Изучите следующую ситуацию:

Вчера утром

Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The sun was shining, but the ground was very wet.

It had been raining. (Про)шёл дождь.

Дождь не шел (it was not raining), когда я выглянул из окна; светило солнце. Но дождь шел раньше (it had been raining before).

Had been -ing это the past perfect continuous:

Еще немного примеров:

• When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair was untidy and one of them had a black eye. They’d been fighting.
  Когда мальчики зашли в дом, их одежда была грязной, их волосы были растрёпаны, а у одного из них был синяк под глазом. Они дрались.
• I was very tired when I got home. I’d been working hard all day.
  Я был очень уставшим, когда пришел домой. Я усердно работал весь день.
• When I went to Madrid a few years ago, I stayed with a friend of mine. She’d been living there only a short time but knew the city very well.
  Когда я ездил в Мадрид пару лет назад, я остановился у своей подруги. Она жила там недолго, но знала город довольно хорошо.

Вы можете сказать, что что-то had been happening (происходило) какое-то время перед тем, как случилось что-то еще:

• We’d been playing tennis for about half an hour when it started to rain heavily.
  Мы играли в теннис около получаса, когда начался сильный дождь.
• George went to the doctor last Friday. He hadn’t been feeling well for some time.
  Джордж ходил к доктору в прошлую пятницу. Он не очень хорошо себя чувствовал в последнее время (до осмотра врача).

Сравните have been -ing (present perfect continuous) и had been -ing (past perfect continuous):

Сравните was -ing (past continuous) и had been -ing:

• It wasn’t raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it had been raining, so the ground was wet.
  Дождя не было, когда мы вышли. Солнце светило. Но дождь только прошел, поэтому земля была мокрой.
• Cathy was sitting in an armchair resting. She was tired because she’d been working very hard.
  Кэти сидела в кресле и отдыхала. Она была уставшей, потому что она усердно работала (до этого).

Некоторые глаголы (например, know и like) обычно не используются в continuous:

• We were good friends. We had known each other for years. (not had been knowing)
  Мы были хорошими друзьями. Мы знали друг друга много лет.

Список этих глаголов см. в уроке 4

Упражнения

1. Прочитайте ситуации и составьте предложения из слов в скобках.

1. I was very tired when I arrived home.
   (I / work / hard all day)
   
2. The two boys came into the house. They had a football and they were both very tired.
   (they / play / football)
   
3. I was disappointed when I had to cancel my holiday.
   (I / look / forward to it)
   
4. Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn’t know where she was.
   (she / dream)
   
5. When I got home, Tom was sitting in front of the TV. He had just turned it off.
   (he / watch / a film)
   

2. Прочитайте ситуации и закончите предложения.

1. We played tennis yesterday. Half an hour after we began playing, it started to rain.
   We when .
2. I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant. I arrived and waited for him. After 20 minutes I suddenly realised that I was in the wrong restaurant.
   I for 20 minutes when I the wrong restaurant.
3. Sarah got a job in factory. Five years later the factory closed down.
   At the time the factory , Sarah there for five years.
4. I went to a concert last week. The orchestra began playing. After about ten minutes a man in the audience suddenly started shouting.
   
   

В этот раз составьте свое собственное предложение:

5. I began walking along the road.

3. Поставьте глагол в наиболее подходящую форму: past continuous (I was doing), past perfect (I had done) или past perfect continuous (I had been doing).

1. It was very noisy next door. Our neighbours (have) a party.
2. We were good friends. We (know) each other for years.
3. John and I went for a walk. I had difficulty keeping up with him because he (walk) so fast.
4. Sue was sitting on the ground. She was out of breath. She (run).
5. When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table with their mouths full. They (eat).
6. When I arrived, everybody was sitting round the table and talking. Their mouths were empty, but their stomachs were full. They (eat).

7. Jim was on his hands and knees on the floor. He (look) for his contact lens.
8. When I arrived, Kate (wait) for me. She was annoyed with me because I was late and she (wait) for a long time.
9. I was sad when I sold my car. I (have) it for a very long time.
10. We were extremely tired at the end of the journey. We (travel) for more than 24 hours.