The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Posted on Friday, June 10, 2011 | Filed under

The following lesson will show you how to use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense has the following forms:

  • Affirmative: S + HAD BEEN + V-ing
  • Negative: S + HAD NOT BEEN + V-ing
  • Interrogative/Question: HAD + S + BEEN + V-ing

USAGE

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is similar in use to the Past Perfect Tense. It emphasizes the uninterrupted nature of the action.

Examples:

We had been working for five hours continuously before he arrived.
Before going to Australia to study, I had been learning English for several years.

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