The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used for actions that were ongoing in the past and were completed before another past action. This tense emphasizes the duration of the action. It is formed using the past perfect of the verb ‘to be’ (had been) followed by the present participle (verb+ing).
Structural Formula:
Subject + had been + verb+ing + object.
- Affirmative: Sub. + had been + Verb(ing) + Ob.
- Negative: Sub. + had not + Verb(ing) + Ob
- Interrogative: had + Sub. + been + Verb(ing) + Ob. + ?
Examples:
- They had been talking for over an hour when John arrived.
- She had been studying all night before the test.
- I had been working at the company for five years before I resigned.
- We had been driving for eight hours before we reached the destination.
- He had been painting the house when it suddenly began to rain.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Exercises
1) She ________ home from work that morning since six o’clock. (had been cycling, will cycle)
2) We ________ swimming in the pool for three hours before it started raining. (had been, will be)
3) His grandmother ________ dinner by the time he got home from school that day…? (had cooked, will cook)
4) She ________ since morning. (has been studying, has studied)
5) I ________ in the living room for an hour when it started raining. (have been watching, watched)
6) They _______ on the school playground before it started raining that afternoon for two hours. (have been playing, had played)
7) The sun _______ in the sky for a few hours when it started raining that afternoon. (had been shining, lit up)
8) She _______ with her friends the afternoon before she went to bed. (had been playing tennis, had played tennis, used to play tennis)
9) We ________ in the pool since morning by the time it started raining that afternoon? (had been swimming, had swam)
10) He ________ to school every day since January by the time it started raining. (has been walking, walks)
11) I _______ a letter to my grandmother for an hour when she woke up. (have been writing, was writing)
12) They ________ home from work on most days of the week by the time it started raining that afternoon? (had been cycling, will cycle)
13) He ________ for his exams since January by the time he went to bed that night. (has been studying, studied, used to study)
14) She ________ by a car and killed on the spot the morning before she went to bed. (was hit/killed, had been hit/killed)
15) Her grandmother ________ dinner when she came home from school that day…? (had cooked, will cook)
16) She _______ by a car and killed on the spot. (was hit/killed, had been hit/killed)
17) The kids ________ at the park before it started raining that afternoon? (have been playing, and will play)
18) He _______ for his exams since January by the time he went to bed later that night. (has been studying, studied, used to study)
19) I _____ in the pool for three hours before it started raining. (had been swimming, have swum)
20) They ____ to school every day since January by the time it started raining that afternoon. (have been walking, walk/have walked)
Answers
1) She had been cycling home from work that morning since six o’clock.
2) We had been swimming in the pool for three hours before it started raining.
3) His grandmother had already cooked dinner by the time he got home from school that day…?
4) She had been studying since morning.
5) I had been watching TV in the living room for an hour when it started raining.
6) They had been playing football on the school playground before it started raining that afternoon for two hours.
7) The sun had been shining in the sky for a few hours when it started raining that afternoon.
8) She had been playing tennis with her friends the afternoon before she went to bed.
9) We had been swimming in the pool since morning by the time it started raining that afternoon.
10) He had been walking to school every day since January by the time it started raining.
11) I had been writing a letter to my grandmother for an hour when she woke up.
12) They had been cycling home from work on most days of the week by the time it started raining that afternoon.
13) He had been studying for his exams since January by the time he went to bed that night.
14) She had been on her way to work yesterday morning when she was hit by a car and killed on the spot.
15) Her grandmother had already cooked dinner when she came home from school that day.
16) She had been cycling home from work when she was hit by a car and killed on the spot.
17) The kids had been playing with their friends at the park by the time it started raining that afternoon.
18) He had been studying for his exams since January by the time he went to bed later that night.
19) I had been swimming in the pool since the morning.
20) They had been walking to school every day since January by the time it started raining that afternoon.
Explore More:
Structures of All Tenses with Examples (Download Pdf)
Examples Sentences of Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheet
