So glad that you manage that now, Betynha. :palmas
Yes, it's probably a bit complicated.
The thing is that you never think about it, when it comes to your own language, or in my case the English language, too.
I guess you never think about the following sentence in Portuguese, Betynha, if it is past perfect or not :
O ônibus tem(???) vindo tarde cada dia esta semana.
The bus has been coming late every day this week.
This is an action - happening repeatedly every day - during all week.
I'm not very good at explaining this but here are some pointers.
Past perfect is used:
* representando " the past in the past"
* atos repetidos
* para esclarecer dois "past actions"
* Para responder "how long"
There are some more ways to use it than these, certainly.
Hermione looked very tired. I could see that she had been staying up every night lately, doing her homework. (Plus helping Harry and Ron)
Harry and Ron were soaking wet. I knew they had been diving in the lake.
Actions happening repeatedly(atos repetidos):
Snape has been giving us exams every week for the past few weeks.
Concluindo/para fazer conclucões:
There was a leak in the bathroom pipes, that is why the water bill had been getting higher and higher each month.
McGonagall looks very tired. She has been marking tests all day long.
Atos passados occurendo durante um periodo:
I have been playing piano since I was a child.
I have been working for Fred and George, in their shop, for many years now.
Past perfect continous verb interchanges with the simple past one:
I had slept all night (simples)
I had been sleeping all night (continuindo)
Usado para responder a pergunta "quanto tempo" (how long)
How long had you been waiting for the train to come?
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Hope I got that all right. I am no teacher, after all
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(All this because I remembered Ron after the second task at GoF).
