Past Perfect Continuous

Definition

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense describes an action that had been ongoing for a duration before another past action or time. It emphasizes duration of the past activity.

Formula: Subject + had been + Present Participle (V1 + ing) + Object
Tip: Use this tense to indicate how long something had been happening before another event in the past.
Uses of Past Perfect Continuous Tense
# Use Description Examples
1 Duration Before Another Past Action Shows how long an action had been happening before another past event. I had been studying for two hours before he arrived.
She had been working at the company for five years before she resigned.
2 Cause of a Past Situation Indicates the ongoing action as the reason for a past condition. He was tired because he had been running.
They were wet because they had been walking in the rain.
3 Ongoing Past Activity Used to emphasize duration before a specific past time. By 7 p.m., I had been reading for three hours.
We had been waiting for two hours before the bus arrived.
Sentence Structures

Positive Structure

Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object

1) I had been studying English for two hours.
2) She had been working at the company for five years.
3) They had been traveling since morning.

Negative Structure

Subject + had not (hadn’t) been + V1 + ing + Object

1) I hadn’t been studying English for long.
2) She hadn’t been working there very long.
3) They hadn’t been traveling since morning.

Interrogative Structure

Had + Subject + been + V1 + ing + Object?

1) Had you been studying English for two hours?
2) Had she been working at the company for five years?
3) Had they been traveling since morning?

Negative Interrogative Structure

Hadn’t + Subject + been + V1 + ing + Object?

1) Hadn’t you been studying English for long?
2) Hadn’t she been working there for years?
3) Hadn’t they been traveling since morning?

Common Signal Words

Here are some signal words often used with the Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

  • for
  • since
  • by the time
  • before
  • all day / all morning
Examples in Context
  • 1) I had been studying English for three hours before he came. (Positive)
  • 2) She hadn’t been sleeping since last night. (Negative)
  • 3) Had you been working here for five years? (Interrogative)
  • 4) Hadn’t they been traveling since morning? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 5) We had been living in this city for ten years before moving. (Positive)
  • 6) He hadn’t been exercising for an hour. (Negative)
  • 7) Had she been studying since 6 a.m.? (Interrogative)
  • 8) Hadn’t you been driving for two hours? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 9) They had been waiting for the bus for thirty minutes before it arrived. (Positive)
  • 10) I hadn’t been reading this book for long. (Negative)
  • 11) Had he been teaching for a decade? (Interrogative)
  • 12) Hadn’t she been working since morning? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 13) By last month, I had been doing yoga for two years. (Positive)
  • 14) They hadn’t been staying here for long. (Negative)
  • 15) Had you been waiting since 5 o’clock? (Interrogative)