past perfect con.

[aysaa]

Hi,

I have seen a sentence on internet, and I want to share it with you. I don't know whether it is ok or not.

-He had been skiing between 2 pm and 4 pm yesterday.

Thanks...

 

[shannico]

It's a sentence in the past about a repeated/continuous action that happened before another event in the past.
For instance you could come across it in indirect speech

I met Jack earlier and he told me (most recent past event) he had been skiing (previous past event) between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.


Hope it helps

 

[aysaa]

Can we use past perfect cont. tense with a specific time such as 'between 2 and 4 pm '?

I think it is better to say.

-He was skiing between 2 pm and 4 pm yesterday.

 

[shannico]

Can we use past perfect cont. tense with a specific time such as 'between 2 and 4 pm '?

I think it is better to say.

-He was skiing between 2 pm and 4 pm yesterday.

Yes you are right. I'll amend it to

He told me he had skied between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

or if on its own, as you said

He was skiing between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

Apologies.

 

[bhaisahab]

"I met Jack earlier and he told me (most recent past event) he had been skiing (previous past event) between 2 and 4 pm yesterday."
This is perfectly correct.

 

[5jj]

These may help:

The Past Perfect

Problems with the Past Perfect & Past Simple

 

[aysaa]

Sorry, it was past perfect progressive with any specific time. Because between 2 and 4 pm is a specific time for it.

 

[shannico]

"I met Jack earlier and he told me (most recent past event) he had been skiing (previous past event) between 2 and 4 pm yesterday."
This is perfectly correct.

Hi Aysaa,
I found this link which is pretty clear.
reported.

 

[aysaa]

Past continuous
She said, "I was teaching English at 5 pm. yesterday.

Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching at 5 pm the day before yesterday.

So, is that ok?

 

[5jj]

The UsingEnglish.com site has several English Usage Articles , including Indirect (Reported) Speech

 

[aysaa]

Yes, I think I got it. While using reported speech:

Jack :I was skiing beetween 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

I met Jack earlier and he told me he had been skiing between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

That is ok.

But:

A: Can you tell me what you did yesterday?
B:I had been skiing between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

It is incorrect, right? We can't use past perfect con. tense with any specific time such as at 5, between 2 and 4, if we don't use it with reported speech. Is that right?

 

[5jj]

A: Can you tell me what you did yesterday?
B:I had been skiing between 2 and 4 pm yesterday.

It is incorrect, right?

If that is the complete dialogue, then it is incorrect.

 

[shannico]

I skied between 2 and 4 and then I went home, had a cup of coffee.... (past simple if you are recounting what you did throughout the day

or

I was skiing between 2 and 4. when I met Jack and we went for a coffee. (if you want to describe/lay emphasis on what were you doing at a specific time when a specific event occurred).

or

I left early. I got tired because I had been skiing between 2 and 4 (if you wanted to say why you got home earlier you could use the past perfect continuous there)

 

[Tdol]

Past continuous
She said, "I was teaching English at 5 pm. yesterday.

Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching at 5 pm the day before yesterday.

So, is that ok?

Use either the day before or yesterday (depending on the time of reporting) but not both.

 

[aysaa]

I left early. I got tired because I had been skiing between 2 and 4 pm.

It is not a reported speech and there is a specific time with past perfect cont. tense. It was posted by Shanninco. I couldn't get it. Sorry...

 

[shannico]

Getting tired is the result of a continuous activity which happened in a farther past.
I had been skiing between 2 and 4 is therefore the reason that made you tired and leave early in the past.
I hope it's clear

 

[5jj]

I left early. I got tired because I had been skiing between 2 and 4 pm.

It is not [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] reported speech and there is a specific time with past perfect cont. tense. It was posted by Shanninco. I couldn't get it. Sorry...

That sentence is fine. He got tired at one past time ('early' - probably early in the evening), because he had been doing something at a previous past time (2 - 4 pm).

 

[ridvann]

I think you have been confused about 'between 2 and 4'.

I left early. I got tired because I had been skiing from 2 to 4 pm.

vs

I think that it must be: I left early. I got tired because I was skiing from 2 and 4 pm.

The second one is ok, but I don't say anything about the first one.

 

[bhaisahab]

I think you have been confused about 'between 2 and 4'.

I left early. I got tired because I had been skiing from 2 to 4 pm.

vs

I think that it must be: I left early. I got tired because I was skiing from 2 and 4 pm.

The second one is ok, but I don't say anything about the first one.

The second one is incorrect.

 

[aysaa]

I got it.

I was studying English from 2 to 4 p.m. yesterday. (it is ok)

But

I left early. I got tired because I was skiing from 2 to 4 pm.
(It is not ok...We have to use past perfect cont. tense.)

Thanks...