Using "had been"

[Leofan]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #121 "English Grammar Tenses", question 4

They ......... for 3 hours when the storm suddenly broke.

(a) had been running
(b) have been running
(c) are running
(d) will be running

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #121 "English Grammar Tenses", answer 4

They had been running for 3 hours when the storm suddenly broke.

Correct answer: (a) had been running

Your answer was: incorrect
They have been running for 3 hours when the storm suddenly broke.
_________________________

when do i use "had been running"?

Leofan

[Alan]

Hi Leofan,

You use had been (the past perfect) because this happened before the storm broke.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Webmaster,

ON 26th February I did this test. At the first attempt my 4. answer: had been running was rated as bad and have been running was signed than a good answer. Without regarding Alan's explanation I wrote twice the recommended wrong answer: have been running. And I was indignant at this answer was neither good.

It is very difficult to do tests if my progress report confuses the good answers with the wrong answers.

Kati Svaby
_________________
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

[Beeesneees]

Hello Kati,

These screenshots show that the test is working correctly:

When inputting the correct answer 'had been':




When inputting the incorrect answer 'have been':



_________________
"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett

[Modikamaksh]

I am in tenth class(CBSE).
I want to improve my grammer skills(questions usually come in the form of editing,omisson,gap filing,reported speech etc.)
I also want regular practice of reading section and i also want improvement in my vocabulary
can you help me for this

[Kati Svaby]

Please activate Javascript in your browser to listen to this audio recording

131 Listened

Download mp3	Click to listen

Hello BZ,

I stumbled across your correction. You never believed that my progress report works badly. After having read your notice I remembered that this kind of mistake also happened with me not once but out and out.
The essence of this mistake: You fill in the test well but they are telling you that for example the 4. question isn't good and they give you the correct answer. After this, you write in this correct answer and it isn't good again.( of course!!!) You don't think that they gave you a mistaken answer so you write it again and it is mistaken again. You find out with difficulty that your first answer was good and you had been misled by the computer. This happened to me several times.

Do you remember You didn't believe that my picture was deleted from the list. But it was deleted ever so many times.

And etc. etc.

Perhaps you understand my awkward situation if you look at this page.

http://www.english-test.net/forum/sutra364307.html#364307

This is an unspeakable story and I had the cards stacked against me.
If you don't believe me who believes me?

Kati
_________________
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

[Beeesneees]

I believe you about your pregress report, Kati.

I think the technical team will need a little longer to sort out that algorithm. It really seems to be troublesome.
_________________
"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Bz,

You can't imagine that your letter came to me in the best time. It helps me lot.
Many thanks for it.

Regards:
Kati
_________________
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

[Esl_Expert]

Don't feel too bad, Kati. I'm at 0%. <gasp!>

I guess figuring out how to eliminate the "Progress Report" for people who look at the tests but don't actually take them must also be a particularly tricky, time-consuming task.

_______________________________________________________________
"You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy." ~ Erica Jong

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Esl_Expert,

I've immediately answered your letter and at my great surprise the letter vanished.I am very sorry.

Thanks for your words off comfort.
How to compare myself to you? I try to learn English and you are a native American, what it is more: a teacher, a translator, a test evaluator and a moderator.

I need to do tests but I wouldn't need the permanent dirty tricks to play on me. You needen't to resolve tests you evaluate them.

You can't imagine what kind of tricks had made with me. Most of the time I swallow the bitter pill without mentioning. This has been lasting nearly for one year.

There are now 50 640 learners and everybody receives a good place on the central computer. These places work well. I asked Torsten to give me another place without error, which works correctly. He didn't give me.

I don't know what is their aim. They are waiting when I lose my interest in learning and I give up or I click to "log out" . My aim that at any price I have to learn English because my loved grandchildren who live in the U.S., they don't speak Hungarian. So I can already speak with them only in English,so this is the most important for me. To learn at the age of seventy would be a distracting activity but to battle for my truth every day, or not to battle but to take note of their tricks; it is very humiliating, and I begin to feel that at the end I become a laughing stock. Such a things always backfire, don't they?

Once again many thanks and best wishes:
Kati Svaby
_________________
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.