Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous? I had worked or I had been working
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2021
- In this lesson, learn the difference between the past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous. What is the difference between I had worked and I had been working? Learn the three different reasons for using the correct form. Improve your accuracy in using the English tenses to impress and improve.
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I've been watching your lessons and generally like it as you explain things clearly. For this one, I have a comment/ suggestion when illustrating the difference between PPS and PPC. The example of PPS "I had work in sales BEFORE I graduated" is fine. But for PPC, I think using "when" is more appropriate than "after" as in "I had been working in sales WHEN I graduated". This clearly indicates the action (work) was still continuing WHEN (up until the day) I graduated. It sounds more "logical" to me.
By using "when" with PPC, you clearly convey that the action of working in sales was still happening at the time of graduation, making the distinction between the two tenses more apparent. Your suggestion indeed makes the examples more logical and clear for illustrating the difference. Thank you.
So to sum it up we use the simple past perfect to underline that the action is concluded and the progressive to underline that the past action was a habit at that time.
Progressive can also show that it was ongoing over a period of time.
@@oxfordenglishnow many thanks for having replied to my comment
The way you teach is very appreciative and useful. Learn more from you and will have been learning.
Glad to hear that
I have a test about this tomorrow and this was so helpful! Thank you so much!
My pleasure! Good luck with your test!
I specifically chose the latest video you've uploaded just to write a comment for you my dear: YOU ARE A PERFECT TEACHER. Really you deserve 1000 millions of subscribers. You are very special. I came through many videos to understand tenses in English, but yours was the best ever. My warmest greetings from Algeria
A request for you if you don't mind,
Are you British? I like your acent and I want to acquire it!
Hi Walida, such kind words, thank you so much! Yes, I am British, from Oxford, hence the name. Welcome to my channel!
@@oxfordenglishnow Thank you very much for answering me. Wish you the best success in the world. My greetings.
Thank you so much for your valuable explanation.
Glad it was helpful!
New person to the channel hello and thank you very much ❤️
My pleasure !
Your teaching methoder is very amazing
Glad you think so!
Thank you so much. The verb tense is very confusing, because my mother language Chinese mandarin there is no such thing; you don’t need to change verb tense and the Chinese grammar is super easy. So when it switch to English, I always need to think for a while when it comes to the verb tense. I think I need a bit more practices on this. Thanks a lot!!
Glad it was helpful!
I'd really enjoyed your teaching, thanks a lot~
You're very welcome!
Thank you for this video. Very useful.
Glad it was helpful!
I'd say:
had worked - finished or permanent event
had been working - continuing or temporary event
Well done! Spot on!
Thank you so much, you’re so intelligent and I like your explanation a lot! :)
You're very welcome!
Thank you so much, your explanations are amazing!
Glad you like them!
Well explained ma'am,much obliged
My pleasure!
You are very good teacher.
Thank you! 😃
thank you so much, you saved my life:)
You're welcome!
Thanks madam you showed difference between had been and had
My pleasure!
thank you so much, it helped a lot! im a student who live in turkiye and trying to be english teacher.
My pleasure 😇. Good luck to becoming a teacher!
THE BEST TEACHER EVER
Thank you so much !
Thanks a lot!
You're welcome!
Woww wonderful explanation 😊😊
Thanks a lot 😊
Very good!
Thanks!
Thank you you very much
You are welcome
❤🎉
Thanks for lesson
My pleasure 😇
Thank you!!!! 😃
My pleasure!
Keep it up!!
Thank you Miss Alice !
Thank you for this wonderful explanation, but i wonder why (taste), in the example you mentioned, is a stative not an action verb.
aste
Taste can be both. This coffee tastes delicious. (state - our perception of the coffee)
Look! The chef is tasting the soup. (action - tasting the soup is an activity)
Hope that helps!
@@oxfordenglishnow very helpful, thanks alot.
So "Had been" is past perfect continuous, but what is "has been", is it Present perfect continuous?
+ I have a test on friday and started studying today, this helped me so much!! Thank you!
Glad to hear it! Good Luck!
"I had been working in sales before I graduated"; for me that is the correct form because it was a temporary situation... Greetings and thanks a lot for the video
Great! Well done.
Thanks for the useful videos.
I have been confused about the use of a time clause with "when" with the past perfect continuous. Is the following sentence correct? -It had been raining when we arrived in London.
