy. When Sam returned home we … (to watch) that TV programme for a quarter of an hour already.Bill’s coat and mittens were wet because he … (to play) snowballs with his friends in the yard.David was irritated because the police inspector … (to ask) him questions for more than an hour.​

Answer 1

Ответ:

My sister had been practicing...

The boys had been fishing...

We had been discussing...

Henry had been waiting...

...it had been snowing

Polly had been studying

...he had been collecting

...we had been watching...

...he had been playing...

... police inspector had been asking

Answer 2

Using Past Perfect Continuous Tense

To correctly use the Past Perfect Continuous tense, we need to understand that it is used to describe an action that started in the past, continued for a period of time, and was still ongoing at a specific point in the past. Let's apply this tense to the given sentences:

1. My sister had been practising for two months before that concert. [[1]] 2. The boys had been fishing for three hours before Tom caught the first fish. [[2]] 3. We had been discussing that problem for more than an hour before we found the right solution. [[3]] 4. Henry had been waiting for half an hour before he saw his girlfriend getting off the tram. [[4]] 5. Driving to the hospital was difficult as it had been snowing all night. [[5]] 6. Polly had been studying economy since she entered university. [[6]] 7. Ron's collection of coins was valuable as he had been collecting them since he was a schoolboy. [[7]] 8. When Sam returned home, we had been watching that TV program for a quarter of an hour already. [[8]] 9. Bill's coat and mittens were wet because he had been playing snowballs with his friends in the yard. [[9]] 10. David was irritated because the police inspector had been asking him questions for more than an hour. [[10]]

Remember, the Past Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past that started before another past action or point in time.