Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
the past perfect continuous indicates something that began in the past, continued in the past, and also ended at a defined point in the past and can as well be used to emphasize the duration of the action before another past action.
Table of Contents
1.Structures
1.1Structures of Sentences
To form the past perfect progressive tense, follow these basic rules.
S = Subject
hadn't = had not
QW = question word
Ving = main Verb+ing
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + had + been + Ving + ... | I had been working at the company for five years when I got the promotion. |
| - | S + hadn't + been + Ving +... | She looked terrible. She had not been sleeping well before the exam. |
| ? | (QW) + had + S + been + Ving +...? | How long had he been running when she saw him? |
Practice Examples
She (practice) _____ piano for hours before the recital.
They (study) _____ hard for the exam and felt well-prepared.
We (plan) _____ the event for weeks, and it turned out perfectly.
2.Use
2.1Continuation / Length /Duration of an Activity up to the Past Moment
The past perfect progressive tense shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past. We use it to show the length of a past action before something else occurred or to emphasize the duration of the action.
Progressive forms are mostly used to talk about more temporary actions and situations, they generally emphasize the continuation of an activity, not the idea of completion.
| Example | Comment |
|---|---|
| At that time we had been living in the house for about six months. | Here we focus on the duration, on the lenghth of the past action by the particulatr time in the past. |
| I went to the doctor because I had been sleeping badly. | We emphasize the duration, we highlight that the action is temporary, not permanent. |
| We had been walking since sunrise, and we were very hungry. | The lenght of the action is highlighted. |
| By the time we got there, they had been playing for 30 minutes. | Here we emphasize the continuation of the activity, the length as well. |
Practice Examples
She (wait) _____ for two hours before the train finally arrived. (Focus: duration of waiting before the train arrived)
They (work) _____ on the project for weeks before they finished it. (Focus: duration of work before completion)
He (run) _____ for an hour when it started to rain. (Focus: duration of running before the rain started)
2.2Cause and Effect in the Past
The past perfect progressive can highlight a cause or reason for a past event. We use it to explain the reason or cause of a situation or event in the past.
| Cause or Reason | Past Event |
|---|---|
| She had been studying all night. | She was tired. |
| He had been running all morning. | He was exhausted. |
| Someone had been cooking. | The room smelt of garlic. |
| You had been working hard. | You looked worn out. |
Practice Examples
He got sick because he (stand) _____ in the rain for hours.(Past cause: ongoing exposure to rain causing illness)
The grass was wet because it (rain) _____ all morning.(Past cause: continuous rain making the grass wet)
Her hands were dirty because she (garden) _____ all afternoon.(Past cause: gardening resulting in dirty hands)
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