If it's correct, so how is it different from : "It was raining when we arrived in London" ?
Hi Lou, You are comparing two different tenses. The present perfect continuous, indicates an action began in the past and continued up to the present, the past perfect continuous is a verb tense that indicates something that began in the past, continued in the past, and also ended at a defined point in the past. I hope that helps!
But it was raining it is the past continuous
Thanks for your reply, but I'm not comparing the tenses I'm comparing the time clause used with the two tenses. Is it possible to use a time clause with "when" when the tense of the main clause is in the past perfect continuous? @@oxfordenglishnow
please see my reply above @@10-a56
Clear, both actions happened before a main past event, however, the simple form is a finished action while the second refers to an action in progress, and we can also use it to describe a background situation, right? But why can I use LIVE in continuous form if it's a state verb? Thanks :)
While "live" is primarily a state verb, its use in continuous form is permissible in specific contexts where the emphasis is on duration, temporary status, or to describe a background situation in the past. This flexibility allows for nuanced expression in English, accommodating different shades of meaning in various contexts.
Hii, thank you for the lesson
I'm confused if these sentences below mean the same thing and are possiblee :
1. I have been getting better at playing football since 2020
2. I have got better at playing football since 2020
Do those mean the same thing ?
Are both of the sentences possible ?
Are there any differences ?
Thank you.
Hi Omar,
In the first sentence you are using the present perfect continuous, an action which started at a time in the past and is still continuing up until now... you are still improving and you are focussing and emphasising the action of getting better. Whereas if you use the present perfect simple with action verbs, you are emphasising the completion of an event in the recent past. I hope that helps.
Thank a lot
My pleasure!
Thank you so muchhhh🤗🤗🤗
You're welcome 😊
Super explanation! Thank You 🇺🇦
Glad it was helpful!
hey thanks ! so when do we have to use for a question the preterit or past perfect simple.... like "did the game start on time ? " or "had the game started on time ? " ? thank you :)
Hi,
"Did the game start on time?"
This sentence is in the simple past tense. It is asking whether the game commenced at the scheduled time in the past.
"Had the game started on time?"
This sentence is in the past perfect tense. It suggests that the speaker is looking at a point in the past and asking whether, at a specific time before another past event, the game had already started. It introduces a sequence of events in the past and emphasizes the timing of one event relative to another.
In summary, the first sentence is a straightforward inquiry about the past, while the second sentence introduces a bit more complexity by focusing on the timing of the game in relation to another past event. I hope that helps!
I think the first sentence means that I worked and finished that work before I graduated and the second sentence means that I had been still working before I graduated, or it was temporarily not permanent to work? let me know if it is correct, thank you!
I enjoyed watching your video! I give you a thumb up (:
Hi yes, you are correct, the first sentence emphasises the completion of an action and the second sentence emphasises a continuing action and the focus is on the duration of the action. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the thumbs up!
Amazing explanation!
it is correct to use past perfect continuous with stative verbs?
EX. I had been felling a little frightened.
In general, the past perfect continuous tense is not typically used with stative verbs because stative verbs describe states or conditions rather than actions or processes, which the continuous tenses are meant to convey.
However, "feeling" is one of the few stative verbs that can also function as a dynamic verb. This means the past perfect continuous can be correct in this context, especially if the state of feeling frightened was ongoing and relevant to the narrative being described.
So, here it is grammatically acceptable to use the past perfect continuous with "feeling" if you are emphasizing the duration of the emotion.
Thanks
My pleasure!
Hi, teacher! After thoughtful deliberation, we concluded that there is little or no difference between both sentences; they both basically mean the same. Are we right?
Hi, there is not much in it to be fair but the pps emphasises the completion of the action whie the ppc focus on the duration and a continuing action. I hope that helps.
You used the present continuous with the stative verb know "I hope you are more comfortable in knowing when to use..." is this a correct form? Min. 7:51
Hi fatmah, yes this sentence is correct. According to traditional grammar books, state verbs cannot normally be used in the continuous tenses. This is because they are not actions. However, some state verbs can be used in the continuous tense, with a difference in meaning. When they are used in the continuous form, they become actions. I hope that helps!
Hi , Madam. Can you explain the sentence that you given example of 'He has waited an hour for the train before it arrived.' and the next sentence is 'He have been waiting for an hour for the train before it arrived.'Thank you❤️🥺
"He had waited an hour for the train before it arrived."
