Past Perfect Continuous

by | Last updated Aug 19, 2023 | English Learning

Functions of the past perfect continuous

The past perfect continuous tense is similar to the present perfect continuous tense, but it refers to a time earlier than the present moment. Like the present perfect continuous, our focus is primarily on the ongoing process rather than the result.

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Examples
  • Had you been waiting long before the taxi arrived?
  • We had been trying to open the door for five minutes when Jane found her key.
  • It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets were very wet.
  • Her friends had been thinking of calling the police when she walked in.

This form is also used in reported speech. It is the equivalent of the past continuous and the present perfect continuous in direct speech:

  • Jane said, “I have been gardening all afternoon.” = Jane said she had been gardening all afternoon.
  • When the police questioned him, John said, “I was working late in the office that night.” = When the police questioned him, John told them he had been working late in the office that night.

Forming the past perfect continuous

The past perfect continuous is composed of two elements – the past perfect of the verb to be (=had been) + the present participle (base+ing).

Subject +had been +verb + ing
I had been walking
Affirmative
She had been trying
Negative
She hadn’t been sleeping
Interrogative
Had you been eating?
Interrogative negative
Hadn’t they been living?
To buy, past perfect continuous
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I had been buying I hadn’t been buying Had I been buying?
You had been buying You hadn’t been buying Had you been buying?
She had been buying She hadn’t been buying Had she been buying?
We had been buying We hadn’t been buying Had we been buying?
They had been buying They hadn’t been buying Had they been buying?

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Nilay Ozdemir

I am Nilay, an experienced English Language Assessment Director at the International English Test, where I have been working full-time since February 2020. I specialize in helping people worldwide validate their English proficiency through comprehensive assessments and certifications.

Before joining the International English Test, I worked as a self-employed English Language Assessment Consultant from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, I assisted companies and individuals in improving their language skills, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.

I hold a degree in Engineering and have also studied at Shafston International College in Australia. My educational background has equipped me with the tools to make a meaningful impact in the field of English language learning. Additionally, I enjoy sharing my expertise through articles that explore effective teaching methods and language assessment strategies, contributing to the International English Test and the broader assessment community.

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