Past Perfect Continuous in English and past perfect continuous examples. Learn the definition and how to form the past perfect continuous tense with useful examples and ESL printable infographics.
Contents
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Definition
The Past Perfect Continuous tense is used to express something that started in the past and continued until another time in the past.
Forming Past Perfect Continuous
Positive Statements | Past Perfect Continuous
SUBJECT | HAD BEEN | VERB + ing | REST OF THE SENTENCE |
I | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
You | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
He | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
Tom | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
The boy | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
She | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
Anna | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
The girl | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
We | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
You | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
They | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
The children | had been | standing | at the bus stop for thirty minutes. |
Notice that we use ‘had been’ and the verb + ing the same for all subjects.
Negative Statements | Past Perfect Continuous
SUBJECT | HAD NOT BEEN | VERB + ing | REST OF THE SENTENCE |
I | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
You | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
He | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
Tom | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
The boy | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
She | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
Anna | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
The girl | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
We | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
You | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
They | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
The children | had not been | exercising | at the gymnasium. |
Notice that we use ‘had not been’ and the verb + ing form for all subjects.
Interrogative Statements | Past Perfect Continuous
HAD | SUBJECT | BEEN | VERB + ing | REST OF THE SENTENCE |
Had | I | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | you | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | he | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | Tom | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | the boy | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | she | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | Anna | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | the girl | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | we | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | you | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | they | been | waiting | for a long time? |
Had | the men | been | waiting | for a long time? |
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