Explanation: The present perfect simple ("has waited") is not suitable here because the action was completed before another action in the past. For such cases, the past perfect tense ("had waited") should be used. This sentence indicates that by the time the train arrived, he had already waited for an hour.
Hello!
I heard that there is no difference between using the verb work in these two tenses.
So my answer is both are coorect..
Am I correct?😊
Hi, Generally, I had worked represents a finished or permanent event whereas had been working represents a continuing or temporary event. I hope that helps!
@@oxfordenglishnow Thanks a lot for your answer!
I had been working in sales before i graduated? Is this true or false
Great sentence! Well done!
This was a lesson I had been looking forward to. (Is my comment correct?)
Yes, it is! Well done!
So the first answer is past perfect tense and second answer is past perfect continuous tense..... Your the best teacher ever...... Love you from India ❤❤❤
Please pin me
And please 🥺🥺🥺 say I love you ❤❤
Hi, yes but which one is the right answer? and why? thank you so much for your kind words. A big hello to India?
We can also show habit action
The past perfect simple and past perfect continuous are both tenses used in English to express actions or states that occurred before a certain point in the past. However, they convey slightly different nuances.
Past Perfect Simple:
Structure: had + past participle
Use:
It is used to indicate an action or state that was completed before another past action or point in time.
It emphasizes the completion of an action or the duration of a state up to a specific point in the past.
Example:
She had already eaten when I arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous:
Structure: had been + present participle
Use:
It is used to express the duration of an ongoing action or state that started before a certain point in the past and continued up to that point.
It emphasizes the continuity of an action or state over a period leading up to the past reference point.
Example:
He had been working for hours before he took a break.
Comparison:
Past Perfect Simple:
Emphasizes completion of an action or the state.
Often used for a single completed event.
"Had + past participle."
Past Perfect Continuous:
Emphasizes the duration of an ongoing action or state.
Often used for actions or states that were ongoing for a period of time.
"Had been + present participle."
Example for Comparison:
Past Perfect Simple: "I had finished my homework before dinner."
Past Perfect Continuous: "I had been studying for hours before dinner."
In summary, both tenses are used to express actions or states that occurred before a specific point in the past, but the past perfect simple focuses on the completion of actions, while the past perfect continuous emphasizes the duration of ongoing actions or states.
I think the answer is the 2nd one. By the way soo much love from türkiye
Hi, in fact both are correct, they just convey different meanings. If we use the PPS we are emphasising the completion of an action and if we use the PPC we are emphasising an incomplete action, a continuing action and the focus is on the duration. I hope that helps! And much love right back at you Turkey! 🇹🇷
So in the first example means that I had maybe a short time in the field of sales maybe I'm not now still working in sales
And the second example means I'm still working in sales let me know teacher if I'm correct please thank you
Hi the PPS emphasises the completion of an action and the PPC emphasises a continuing action and the focus is on the duration of the action. I hope that helps.
Madam please explain
She was invited in the show when she got married/ had got married.
Which one?
Hi Akshat, She was invited ON the show when she got married. I think this one sounds best. I hope that helps!
I had studied for 2 hours
I had been studying for 2 hours when you rang the bell
Well done!
So, does it mean past perfect continuoes similar with past continuous in the example
The plumber had been installing the pipe when the accident happened.
So we can also say
The plumber was installing the pipe when the accident happened
What the different then??
Hi, yes you can say that too. If you use the ppc you are emphasising that one action happened over a period of time BEFORE another. If you use the pc you are saying the action was interrupted by the second. I hope that helps!
I had been working in sales before I graduated.
Great Prakash! Well done!
My Madam ,
Could you please tell me are these
Sentences grammatically correct?
If I say that ,I'm gald to see you in the poster, pictures, banner, flex ,holdings which preposition do I have to use ?
Which do I have to use ?
1)I'm gald to see your picture in the banner. Or on the banner?
2)I'm gald to see you in the banner. Or on the banner?
Hi Mohamed, we would say, I'm glad to see you in the poster.
in the poster (or photo) - Is she in the poster?
on the poster (or photo) - Don't place anything on the poster as it will ruin the poster.
A banner is a long strip of cloth bearing a slogan or design, carried in a demonstration or procession or hung in a public place.When it is displayed in a public place it becomes a sign as well.
