Past Perfect Continuous (Past Perfect Progressive)
The Past Perfect Continuous tense shows that an action was ongoing in the past before another action or time. It emphasises the duration or continuity of the earlier activity.
We form the Past Perfect Continuous with had been + the -ing form of the verb. The same form is used for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
Formation
Positive Form
Form the Past Perfect Continuous with had been + verb-ing. Contractions ('d) are common in spoken English.
| Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|
| I had been reading for an hour | I'd been reading for an hour |
| You had been walking in the park | You'd been walking in the park |
| He had been cooking dinner | He'd been cooking dinner |
| She had been talking on the phone | She'd been talking on the phone |
| It had been raining all morning | It'd been raining all morning |
| We had been playing football | We'd been playing football |
| They had been studying English for years | They'd been studying English for years |
Negative Form
Add 'not' after 'had' to form negatives. The contraction 'hadn't' is commonly used.
| Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|
| I had not been reading for long | I hadn't been reading for long |
| You had not been walking in the park | You hadn't been walking in the park |
| He had not been cooking dinner | He hadn't been cooking dinner |
| She had not been talking on the phone | She hadn't been talking on the phone |
| It had not been raining all morning | It hadn't been raining all morning |
| We had not been playing football | We hadn't been playing football |
| They had not been studying English for years | They hadn't been studying English for years |
Yes/No Questions
Move 'had' before the subject to form questions.
Examples:
- Had I been reading before you arrived?
- Had you been walking in the park earlier?
- Had he been cooking when the guests arrived?
- Had she been talking on the phone for long?
- Had it been raining all morning?
- Had we been playing football before it started raining?
- Had they been studying English for years before moving?
Wh- Questions
Begin with a question word, then use had + subject + been + verb-ing.
Examples:
- What had I been doing before you called?
- Where had you been walking?
- Why had he been cooking for so long?
- Who had she been talking to?
- How long had it been raining?
- What had we been playing before the rain?
- How long had they been studying English?
Usage
Note: Stative verbs (such as know, like, believe, want) are not usually used in continuous forms. They describe states rather than actions.
Learn more about stative verbsPractice Exercises
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Downloadable PDF
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