Past

Perfect Progressive Practice

Part 1. Change the continuous action into past perfect progressive. Use the verb in
parentheses

1. I was sleeping from 12:00 until 3:00. Then, I cleaned my house. (sleep)
I ____________________________ before I cleaned my house.

2. The neighbor’s dog was barking for an hour last night. It continued barking until I
went to bed. (bark)
The neighbor’s dog ____________________________for an hour before I went to bed.

3. I look so thin in this old photo! That was from the time when I was eating a lot of
vegetables. (eat)
I ____________________________a lot of vegetables at the time that photo was taken.

4. I was dreaming about you for a while right before I woke up. (dream)
I____________________________ about you before I woke up.

5. Last week I had a job interview. I didn’t sleep well the whole week before the
interview (sleep)
I ____________________________well the week before I had my interview.

6. John’s face is red in this photo. He was sitting in the sun for a long time. After that,
he took the photo. (sit)
He ____________________________in the sun before he took the photo.

7. John’s face is red in this photo. He was sitting in the sun for a long time, and he
wasn’t wearing a hat. After that, he took the photo. (wear)
He ____________________________a hat before he took the photo.

8. Kevin studied Spanish from 2006-2009. He went to Spain in 2011, and his Spanish
was not very good. (study)
He ____________________________Spanish before he went to Spain.

9. Mike wasn’t looking at the road as he was driving. Then, he almost hit a tree. (look)
He ____________________________at the road before he almost hit the tree.
Part 2. Combine these sentences by changing one verb to the past perfect
progressive. Use the verbs in parentheses. Do NOT write the time in your answers.

10. I started sleeping at 4:00, and I slept for 2 hours. My sister arrived at 6:00. (sleep,
arrive)
Before my sister _________________________, I_______________________________ for 2 hours.

11. I started playing basketball at 7:30. At 8:00 the electricity went out. (play, go out)
Before the electricity ____________________________, I____________________________ basketball.

12. My plane took off at noon. My plane landed at midnight. (fly, land)
By the time my plane ___________________________, I_____________________________ for 12
hours.

13. I went to bed at midnight. Before that, I started watching a TV at 10:30. I watched
TV until midnight. (go, watch)
Before I ________________________________, I________________________ a movie.

14. I went to the library to study at 2:30. I stayed until 5:30. After that, I went to the
gym. (study, go)
Before I ____________________________, I____________________________.

15. The professor started his lecture at 8:00AM. He lectured nonstop for the whole 2
hour class! I fell asleep around 9:30. (lecture, fall asleep)
Before I ______________________________,the professor__________________________ nonstop.

16. In 2002, I started running every day. But in 2003, I broke my ankle. (run, break)
I ____________________________________ every day until I ___________________ my ankle.

17. In 1999, I read my first Shakespeare play. I continued reading his plays often. Then,
in 2009, I found another author I liked better, and I stopped reading a lot of
Shakespeare. (read, find)
Until I ______________________ another author in 2009, _________________________ a lot of
Shakespeare.

18. The manager started interviewing applicants for the company at 8:00AM and
continued doing this all day. Then, at 4:30, she finally met an applicant she liked.
(interview, meet)
The manager ______________________________ all day before she ________________________an
applicant she liked.
 19. I started swimming when I was 7, and I continued swimming. When I was 15, I
joined my high school swim team. (swim, join)
By the time I _______________________my high school swim team, I _________________ for 8
years.

Part 3. Using the given words, complete a YES-NO question.

20. I / you/ had/ have/ has/ been/ read/ reading/ my diary

________________________________________________before I came home last night?
No, I hadn’t been reading your diary before you came home last night.

21. I / you/ had/ have/ has/ been/ eat/ eating
________________________________________________ before you took this photo? You had some
food in your teeth.
Yes, I had been eating before I took this photo.

22. I / you/ had/ have/ has/ been/ work/ working
____________________________________________a lot before I saw you last week? You looked
really tired.
No, I hadn’t been working a lot. I just hadn’t been sleeping well.

23. my / your/ roommate/ had/ have/ has/ been/ help/ helping/you/ me
_______________________________________with your homework before you moved?
No, he hadn’t been helping me with my homework.

Part 4. Choose the best verb to complete the sentence.

24. My plane __________ at 3:30 yesterday.

A. arrived B. had been arriving

25. My sister __________ her husband for years before he asked her out.
A. had liked B. had been liking

26. In 2015, I __________ to Washington D.C.
A. flew B. had been flying

27. Tim ____________ a lot of vegetables and tofu before he became a vegetarian, so it was
an easy transition.
 A. has been eating B. had been eating

28. I __________ for 3 hours before I decided to take a break.
A. had been driving B. had drove

29. By the time we got to LA, my brother _______ nonstop for 2 hours about his dog.
A. had been talking B. talked

30. I had been wearing glasses for 3 years before I ___________ contact lenses.
A. has been getting B. got

31. Before my parents _______ a TV, they had been using their computer to watch movies.
A. bought B. had been buying

32. My dog __________ a strange noise before he started barking.
A. had heard B. had been hearing

33. My team __________ 1 goal before I arrived at the soccer game.
A. had scored B. had been scoring

34. My friend’s plane ___________ by the time I arrived at the airport
A. had arrived B. had been arriving