While we would say, "What's the name on that animal in the photo," it also sounds natural to say "What's the name of that animal (pictured) on the sign?"
Admittedly a confusing issue.
@@oxfordenglishnow
Thank you so much your help.
Much appreciate your help madam
Hi teacher 😊😊😊
Hello 😊
I had worked in sales is a past perfect and i had been working is past perfect continuous
astounding, astonishing, breathtaking, sensational, remarkable, spectacular, stupendous, staggering, stunning; phenomenal, prodigious, miraculous, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable; literary wondrous, splendid, wonderful, magnificent, superb, glorious, sublime, lovely, delightful, beautiful, excellent, amazing, awesome. ❤❤❤
Wow, thank you!
Having completed my graduation I worked for food delivery company 😀
How about this one
1. plumber was installing the pipe when the accident happened
Instead, plumber had been installing the pipe when the accident happened
2. we knew that already the company would be closed
We knew that already the company was going to close
Hi shanu,
Having completed my graduation I worked for A food delivery company 😀
THE plumber was installing the pipe when the accident happened
Instead, THE plumber had been installing the pipe when the accident happened. Both are correct, remember when you use a past perfect tense, you are referring to an earlier past. So this action happened before another in the past and often clarifies the order of events. I hope that helps!
ma'am, first one is right
☺
The PPS indicates a completion of an action while the PPC conveys a continuing action or something that is incomplete and focusses on the duration of the action.
❤
❤️
The plumbers had been doing this for 2 hours before they got an Idea, is that correct? And also
The plumbers had did this before so they knew everything?
Hi, the first sentence is correct. In the second one it should be, The plumbers had DONE this before so they knew everything. I hope this helps!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you!
'I was very tired when i got home . i had been working hard all day' - i do not realy undestand why we use PPC if it is finished action in past , why is it not 'i had worked ?'
In the sentence "I was very tired when I got home. I had been working hard all day," the past perfect continuous (PPC) tense "had been working" is used to emphasize the duration of the action leading up to a specific point in the past.
While both "I had worked" and "I had been working" are grammatically correct, they convey different nuances:
Past Perfect (I had worked):
This would imply a completed action. If you say, "I had worked hard all day," it suggests that you had finished working hard before feeling tired when you got home.
Past Perfect Continuous (I had been working):
This emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action. "I had been working hard all day" implies that you were engaged in continuous, ongoing work up to the point when you got home. It provides a sense of the duration and effort put into the activity.
In your context, the past perfect continuous is used to highlight the continuous and prolonged nature of the hard work throughout the day, contributing to your tiredness when you arrived home. Both options are grammatically correct, but the choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.
But urdu mein pehchan kya hai dono mein tha thi hi ata hai
Here after a long time. Could you please explain
He died / had died before I was born.
What should i use?
Also,
He died/had died before my birth.
What should i use?
Hi Akshat, you could use both. The past perfect simple is used to sequence events in the past to show which event happened first. The past simple often suggests a stronger connection between the time of the two events. In spoken English, it is common to use only the simple past and not the past perfect. I hope that helps!
Miss, the title is wrong!!
Hi m-r, thank you so much. I have corrected it. Silly mistake! Thanks
I forgot😢🎉
Welcome to my channel!
I think the answer is: "I had worked in sales before I graduated" Thank you.
Hi Jean, Both sentences are correct. I wanted you to understand the difference between them and when you use them. Watch the lesson again and you will understand the difference. I hope that helps.
I didn't get what is past perfect tense before i found your video I've really understood well Thanks for made this video 🧿😊❤️🫶
Glad it helped!
Well I have an exam tomorrow and trust me your videos explains things so clearly 🤍✨
keep going
Thank you again and I’m sure bcz of you I’m gonna do well
Thank you so much!
I've been watching your lessons and generally like it as you explain things clearly. For this one, I have a comment/suggestion when illustrating the difference between PPS and PPC. The example of PPS "I had work in sales BEFORE I graduated" is fine. But for PPC, I think using "when" is more appropriate than "after" as in "I had been working in sales WHEN I graduated". This clearly indicates the action (work) was still continuing WHEN (up until the day) I graduated. It sounds more "logical" to me.
Hi J Newman, thanks for your suggestion and I see your point. Your sentence is clearer! Well done!