past perfect continuous

AFFIRMATIVE
Subject+ had+
been + the –ing
form of the verb.
NEGATIVE
Subject+ hadn’t +
been + the –ing
form of the verb.
INTERROGATIVE
Had +subject+
been + the –ing
form of the verb.
 We use the present
perfect continuous to talk
about an action taking
place before a certain
time in the past.
I had been reading the
book for 10 minutes when
Sue arrived.
They had been working
the whole afternoon.
We use this tense to put
emphasis on the duration
or course of an action.
She had been studying for
her final exam since the
beginning of the month of
June.
FORM USE OF THE TENSE
 The past perfect

continuous is the past of the
present perfect continuous:
I hope the bus comes
soon. I have been
waiting for over 10
minutes.
At last the bus came. I
had been waiting for
over ten minutes.
Compare the past perfect
continuous and the past
continuous:
It wasn’t raining when
we went out. The sun
was shining. But it had
been raining, so the
ground was wet.
Complete the sentences using a suitable verb from the list in the past
Continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous.
DRIVE WASH FEEL TRY MARRY GO
START KNOW GET TAKE WORK BE READ
TALK DO RAIN WATCH SEE
1. She ________________________ the book the whole morning.
2. We were good friends. We _____________ each other for a long time.
3. Sue ____________________ for ten years when her husband died.
4. They ____________________ ten miles when the car broke down.
5. She ________________ part in competitions since she was a little girl.
6. Tina _________________ the ironing when her daughter arrived.
7. Paul and Lisa ________________ out together for 3 years when they
broke up.

8. He ________________ to solve the crossword since the beginning of
the week and in the end he completed it.
9. He __________________ on his computer when the light went out and
lost all the information.
10. While Tom ______________ the dishes his wife went shopping to the
supermarket.
11. The concert ______ already ______ when we arrived at the theatre.
12. Brenda told the policeman she ______________ anything strange in
the neighbourhood.
13. She decided to go to the doctor as she __________________ very well
since she got up in the morning.
14. When we went out the road was wet as it ________________ heavily.
15. He ______________ in prison for over ten years when he managed to
escape.
16. He ________________ on his mobile for over ten minutes when his
teacher saw him.
17. They _________________ TV the whole afternoon before they decided
to go out for a walk.
18. They were late for work as they ________________ stuck in a traffic
jam for over an hour.
Time expressions
FOR- SINCE
She’d been cooking
since she got up/
for 2 hours.
HOW LONG
We use “how long”
in questions:
How long had you
been waiting?

THE WHOLE DAY/
ALL DAY
They had been
studying the whole
day / all day.