When used in Reported (Indirect) Speech the Past Perfect Continuous replaces both the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Continuous of a Direct Speech sentence (if the reporting verb is in the Past Simple).

Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

1 . Mrs. Brown said: «I have been working hard all day and I am very tired». 1. Jane asked: «Was it still raining when you arrived?»

1 . Mrs. Brown said she had been working very hard all day and she was very tired. 2. Jane wondered if it had still been raining when he arrived.

Compare the use of the Past Perfect Simple, the Past Perfect Continuous and the Past Simple tense-forms.

1. She ran downstairs to open the door, but it was too late. The postman had already gone.

2. She apologized and said she had already had lunch.

3. Hejtad been smoking for 20 years before he finally gave it up last year.

4. All the roads were blocked: it had been snowing all night long.

5. I had hardly got off the tram when it suddenly started moving.

6. I felt awful after dinner. I had eaten too much.

7. It turned out that Patric had broken his leg the previous morning.

8. I was pleased to see my old college friends at the conference last week as we hadn 't seen each other since we finished our course.

9. Maggie took a hot bath after she had been working in the garden all afternoon.

10. I had a pleasant surprise when I got to my room: someone had put some flowers there for me.

PRACTICE

1. Choose the appropriate tense-forms: Past Perfect Simple/Past Perfect Continuous and Past Simple/Past Continuous.

1. He turned off the electric light. It had been burning/had burnt all night.

2. Nobody bothered to inform me that the school decided/ had decided to have a special holiday that Friday.

3. Paul offered/had offered me another drink but I decided I drank/had drunk enough.

4. I knew I did/had done well in my exams even before I received the official results.

5. I saw/had seen right away it was the place I looked/ had looked/had been looking for all my life.

6. As soon as he raised his eyes I knew/had known that we met/had met before.

7. Excuse me, I had ordered/ordered a coffee half an hour ago. Is it ready yet?

8. She finished/hadfinished most of the work by the time her boss arrived.

2. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.

1. She was working in the garden at/by that time.

2. Scarcely had the bell gone when/than the students filled the corridor.

3. The other day/One of these days he called on me to return the book he had borrowed.

4. The sun had no sooner hidden behind the clouds than/ when we heard the first claps of thunder.

5. The letter hadn't arrived by/until the end of the week yet.

6. I had tidied up the flat at/by that time.

7. It wasn't up to/until 1995 that Robert could afford to go on holiday abroad.

8. They had discharged Nick from hospital before/till we came.

9. His father had been running a bookshop during/for two years.

10. They reached the top of the mountain by/in four hours.

11. I had finished my homework at/by supper time.

12. They lived in Newcastle by/in 1983.

3. Open the brackets using the appropriate tense-form.

1. By the time I (get) to the station the train (leave).

2. Patrick's mother (be) very angry when he (come) home late because she (worry) about him all evening.

3. The children (start) a fire. They (play) with matches.

4. Brenda (disappear) before I (have) time to talk to her.

5. Bruce (go) to hospital because he (cut) his hand while he (try) to mend a broken window.

6. It (be) more than a month before I (realize) what (happen).

7. When Jack (not/arrive) by 6p.m. I (know) he (miss) the bus.

8. When I (meet) him he (work) as a plumber for a year or so.

9. We scarcely (start) eating when there (be) another scream.

10. We (look) through the agreement before we (sign) it.

11. I (be) very pleased when my son (find) my watch because we (look) for it for hours.

12. Nina (think) she (leave) her purse in a locker in the changing room the day before.

13. I (wake) up and (look) out of the window. Everything (be) white. It (snow) all night.

14. Not until I (look) at my watch did I realize how much time (pass).

15. Karen (admit) that she (make) a mistake and (apologize).

16. Isabel (send) a postcard to the girl she (make) friends with while she (attend) a language course.

17. They (run) out of petrol because Paul (use) the car several times before.

18. When we (get) to the airport we (hear) that they (cancel) all the flights.

19. When our teacher (see) what Tom (do) she (be) absolutely furious.

20. My old watch (work) very well for many years before I (drop) it.

21. I (run) out of money but luckily I (be) able to borrow enough to get home.

22. I (have) to be early the next morning, so I (excuse) myself and (leave) the party.

23. He (keep) his job although the manager (threaten) to sack him several times.

24. When Mr Gabb (come) out of the water, he (find) that somebody (take) all his clothes.

25. After the movie (finish) they (decide) to get something to eat.

26. Many modern medicines were not invented by western scientists but by tribal people who (use) them for generations before Europeans (arrive).

27. It was not surprising that she (start) getting a bad toothache. She (not/go) to the dentist for two years.

28. Her work (look) really neat because she (use) the computer.

29. The chairman's main fault was that he persistently (interrupt) the speakers before they (finish).

30. After she (dress) and (eat) her breakfast, Linda (rush) off to her office for a meeting with her accountant.

31 Peter already (see) that musical before he (read) the review about it.

32. When I (go) into the room I could smell cigarette smoke. Obviously somebody (smoke) in there.

33. Because Jasper (make) an appointment with his dentist beforehand he (hope) he wouldn't have to wait long, although there (be) a lot of people in the waiting-room when he (arrive).

34. By the time Bill (leave) school, he (speak) good French and German. When he (be) at university he (learn) Italian and Spanish.

35. Yesterday Jenny (send) me a very apologetic letter explaining why she (not/do) what she (promise).

36. Ann only (work) there for a few days when she (decide) to leave.

37. The bank (tell) me last week there (be) no money in my account. I (spend) it all.

38. The label (come) off the tin and I didn't know how to cook the meat.

39. When I (get) back after lunch, Jean (tell) me that somebody (phone) when I (be) out.

40. They (get) married in 1990, just a year after they (fall) in love.