When it struck midnight, Tim ________ (write) the essay for more than twenty-four hours!
had been writing
I ________ (try) to teach myself to play the piano but I'm still pretty terrible.
have been trying
She ________ (be awarded) a scholarship to study in Harvard.
has been awarded
By the time I got to Doha, I ________ (already / miss) my connecting flight.
had already missed
I ________ (already / start) making spaghetti for dinner, so I don't want to go out.
have already started
We ________ (all / wonder) what to get Tony for his birthday, and we just can't decide!
have all been wondering
He ________ (design) computer games for over ten years before he finally had a hit.
had been designing
I ________ (spend) hours exploring the glorious countryside by bicycle and on foot and ________ (discover) a taste for silence and solitude I didn't know I had.
have spent / have been spending // have discovered
For years I ________ (tell) my friends that I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of London.
had been telling
We ________ (only / study) together for a short time but I ________ (know) her for several years.
have only studied / have only been studying // have known
BY the time of his death, Thomas Edison ________ (invent) a number of things that changed everyday life.
had invented
The place was deserted, but it was obvious that someone ________ (live) there. They ________ (cook) in the kitchen for a start, and they ________ (not/bother) to clear up the mess.
had been living / had lived // had been cooking // hadn't bothered
