Fill the gaps with the verb in brackets using the Past Perfect Continuous or the Past Perfect. Example:...

To fill in the gaps with the correct verb form, we need to decide between using the Past Perfect Continuous or the Past Perfect. The Past Perfect is used for actions that were completed before a specific point in the past, while the Past Perfect Continuous is used for actions that were ongoing over a period of time and were still relevant or had effects at a specific point in the past.

1. When the student revolution came, I had been working there for 6 months. (to work)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect Continuous is appropriate here because the action of working was ongoing for a duration (6 months) leading up to the point when the student revolution came.

2. Before Jim finally decided to go to Thailand, he had been thinking about it for months. (to think)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect Continuous is used because Jim's thinking was an ongoing process over a period of months before he made the decision.

3. They had eaten all the chocolate cake by the time Michael got to the party. (to eat)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect is suitable here as the action of eating the cake was completed before Michael arrived at the party.

4. I had met Scarlet Johansson on three previous occasions. Lucky me! (to meet)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect is used because each meeting was a completed action that happened before the current point in the narrative.

5. The forensic evidence shows that he had been picking his nose just before he was murdered. (to pick)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect Continuous is used to indicate that the action of picking his nose was ongoing and occurred shortly before the murder.

6. When the doctor told him his liver was seriously bad, he had been eating hamburgers for a month. (to eat)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect Continuous is chosen because eating hamburgers was an ongoing action over a period of a month before the doctor's diagnosis.

7. Prior to the explosion, the fat man had eaten seven large chocolate cakes. (to eat)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect is appropriate because the action of eating the cakes was completed before the explosion occurred.

8. When they cancelled the flight to Alicante, the storm had been raging all afternoon with no sign of abating. (to rage)

   • Explanation: The Past Perfect Continuous is used to show that the storm was an ongoing situation throughout the afternoon up until the flight was cancelled.

1. When the student revolution came, I had been working there for 6 months.
2. Before Jim finally decided to go to Thailand, he had been thinking about it for months.
3. They had eaten all the chocolate cake by the time Michael got to the party.
4. I had met Scarlet Johansson on three previous occasions. Lucky me!
5. The forensic evidence shows that he had picked his nose just before he was murdered.
6. When the doctor told him his liver was seriously bad, he had been eating hamburgers for a month.
7. Prior to the explosion, the fat man had eaten seven large chocolate cakes.
8. When they cancelled the flight to Alicante, the storm had been raging all afternoon with no sign of abating.