Everything you need to use the past perfect continuous correctly: the formula, when to use it, signal words, common mistakes and exercises with answers.
How long an action had lasted before another past action. Affirmative: S + had + been + V-ing; Negative: S + had + not + been + V-ing; Interrogative: Had + S + been + V-ing? Signal words: for, since, all day/week, before, by the time, how long.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + had + been + V-ing All subjects + had been | I had been waiting for an hour when she arrived. Stresses how long something lasted before a past action |
| Negative | S + had + not + been + V-ing | He hadn't been sleeping well before the exam. Contraction: had not been = hadn't been |
| Interrogative | Had + S + been + V-ing? | How long had you been waiting? Often used with 'How long...?' |
Stresses how long something had been going on before another past action.
A continuous past action that produced a visible result.
Used in reported speech for an action that was in progress.
| Word | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| for | She had been cooking for two hours. | 'for' + a length of time |
| since | He had been working since morning. | 'since' + a starting point |
| all day/week | It had been snowing all day. | |
| before | I had been reading before I fell asleep. | |
| by the time | By the time she arrived, I had been waiting for an hour. | |
| how long | How long had they been travelling? | Used in questions |
Fill in the blank, then open the answer to check it.
Options: had been working · had worked · was working · worked
had been working. "All day" stresses duration, and the action explains the tiredness that followed, so the past perfect continuous.
Options: had been wait · had been waited · had been waiting
had been waiting. "Two hours" is the duration before the bus arrived, so the past perfect continuous.
Options: had been rising · has been rising · have risen · rising
had been rising. "for three hours" emphasizes the amount of time this lasted before a point in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been rising.
Options: asked · asking · had been asking · was asking
had been asking. "Since that morning" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been asking.
Options: had been wearing · were wearing · will have worn · wore
had been wearing. "all day" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been wearing.
Options: had been travelling · has been travelling · travelled · travels
had been travelling. "for three hours" emphasizes the amount of time this lasted before a point in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been traveling.
Options: had been pushing · had pushed · pushes · will have been pushing
had been pushing. "Since that morning" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been pushed.
Options: had been playing · had played · have been playing · were playing
had been playing. "all day" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been playing.
Options: had been growing · has grown · have grown · will have been growing
had been growing. "for three hours" emphasizes the amount of time this lasted before a point in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been growing.
Options: cries · cry · had been crying · was crying
had been crying. "Since that morning" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been crying.
Options: are building · building · had been building · will have built
had been building. "all day" emphasizes the time this event lasted before a milestone in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been building.
Options: had been stopping · has been stopping · have stopped · stops
had been stopping. "for three hours" emphasizes the amount of time this lasted before a point in the past, so this sentence uses the Past Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is had been + V-ing: had been stopping.
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