Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect Continuous is another tense that expresses the "past in the past".
In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Past Perfect Continuous tense,

followed by a quiz to check your understanding.
Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Past Perfect

Continuous tense is sometimes called the Past Perfect Progressive tense.
How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

The structure of the Past Perfect Continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb
conjugated in Past Simple past participle
had been present participle
The first auxiliary verb (have) is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: had
The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in past participle form: been
The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.
For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the first auxiliary verb.
Look at these example sentences with the Past Perfect Continuous tense:
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb
+ I had been working.
+ You had been playing tennis.
- It had not been working well.
- We had not been expecting her.
? Had you been drinking?
? Had they been waiting long?
Contraction with Past Perfect Continuous

When we use the Past Perfect Continuous in speaking, we often contract the subject
and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.
I had been I'd been

you had been you'd been
he had been he'd been

she had been she'd been
it had been it'd been
we had been we'd been
they had been they'd been
 He'd been drinking all day.

 It'd been pouring with rain.
In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and "not":
 We hadn't been living there long.

 They hadn't been studying very hard.
How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

The Past Perfect Continuous tense is like the Past Perfect tense, but it expresses longer
actions in the past before another action in the past. For example:
 Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been
waiting for two hours.
past present future
Ram starts waiting in past at 9am.

9 11
I arrive in past at 11am.
Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.
Here are some more examples:
 John was very tired. He had been running.

 I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.
 Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been
running well for a long time.
 Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?
You can sometimes think of the Past Perfect Continuous tense like the Present Perfect
Continuous tense, but instead of the time being now the time is before.
have
been
doing
→
had
been
doing
→
past present future

For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you:
 "I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."
Later, you tell your friends:
 "Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."
Past Perfect Continuous Quiz

You can do this grammar quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on
the Past Perfect Continuous page.
1. My dad ________ smoking in the garage.
has
had
had been
2. The printer ________ working well.
had not been

hadn't
had not
3. Had the players _____ playing by the rules?
been
have
be
4. She ________ expecting the worst.
had
'd been
had being
5. Had the teachers ________ before the strike?

been work
working
been working
6. Our pool pump ________ running properly before the storm.
had not have

hadn't been
hadn't being
7. My sister’s roommate was upset. She _____ been waiting for an hour.
had
has
have
8. I just heard about the accident. ________ been working all night?
Had the driver

Had the driving
Have the driver
9. We were shocked to see her. ________ been expecting her.
We are
We have
We'd not
10. I finally reached my mom. ________ her all day.
I'd been calling

I have called
I called
1. had been
2. had not been
3. been
4. 'd been
5. been working
6. hadn't been
7. had
8. Had the driver
9. We'd not
10. I'd been calling

Past Perfect Continuous

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Past Perfect Continuous

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Past Perfect Continuous tense,

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Past Perfect

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb

conjugated in Past Simple past participle

had been present participle

The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in past participle form: been

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I had been working.

+ You had been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you been drinking?

? Had they been waiting long?

Contraction with Past Perfect Continuous

I had been I'd been

he had been he'd been

we had been we'd been

they had been they'd been

 He'd been drinking all day.

 We hadn't been living there long.

How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

past present future

Ram starts waiting in past at 9am.

I arrive in past at 11am.

Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

Here are some more examples:

 John was very tired. He had been running.

past present future

 "I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."

Later, you tell your friends:

 "Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."

Past Perfect Continuous Quiz

1. My dad ________ smoking in the garage.

2. The printer ________ working well.

had not been

3. Had the players _____ playing by the rules?

4. She ________ expecting the worst.

5. Had the teachers ________ before the strike?

6. Our pool pump ________ running properly before the storm.

had not have

Had the driver

9. We were shocked to see her. ________ been expecting her.

10. I finally reached my mom. ________ her all day.

I'd been calling

2. had not been

8. Had the driver

10. I'd been calling

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