Today, we’re exploring the Example Sentences of Past Perfect Continuous Tense, a tense that paints vivid pictures of actions and states extending over a period in the past. This tense is not just a grammatical form; it’s a window into the duration, continuity, and timing of past events.

Whether you’re a language learner, a grammar enthusiast, or just curious, join us as you learn affirmative, negative, and interrogative example sentences of this tense.

Examples of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

1. I had been waiting for an hour before she arrived.
2. She had been studying all night for the exam.
3. They had been playing soccer before it started raining.
4. He had been working at the company for five years before he quit.
5. We had been trying to contact you all day yesterday.
6. The dog had been barking for hours before it stopped.
7. The children had been watching TV since morning.
8. She had been painting the room for two days.
9. I had been writing the report for three hours when the power went out.
10. The birds had been singing since dawn.
11. He had been running every morning before his injury.
12. The baby had been sleeping for a few hours when the noise woke her up.
13. We had been planning the trip for months.
14. She had been studying French before she moved to France.
15. They had been discussing the project for several weeks.
16. The mechanic had been fixing the car since morning.
17. I had been learning to cook exotic dishes.
18. He had been working on the presentation all week.
19. The weather had been changing rapidly before the storm.
20. The flowers had been blooming since last week.

Affirmative Sentences

1. You had been looking very busy when I saw you.
2. The chef had been preparing the meal for hours.
3. I had been enjoying the concert before the interruption.
4. They had been building the house for months.
5. She had been reading the novel for several days.
6. The teacher had been explaining the topic since the beginning of the class.
7. He had been driving through the city for an hour.
8. We had been organizing the event for weeks.
9. The kids had been playing outside all afternoon.
10. She had been practicing the piano for years.
11. They had been hiking in the forest since morning.
12. I had been making dinner when you called.
13. The gardener had been watering the plants for an hour.
14. He had been drawing the portrait for two days.
15. We had been watching the series for several nights.
16. The tourists had been visiting various sites all week.
17. She had been jogging every morning for a month.
18. I had been typing the document for several hours.
19. They had been dancing since the party started.
20. The sun had been shining brightly all week.

Negative Sentences

1. I had not been feeling well before the trip.
2. She hadn’t been eating properly before the checkup.
3. They hadn’t been playing together before the dispute.
4. He hadn’t been studying regularly before the finals.
5. We hadn’t been going to the gym before this year.
6. The cat hadn’t been sleeping well before the vet visit.
7. She hadn’t been wearing her glasses before the accident.
8. I hadn’t been using this software before the training.
9. He hadn’t been working out before his transformation.
10. They hadn’t been listening to the warnings before the incident.
11. She hadn’t been cooking at home before moving out.
12. We hadn’t been staying in touch before the reunion.
13. The baby hadn’t been crying much before teething.
14. I hadn’t been feeling confident before the speech.
15. They hadn’t been attending the classes before the exams.
16. He hadn’t been playing guitar before joining the band.
17. The dog hadn’t been barking at night before the break-in.
18. We hadn’t been celebrating our anniversaries before this year.
19. She hadn’t been going on vacations before her promotion.
20. I hadn’t been buying online before the pandemic.

Interrogative Sentences

1. Had I been working too hard before the illness?
2. Had she been coming to this gym before we met?
3. Had they been watching the show for long when it ended?
4. Had he been eating healthy before the diet change?
5. Had we been meeting our targets before the new strategy?
6. Had the train been running late regularly before the accident?
7. Had the kids been sleeping enough before the school year started?
8. Had she been writing her thesis for a long time?
9. Had I been doing my best at work?
10. Had they been learning English before moving to the U.S.?
11. Had he been making progress in his recovery?
12. Had we been going in the right direction before we got lost?
13. Had the weather been getting worse before the storm?
14. Had they been playing outside before the rain?
15. Had she been painting regularly before this masterpiece?
16. Had I been interrupting your work frequently?
17. Had they been planning the trip for a long time?
18. Had he been fixing things around the house himself?
19. Had we been starting work earlier before the new schedule?
20. Had the dog been barking a lot before we got it trained?

Explore More:

All Tenses Chart

Structures of All Tenses with Examples (Download Pdf)

Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Formula, Exercises and Worksheets)