Introduzione
Il past perfect continuous descrive un'azione che era in corso per un periodo di tempo prima (in progress over a period of time before) di un altro evento passato. Sottolinea la durata dell'attività fino a un momento del passato.
Soggetto+had been+verbo-ing
- The nurse had been working for twelve hours when she finally sat down.
- He was exhausted because he had been running.
- When I arrived, they had been waiting for an hour.
Usi e contesto
Usa il past perfect continuous per spiegare perché qualcosa era in un certo modo nel passato, o per sottolineare che un'attività era in corso prima di un momento specifico del passato.
| Uso | Esempio |
|---|---|
| Durata prima di un evento passato | He had been studying for years before he passed. |
| Causa di una situazione passata | Her eyes were red - she had been crying. |
| Attività in corso interrotta | They had been watching TV for two hours when the power went out. |
Past perfect e past perfect continuous
La differenza rispecchia quella tra present perfect e present perfect continuous: completamento o durata.
| Past Perfect (azione completata) | Past Perfect Continuous (durata/in corso) |
|---|---|
| She had written three emails. (completata) | She had been writing emails all morning. (attività) |
| He had eaten dinner. (fatto) | He had been eating for an hour when I called. (attività che porta fino a un momento passato) |
| They had lived in Spain for years. (fatto) | They had been living in Spain for years. (enfatizza la durata) |
Esercizi
She ___ for twelve hours when she finally stopped.
Her eyes were red - she ___ crying.
Which sentence emphasises an ongoing activity interrupted by another past event?
'She had written three emails' focuses on ___, while 'She had been writing emails all morning' focuses on ___.
He was exhausted because he ___ running.
When I arrived, they ___ waiting for an hour.
'Her eyes were red - she had been crying.' What does 'had been crying' explain?
He had eaten dinner. vs He ___ eating for an hour when I called.
They had lived in Spain for years. vs They ___ living in Spain for years.
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