Unit 1: section 3

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

page 17 The Basics

2. Uses of continuous tenses

- tijdelijk

- aan het veranderen

- korte herhaalde actie

- je wilt vooral de tijdsduur benadrukken

- achtergrond voor een verhaal. 

- als de handeling je irriteert 

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Unit 1 - Section 3

1: Uses of Perfect continuous tenses

• Link met nu

• Een gebeurtenis die voortduurt / nog niet af is / net klaar is / gaat veranderen
• I have/had been driving for hours.

• Een tijdelijke gebeurtenis
• I have/had  been living in Rotterdam for ten months.

Form: 

have/has/had + been + ing

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Unit 1 - Section 3

1: Uses of Perfect continuous tenses

• Continuous benadrukt de actie/gebeurtenis
  
• What have you been doing?
  

• Simple benadrukt het resultaat
  
• What have you done?

I've been looking forward to the holidays!

1. Past Perfect Continuous
2. Present Perfect Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Continuous

Fill in the present perfect continuous:
All my life I ... ... ... for you to bring a fairy tale my way

Fill in the present perfect continuous:
I've got a hangover I ... ... ... too much for sure

I... ... ... through the jungle, I ... ... ... with the wolves to get to you.

Her face was red and she had a tissue in her hand, so I knew she ............ (cry).

When she finally got to see the doctor she ................... (wait) for over an hour.

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Unit 1 - Section 3

2 past continuous for plans: 

• was/were + ww + ing: Plannen in het verleden

E.g. we were having dinner at eight but I was stuck in traffic.

• “was going to”: voor plannen die we niet hebben gedaan of niet langer willen doen.
  

E.g. I was going to travel to Spain but then Corona happened.

• “I was thinking”: vage toekomst plannen
  

E.g. I was thinking of adopting a puppy.

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Unit 1 - Section 3

3. past continuous for polite request: 

Beleefde verzoeken, suggesties, vragen

• I was thinking – would you like to go out?
  
• I was wondering if you wanted to go out?
• Were you looking for anything in particular?

LET OP! 

Niet: I was thinking if / I was thinking whether

Wel: I was wondering if / I was wondering whether

repeated action

plans you no longer have

vague future plans

polite suggestion

emphasising the continuity

I was going to try to finish this this evening. 

I was wondering whether you'd thought of going to see that new film? 

He was blinking rapidly in the sunlight. 

I was thinking of meeting Suzy later. 

I've been tinking a lot about your idea.

Match the tenses to the sentences

Past perfect simple

Past simple

Past Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect / Past Simple / Past Continuous?


I ... (enjoy) the sun last Sunday.

1. enjoyed
2. have enjoyed
3. had enjoyed
4. had been enjoying

I failed my test because I ............... for it at all.

1. studied
2. have studied
3. hadn't studied
4. hadn't been studying

I was really tired because I ........ well lately.

1. hadn't been sleeping
2. didn't sleep
3. was sleeping
4. slept

Brendon ........ (repair) his motorbike when his mother ..... (call) for dinner.

1. was repairing / called
2. repaired / was calling

When my mother ..... (open) the door, my boyfriend and I ..... (kiss) in the hall.

1. was opening / kissed
2. opened / were kissing

I recognise when to use a continuous in stead of simple form.

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