Back

Past Perfect Continuous

Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and exercises.


Past perfect continuous is used to show that an action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past.

Past Perfect Continuous Forms

Positive: Subject + had + been + verb + -ing

Negative: Subject + had + not + been + verb + -ing

Interrogative: Had + subject + been + verb + -ing

Keywords: by, for, by the time, after, never, ever, already, when, since

Present Continuous Uses

Positive (Subject + had + been + verb + -ing)

Examples:

  • I had been playing

  • You had been playing

  • He / she / it had been playing

  • We had been playing

  • You had been playing

  • They had been playing

Interrogative (Had + subject + been + verb + -ing)

Examples:

  • Had I been playing?

  • Had you been playing?

  • Had he / she / it been playing?

  • Had we been playing?

  • Had you been playing?

  • Had they been playing?

Negative (Subject + had + not + been + verb + -ing)

Full Form Examples:

  • I had not been playing

  • You had not been playing

  • He / She / It had not been playing

  • We had not been playing

  • You had not been playing

  • They had not been playing

Short Form Examples:

  • I had't been playing

  • You had't been playing

  • He / She / It had't been playing

  • We had't been playing

  • You had't been playing

  • They had't been playing


Exercises - Past Perfect Continuous

Next Lessson
Please answer all questions.

Score: 0

Restart this test
  • 1) They had prepared had been preparing the event for two years before they moved to London.


  • 2) They had talked had been talking for over an hour before he arrived.


  • 3) My brother was tired because he had jogged had been jogging .


  • 4) You had been waiting had waited there for two hours when she finally arrived.


  • 5) My mother wanted to sit down because she had stood had been standing all day at work.


  • 6) How long had you been studying German before you moved to Berlin? I hadn't studied hadn't been studying German very long.


  • 7) We had walked had been walking two miles a day before my sister broke her leg.


  • 8) I had worked had been working at the company for four years when I got the promotion.


  • 9) John failed the test because he hadn't been attending hadn't attended class.


  • 10) He had drunk had been drinking all day.


LIKE US