past perfect - Duration Before Something in the Past

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aysaa

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Hi,

ENGLISH PAGE - Past Perfect
USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

-We had had that car for ten years before it broke down. (It is OK, I understood it)

However I couldn't understand this part:

Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

For example:

1- When you came in the room, I had studied English for six hours. (Is it ambiguous? Does it mean that the studying that had started in the past continued up to another action - when you came in the room- or before you came in the room I had studied English for six hours. I completed it. Maybe I begun to read something else?)

For example:

2- When you came in the room, I had already studied English for six hours. For this reason you saw me watching TV.

Thanks.
 

Raymott

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-We had had that car for ten years before it broke down. (It is OK, I understood it)

It's also OK as "We had that car for ten years before it broke down".


However I couldn't understand this part:

Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

For example:

1- When you came in the room, I had studied English for six hours. (Is it ambiguous? Does it mean that the studying that had started in the past continued up to another action - when you came in the room- or before you came in the room I had studied English for six hours. I completed it.
No, this is wrong. "When you came into the room, I had been studying English for six hours." This means you had been studying up until the person came into the room. Without the continuous, the 6 hours could have any time in the past.
Maybe I begun to read something else?) Yes.


For example:

2- When you came in the room, I had already studied English for six hours. For this reason you saw me watching TV.
That could not possibly be a reason for the person seeing you watching TV. I doubt whether it is even possible for you to give it as a reason for you to be watching TV.
R.
 
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