Past perfect continuous tense

Study this situation:

សិក្សាស្ថានភាពនេះ៖                                                            Read in English only

Yesterday, Dave and Susan went to the park to do aerobics. They did it for an hour and they took a rest. They both sat on a bench. Then Mr. Bob came to talk to them. Seeing a lot of sweat on their body, he asked, “had you been doing exercise?” “Yes, we had been doing aerobics for an hour before you arrived” they answered.

ម្សិលមិញ Dave និង Susan ធ្វើលំហាត់ប្រាណ។ពួកគេហាត់បានមួយម៉ោង ពួកគេបានសម្រាក។ ពួកគេបានអង្គុយលើបង់មួយ។បន្ទាប់មក លោក​ Bob បានជជែកជាមួយពួកគេ។ដោយឃើញញើសច្រើននៅលើខ្លួនរបស់ពួកគេ គាត់បានសួរ “តើអ្នកបានហាត់ប្រាណឬ?”  “បាទ ពួកយើងបានបាត់ប្រាណមួយម៉ោងមុនពេលអ្នកមកដល់” ពួកគេបានឆ្លើយ។

The highlighted sentences are called the past perfect continuous tense.

ប្រយោគដែលបានគូសបង្ហាញ គឺជា past perfect continuous។

            This is the form of the past perfect continuous tense:

          ទម្រង់របស់កាលនេះ៖

            Positive:  Subject + had + been + V+ ING+ ...

Note: the auxiliary verb “had” is used with every subject.

          កិរិយាសព្ទជំនួយ “had” ត្រូវបានប្រើជាមួយប្រធានទាំងអស់។

·         Mr. Sela had been waiting 30 minutes before his friends arrived.

លោក សិលាបានរងចាំរយៈពេលកន្លះម៉ោងមុនពេលមិត្តរបស់គាត់មកដល់។

·         I’d been doing my exercise for an hour when the light went out.

ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើលំហាត់របស់ខ្ញុំរយៈពេលមួយម៉ោងមុនពេលភ្លើងបានដាច់។

·         She’d been writing her essay since 7 pm to meet the deadline.

            (she’d=she had)

នាងបានសរសេរសំនេររបស់នាងតាំងពីម៉ោង ៧ល្ងាចដើម្បីធ្វើឪ្យទាន់ការកំណត់។

Note: the short form ’d can be ‘had’ or ‘would’, but always remember that “would” is followed by a bare infinitive( infinitive without to) and “had” is followed by a past participle(V3).

ទម្រង់ខ្លី ’d អាចជា ‘had’ ឬ ‘would’ ប៉ុន្តែត្រូវចាំថា ‘would’ ត្រូវតាមដោយកិរិយាសព្ទដើមដោយគ្មាន to​ ហើយ ‘had’ ត្រូវតាមដោយកិរិយាសព្ទខ្ទង់ទី៣។

Examples:

·         I’d be happy to help you. ( “be” is an infinitive ,so I’d= I would)

ខ្ញុំរីករាយដើម្បីជួយអ្នក។​ (“be” ជាកិរិយាសព្ទដើម ដូចនេះ I’d= I would)

·         I’d met him before. ( “met” is a past participle, so I’d=I had)

ខ្ញុំបានជួបគាត់ពីមុនមក។(គឺជាកិរិយាសព្ទខ្ទង់ទី៣ ដូចនេះ I’d=I had)

Negative:  Subject + had +NOT+ been + V+ ING+ ...

·         They had not been doing the washing-up when I got home.

     (The clothes were still dirty)

   ពួកគេមិនបានគួកខោអាវទេពេលខ្ញុំមកដល់ផ្ទះ។(ខោអាវនៅកខ្វក់ដដែល)

·         He hadn’t been writing his essay. (hadn’t =had not)

គាត់មិនបានសរសេរសំនេររបស់គាត់ទេ។

·         Mr. Sitha hadn’t been completing his report.

លោក ស៊ីថា មិនបានបញ្ចប់របាយការណ៍របស់គាត់ទេ។

Question:  (Wh-word)+ Had + Subject+ been + V-ing +...?

·         Where had you been studying English?

