Past Perfect Continous/Progressive Tense

1.      Past Perfect Continous/Progressive Tense

The past perfect  continous emphasizes the duration of an activity that was in progress before another activity or time in the past.

Pattern

(+)  S + had + been + V ing + O

(-)   S + had + not + been + V ing + O

(?)   Had + S + been + V ing + O?

·         I had been watching movie for two hours before I took a bath at 8 pm.

6pm(watched)            8pm( took a bath)               10pm(now)         

Examples :

·         We had been eating when Bobby called. ( first: Bobby called, second: we had been eating = Bobby datang lebih dulu, kita sudah sedang makan)

·         He came at six o’clock, I had not been waiting him for two hours.

·         Had the police been looking for the criminal for two years before they caught him?

Past Perfect Tense

1.      Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect expresses an activity that was completed before another activity or time in the past. If either before or after is used in the sentence, the past perfect is often not necessary because the time relationship is already clear. The simple past may be used.

Pattern

(+)  S + had + V3 + O

(-)   S + had + not + V3 + O

(?)  Had + S + V3 + O?

 

Examples :

·         Sandi had already left when we got there. (first: Sandi left, second: we got there)

·         My parents had not eaten by the time I got home.

·         Had my brother left before I got home?

Past Continuos/Progressive Tense

1.      Past Continuos/Progressive Tense

This tense expresses an activity was happening in the past when another activity happened. In other words, both actions occurred at the same time but one action began earlier and was in progress when the other action occurred.

Pattern

(+)  S + was/were + V ing + O

(-)   S + was/were + not + V ing + O

(?)  was/were + S + V ing + O?

Sometimes the past continous is used in both parts of a sentence when two actions are in progress simultaneously.

·         While I was studying in my room, my sister was watching television with loud speaker.

Examples :

·         I was walking down the street when it began to rain. (first: I was walking down the street, second: it began to rain)

·         At eight o’clock last night, I was studying English. (my study began before 8 o’clock, was in progress at that time, and probably continued)

·         I am sitting in class right now. I was sitting in class at this exact same time yesterday.

Simple Past Tense

 Simple Past Tense

The simple past indicates that an activity or situation began and ended at particular time in the past. Time words which usually indicate the simple past tense are ago, yesterday, last week, last month, just now, etc. In simple past, the stressing is in time words.

Pattern

a.       Nominal

(+)  S + was/were + non verb

(-)   S + was/were + not + non verb

(?)  was/were + S + non verb?

b.      Verbal

(+)  S + V2 + O

(-)   S + did not + V1 + O

(?)  Did + S + V1 + O?

If a sentence contains ‘when’ and has the simple past in both clauses, the action in the ‘when clause’ happens first.

·         I stood under a tree when it began to rain. (first: the rain began, second: I stood under a tree)

Examples :

·         I bought a new bag three days ago.

·         He lived in Gianyar  five years ago, but now he is living in Sukawati.

·         I went to Nusa Dua when I celebrated my birthday.

1.       Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect expresses the idea that something happened before now, at an unspecified time in the past. The exact time it happened is not important. If there is a specific mention of time, the simple past is used.  The present perfect also expresses the repetition of an activity before now. The exact time is not important.

Pattern

(+)  S + have/has + V3 + O

(-)   S + have/has + not + V3 + O

(?)  have/has + S + V3 + O?

Time which are used in present perfect : since, for, twice, yet, just, already.

Since + a particular time

For + a duration of time

Examples :

a.    I have never seen snow.

b.   I have been here since seven o’clock.

c.    I have had this same pair of shoes for three years.