2.2 Past Perfect Simple and Continuous

Complete the texts with the verbs:

Complete the sentences with the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
1 a Trevor                 (live) in this town for 20 years before he found out that his next door neighbour used to be a famous actress.
b Trevor           (know) his next door neighbour for twenty years before he found out she used to be a famous actress.
2 a Vladimir                   (sneak) out of the house secretly at night for months before he was finally caught.
b Earlier that night, Vladimir             (sneak) out of the house without waking his parents.
3 a The security guard                   (sleep) for hours when the office was broken into.
b The security guard was fired because he           (sleep) through the burglary.

Complete the text with the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous forms of the verbs in the box.

George and Gina had been waiting for Christmas for roughly 364 days. Ever since they were children, they           everything about the festive season, especially Christmas dinner. And George and Gina                    early. By the end of each summer, they          most of their Christmas shopping, and by late October, they            their tree. Their friends
                   Christmas cards in early November for as long as they could remember.
This year, the weather forecasters                         a white Christmas - George and Gina's absolute favourite. Ever since they           this, they                          to Christmas even more than ever. When George opened the curtains on Christmas morning, he was greeted by a winter wonderland. Unfortunately, when he went downstairs, he discovered it                  so much that the electricity              . Christmas dinner was a cold ham sandwich eaten in a dark room next to an unlit tree.