តើអ្នកបានរៀនភាសាអង់គ្លេសនៅឯណា?

·         Had she been lying on the beach?

តើនាងបានដេកហាលថ្ងៃនៅឆ្នេរសមុទ្រទេ?

·         Why had he been crying?

ហេតុអ្វីបានជាគាត់យំ?

Note: For continuous tenses like the present continuous tense, you must know the spelling rule of V+ING. Always remember that non-action verbs (state verbs/ stative verb) are not used in the continuous tenses.

សម្រាប់កាលកំពុងបន្តដូចជា present continuous ជាដើម អ្នកត្រូវដឹងក្បួននៃការសរសេរនៅពេលបន្ថែម ING ទៅលើកិរិយាសព្ទ។ត្រូវចាំថា កិរិយាសព្ទមិនបញ្ជាក់ពីសកម្មភាព​ មិនត្រូវបានប្រើក្នុងកាលកំពុងបន្តទេ។

                        

 Click here to learn about the spelling rule ofV+ING

 Click here to see learn about the non – actionverbs.

            Short answer: 

ចម្លើយទម្រង់ខ្លី

·         Had Dara been working hard to pass the exam?

តើដារ៉ាបានប្រឹងរៀន ដើម្បីជាប់ការប្រលងទេ?

Yes, he had

No, he hadn’t

·         Had they been learning a lot?

តើពួកគេបានប្រឹងរៀនទេ?

Yes, they had

No, they hadn’t

             The past perfect continuous tense is used:

1.      to talk about a situation or activity that happened over a period of time before another past a situation or activity.

ដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីស្ថានភាព ឬសកម្មភាពដែលបានកើតឡើងមួយរយៈពេល​មុនពេលសកម្មភាពអតីតកាលមួយទៀតកើតឡើង។

·         My teacher had been teaching for half an hour before I arrived.

គ្រូរបស់ខ្ញុំបានបង្រៀនកន្លះម៉ោងទៅហើយមុនពេលខ្ញុំមកដល់។

·         He had been seeking for a job for a few months before he got one.

គាត់បានស្វែងរកការងារអស់រយៈពេលពីរបីខែ មុនពេលគាត់រក ការងារបានធ្វើ។

·         I’d been writing my essay since the morning to complete it.

ខ្ញុំបានសរសេរសំនេររបស់ខ្ញុំតាំងពីព្រឹកដើម្បីបញ្ចប់វា។

2.      to talk about a past situation or activity that went on a period of time and caused a visible result later on in the past.

ដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីស្ថានភាព ឬសកម្មភាពអតីតកាលដែលកើតឡើងមួយរយៈពេល ហើយបណ្ដាលឪ្យមានលទ្ធផលដែលអាចមើលឃើញនៅពេលក្រោយក្នុងអតីតកាល។

·         Her face looked sad and her eyes were red (result). She had been crying ( cause).

នាងមានទឹកមុខក្រៀមក្រំ ហើយភ្នែកមានពណ៌ក្រហម(លទ្ធផល)។ នាងបានយំ(បុព្វហេតុ)។

·         The ground was wet everywhere (result). It had been raining ( cause).

ដីសើមគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង(លទ្ធផល)។ មេយបានភ្លៀង(បុព្វហេតុ)។

Compare the past perfect continuous with the past continuous:

·            When I saw Dave, he had been exercising.

(When I saw Dave, he had finished doing exercise. There was some proof that could tell us that he had just done exercise such as the uniform, sweat on his body, etc. But we didn’t see the activity)

ពេលខ្ញុំឃើញេ Dave គាត់បានហាត់ប្រាណ។

(គាត់បានបញ្ចប់ការហាត់ប្រាណ មុនខ្ញុំបានឃើញគាត់)

·            When I saw Dave, he was exercising.

(He was in the process of doing exercise when I saw him. I saw the activity which was in progress)

ពេលខ្ញុំឃើញេ Dave គាត់កំពុងហាត់ប្រាណ។

(ពេលខ្ញុំឃើញគាត់ គាត់កំពុងហាត់នៅឡើយ។)


Test yourself on this lesson: Past perfect continuous exercise

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