Exercises · Past perfect or past perfect continuous
Past perfect or past perfect continuous: match the sentence halves
Read the endings in each section, then choose the right ending (A–E) for each sentence beginning. Look at the tenses as well as the meaning.
Need a refresher? Review the rules in 4.2 Past simple or past perfect in our Verb Tenses in Business guide.
Quick rules
past perfect (had done)
A finished action or result before a moment in the past – often with how many or how much.
By the time the deal closed, we had held twelve meetings.
past perfect continuous (had been doing)
An activity that continued up to a moment in the past – often with how long.
We had been negotiating for six months before they signed.
explaining a past situation
The continuous form explains what caused a situation we could see.
The client was annoyed because he had been waiting for 40 minutes.
state verbs
Know, be, have (own), hate, believe… use the past perfect, not the continuous.
We had known each other since business school.
1. Result or activity?
How many and how much – or how long?
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
- Asince 7 in the morning.
- Bfor six months before they signed.
- Coffices in eight countries.
- Dtwelve meetings before they signed.
- Eover 100 emails.
1We had been negotiating …
2We had held …
3By lunchtime, I had answered …
4I was exhausted because I had been answering emails …
5By 2020 we had opened …
2. Verbs we don’t use in continuous forms
Know, be, have, hate, see…
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
- Anetworking events – until last week.
- Binvolved in two fraud cases.
- Ca trading floor.
- Dfor only a month when it was stolen.
- Esince business school.
1Before I joined the bank, I had never seen …
2We had known each other …
3I had always hated …
4She had had the company car …
5The auditors found that the supplier had been …
3. Explaining a past situation
Why was it like that? A long activity – or a finished action?
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
- Awe hadn’t invested enough in marketing.
- BI had checked it three times.
- Cshe had been staring at a screen all day.
- Dhe had been waiting for 40 minutes.
- Ethey had been running at full capacity for weeks.
1Her eyes were red because …
2The client was annoyed because …
3I knew the report was correct because …
4The servers crashed because …
5Our results were poor because …
4. Mixed review
Both forms together, in real business situations.
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
- Aso the offer came at the perfect time.
- Bwhen she moved to Singapore.
- Cbefore the profit warning.
- Dwe took the client to lunch.
- Eevery item on the agenda.
1The share price had been falling for weeks …
2I had been thinking about changing jobs, …
3By the end of the meeting, we had covered …
4She had been coaching me for two years …
5When we had finished the site visit, …
Check a section to see your score here.
More practice
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