past perfect continuous

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<b>AFFIRMATIVE</b>

Subject+ had+

been + the –ing

form of the verb.

<b>NEGATIVE</b>

Subject+ hadn’t +

been + the –ing

form of the verb.

<b>INTERROGATIVE</b>

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><b>I had been reading the </b></i>

<i><b>book for 10 minutes when </b></i>

<i><b>Sue arrived.</b></i>

<i><b>They had been working the</b></i>

<i><b>whole afternoon.</b></i>

We use this tense to put

emphasis on the duration

or course of an action.

<i><b>She had been studying for </b></i>

<i><b>her final exam since the </b></i>

<i><b>beginning of the month of </b></i>

<i><b>June.</b></i>

<b>FORM</b>

<b>USE OF THE TENSE</b>



The past perfect

continuous is the past of the

present perfect continuous:

<i><b>I hope the bus comes </b></i>

<i><b>soon. I have been </b></i>

<i><b>waiting for over 10 </b></i>

<i><b>minutes.</b></i>

<i><b>At last the bus came. I </b></i>

<i><b>had been waiting for </b></i>

<i><b>over ten minutes.</b></i>

Compare the past perfect

continuous and the past

continuous:

<i><b>It wasn’t raining when </b></i>

<i><b>we went out. The sun </b></i>

<i><b>was shining. But it had </b></i>

<i><b>been raining, so the </b></i>

<i><b>ground was wet.</b></i>

<b>Complete the sentences using a suitable verb from the list in the </b>
<b>past Continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous.</b>

<b>DRIVE WASH FEEL TRY MARRY GO</b>
<b>START KNOW GET TAKE WORK BE READ</b>

<b>TALK DO RAIN WATCH SEE</b>

<b>1.</b> She ________________________ the book the whole morning.
<b>2.</b> We were good friends. We _____________ each other for a long time.
<b>3.</b> Sue ____________________ for ten years when her husband died.
<b>4.</b> They ____________________ ten miles when the car broke down.
<b>5.</b> She ________________ part in competitions since she was a little girl.
<b>6.</b> Tina _________________ the ironing when her daughter arrived.
<b>7.</b> Paul and Lisa ________________ out together for 3 years when they
broke up.

<b>8.</b> He ________________ to solve the crossword since the beginning of
the week and in the end he completed it.

<b>9.</b> He __________________ on his computer when the light went out and
lost all the information.

<b>10.</b> While Tom ______________ the dishes his wife went shopping to the
supermarket.

<b>11.</b> The concert ______ already ______ when we arrived at the theatre.
<b>12.</b> Brenda told the policeman she ______________ anything strange in
the neighbourhood.

<b>13.</b> She decided to go to the doctor as she __________________ very well
since she got up in the morning.

<b>14.</b> When we went out the road was wet as it ________________ heavily.
<b>15.</b> He ______________ in prison for over ten years when he managed to
escape.

<b>16.</b> He ________________ on his mobile for over ten minutes when his
teacher saw him.

<b>17.</b> They _________________ TV the whole afternoon before they decided
to go out for a walk.

<b>18.</b> They were late for work as they ________________ stuck in a traffic
jam for over an hour.

<b>Time expressions</b>

<b>FOR- SINCE</b>

<b>She’d been cooking </b>

<b>since she got up/ </b>

<b>for 2 hours.</b>

<b>HOW LONG</b>

We use “how long”

in questions:

<b>How long had you </b>

<b>been waiting?</b>

<b>THE WHOLE DAY/ </b>

<b>ALL DAY</b>

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