Past Perfect Continuous ( I had been doing) Exercises

UNIT 22 Exercises

22.1   Read the situation and then write a sentence.

Example: The two boys came into the house. One had a black eye and the other had a cut lip. (they/fight) They had been fighting.

1.   Tom was watching TV. He was feeling very tired.(he/study/hard all day) He___________________________________________

2.   When I walked into the room, it was empty. But it smelled of cigarettes.
 (Somebody/smoke/in the room) Somebody_______________________________________________

3.   When Mary came back from the beach. she looked very red from the sun.(she/lie/in the sun too long)__________________________________________________

4.   The two boys came into the house. They had a football, and they were both very tired.
(they/play/football)________________________________________________

5.   Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened, and she didn't know where
she was, (she/dream)_______________________________________________

22.2   Read the situation and then write a sentence.

Example: We began playing football. After half an hour there was a terrible storm.
We had been playing for half an hour when there was a terrible storm.

1.   The orchestra began playing at the concert. After about ten minutes a man in the audience suddenly began shouting.
The orchestra_____________________________________for about ten minutes when_________________________________________________

2.   I had arranged to meet Sue in a cafe. I arrived and began waiting. After 20 minutes l realized that I had come to the wrong cafe.       
I_______________________________________________when I_____________________________________________________

3.   Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins went to live in the south of France. Six months later Mr. Jenkins died.
They______________________________________________when____________________________________________________


22.3   Put the verb into the correct form: past perfect continuous (I had been doing) or past continuous (I was doing).

Examples: Sue was leaning against the wall, out of breath. she had been running. (run)
I tried to catch Sue but I couldn't. She was running (run) very fast.

1.   Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He was_________________________(look) for his
contact lens.

2.   We________________________________(walk) along the road for about 20 minutes when a car stopped and the driver offered us a lift.

3.   When I arrived, everyone was sitting around the table with their mouths full. They________________________________(eat).

4.   When I arrived, everyone was sitting around the table and talking. Their mouth
were empty but their stomachs were full. They______________________________________(eat).

5.   When I arrived, Ann___________________________________ (wait) for me. She was annoyed because I was late, and she_____________________________________________(wait) for a very long time.