Ejercicios de past perfect simple y past perfect continuous

En esta guía encontrarás una explicación clara, ejemplos y ejercicios de past perfect simple y past perfect continuous para practicar en contexto real. Está pensada para alumnos intermedios y avanzados que quieran dominar el contraste entre ambos tiempos y evitar errores frecuentes.

6) Ejercicios de práctica

A) Opción múltiple (elige la mejor opción)

1. By the time we reached the station, the train (had left / had been leaving).
2. She was exhausted because she (had studied / had been studying) all night.
3. They cancelled the match because it (had rained / had been raining) for hours.
4. When I called, he (had finished / had been finishing) his report.
5. The floor was wet because someone (had spilled / had been spilling) water.
6. We couldn’t enter; John (had forgotten / had been forgetting) the keys again.
7. Her eyes were red because she (had cried / had been crying).
8. By 2019, they (had opened / had been opening) three new branches.
9. The teacher was annoyed; the students (had talked / had been talking) non-stop.
10. He finally passed because he (had practiced / had been practicing) regularly.

B) Completa con past perfect simple o continuous (had + Vpp / had been + V-ing)

1. By the time the guests arrived, we __________ (set) the table.
2. She was sunburnt because she __________ (lie) on the beach all afternoon.
3. I didn’t recognize him; he __________ (grow) a beard.
4. The road was slippery; it __________ (snow) since dawn.
5. We missed the intro because the movie __________ already __________ (start).
6. They were bored; they __________ (wait) for the bus for 40 minutes.
7. He apologized because he __________ (forget) her birthday.
8. The kids were excited; they __________ (plan) the trip for weeks.
9. My computer crashed after I __________ (install) the update.
10. The garden was flooded; the sprinkler __________ (run) all night.

C) Transforma al tiempo correcto

Cambia las oraciones al pasado perfecto simple o continuo según corresponda.

1. When we arrived, the show (already/start).
2. She was nervous because she (not/practice) enough.
3. They were dirty; they (paint) the fence.
4. He was proud because he (win) the prize.
5. The streets were wet; it (rain) all morning.
6. I couldn’t call you; I (lose) my phone.
7. Her hands hurt because she (type) for hours.
8. By the end of the day, they (complete) the checklist.

D) Elige entre “when / by the time / after / before” y el tiempo correcto

1. ________ we reached the venue, the band __________ (start).
2. ________ she finished the marathon, she __________ (run) for nearly four hours.
3. ________ they signed the contract, the lawyer __________ (review) every clause.
4. ________ the bell rang, we __________ (pack) our bags.
5. ________ I met Carla, I __________ (hear) a lot about her work.
6. ________ the manager arrived, we __________ (discuss) the proposal for an hour.

E) Corrige el error (si lo hay)

1. By the time I had arrived, they left.
2. He had been finished the task before lunch.
3. She was tired because she had worked since 6 a.m.
4. It had been rained all day, so the match was postponed.
5. They hadn’t been seeing the email before the meeting.

F) Completa en contexto (minitexto)

Yesterday was the school’s open day. By the time the parents arrived, the students __________ (prepare) their projects and the principal __________ already __________ (welcome) the first visitors. Some children were nervous because they __________ (rehearse) their presentations for only a week, but others were confident as they __________ (practice) for much longer. The science club room was crowded; it was obvious they __________ (work) hard on experiments. By the end of the event, everyone was happy because everything __________ (go) smoothly.

G) Empareja uso y explicación

Escribe Simple o Continuous según el énfasis más natural.

1. Acción terminada antes de otra en pasado (resultado).
2. Duración/actividad en progreso antes de otra en pasado (proceso).
3. Cambio puntual de estado logrado (obtuvo el título).
4. Causa de cansancio por actividad prolongada.
5. Serie de logros completados antes de una fecha concreta.

7) Respuestas (Answer Key)

A) Opción múltiple

1. had left
2. had been studying
3. had been raining
4. had finished
5. had spilled
6. had forgotten
7. had been crying
8. had opened
9. had been talking
10. had been practicing / had practiced (ambas válidas según matiz; “had been practicing” enfatiza proceso)

B) Completa

1. had set
2. had been lying
3. had grown
4. had been snowing
5. had  started
6. had been waiting
7. had forgotten
8. had been planning
9. had installed
10. had been running

C) Transformación (posibles soluciones)

1. The show had already started when we arrived.
2. She was nervous because she hadn’t practiced enough.
3. They were dirty; they had been painting the fence.
4. He was proud because he had won the prize.
5. The streets were wet; it had been raining all morning.
6. I couldn’t call you; I had lost my phone.
7. Her hands hurt because she had been typing for hours.
8. By the end of the day, they had completed the checklist.

D) Conectores + tiempos

1. By the time we reached the venue, the band had started.
2. When she finished the marathon, she had been running for nearly four hours.
3. Before they signed the contract, the lawyer had reviewed every clause.
4. When the bell rang, we had packed our bags. (también posible: By the time…)
5. Before I met Carla, I had heard a lot about her work.
6. By the time the manager arrived, we had been discussing the proposal for an hour.

E) Corrige el error

1. By the time I arrived, they had left.
2. He had finished the task before lunch. (no continuous con “finish”)
3. Correcta, aunque también cabe continuous si se enfatiza duración: “had been working”.
4. It had been raining all day, so the match was postponed.
5. They hadn’t seen the email before the meeting. (simple para resultado)

F) Minitexto (solución ejemplo)

had prepared / had already welcomed / had been rehearsing / had been practicing / had been working / had gone

G) Empareja

1. Simple
2. Continuous
3. Simple
4. Continuous
5. Simple

8) Trucos y errores frecuentes

1) Evita “had been + past participle” para acciones terminadas: usa had + Vpp (no “had been finished”).

2) Usa past perfect continuous para duración/causa (had been working) y past perfect simple para resultado (had finished).

3) Con by the time es muy frecuente el past perfect en la primera acción y past simple en la segunda.

4) Verbos de logro/estado puntual (finish, decide, arrive, win) suelen ir en past perfect simple.

5) Si dudas, pregúntate: ¿destaco el resultado (simple) o el proceso/duración (continuous)?