In lesson 42, you learned the Present Perfect Continuous. It looks back from now: I have been waiting for an hour.

The Past Perfect Continuous looks back from a past time. It tells about a long activity before that time.

Looks back from…	Example
Now	I have been waiting for an hour. (I am still waiting.)
A past time	She had been waiting for an hour when I arrived.

Look at five more sentences:

Use had been + the -ing form. Had is the same for every subject.

Type	Form	Example
Statement	subject + had been + verb-ing	She had been working for hours.
Negative	subject + hadn’t been + verb-ing	He hadn’t been sleeping well.
Question	Had + subject + been + verb-ing?	Had they been waiting long?
Question with How long	How long had + subject + been + verb-ing?	How long had you been waiting?

Do not forget been. The tense has three parts: had + been + verb-ing.

A sentence needs a past time. Say the past time with the Past Simple. Use when or before.

Long activity (Past Perfect Continuous)	Past time (Past Simple)
She had been waiting for an hour	when I arrived.
They had been walking for two hours	when it started to rain.
He had been living in Rome since 2015	when he met her.
We had been studying Spanish for a year	before we went to Madrid.
The teacher had been talking for an hour	when the bell rang.

Use for and since as in lesson 36. For + a length of time (an hour, two years). Since + a starting time (2015, Monday, noon).

The past time can go first. Use a comma.

Sometimes the past time is a scene. You see a result. The long activity explains it.

This is the same pattern as lesson 43, one step back in time. Say the result first, in the Past Simple. Then say the activity.

The result (Past Simple)	The activity (Past Perfect Continuous)
Her hands were dirty.	She had been working in the garden.
The streets were wet.	It had been raining all night.
He was out of breath.	He had been running.
Her voice was weak.	She had been shouting for hours.
The kitchen was a mess.	They had been cooking all afternoon.

Read the sentence. Click the tense that completes it.

• 1
  When I arrived, she for an hour. (wait)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — A long activity before a past time. Use the Past Perfect Continuous.
• 2
  When I arrived, she at the door. (wait)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — An action in progress at that time. Use the Past Continuous.
• 3
  When he called, I for three hours. (study)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — A long activity before a past time. Use the Past Perfect Continuous.
• 4
  Her hands were dirty. She in the garden all day. (work)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — A long activity before a past time. Use the Past Perfect Continuous.
• 5
  When he called, I in the kitchen. (cook)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — An action in progress at that time. Use the Past Continuous.
• 6
  At nine o’clock last night, they a movie. (watch)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — An action in progress at that time. Use the Past Continuous.
• 7
  The ground was wet. It all night. (rain)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — A long activity before a past time. Use the Past Perfect Continuous.
• 8
  While we lunch, the phone rang. (eat)

  Past Perfect Continuous Past Continuous

  ✓ Correct — An action in progress at that time. Use the Past Continuous.

Type the correct verb form for the verb given.

• 1
  When I arrived, she for an hour. (wait)
• 2
  He in Spain since 2015 when the company moved him. (live)
• 3
  They for two hours when it started to rain. (walk)
• 4
  We Spanish for a year before we went to Madrid. (study)
• 5
  She him for ten years when they got married. (know)
• 6
  It all morning when we left. (rain)
• 7
  He the truck since six o’clock when the engine stopped. (drive)
• 8
  The teacher for an hour when the bell rang. (talk)

Type the negative Past Perfect Continuous for the verb given.

• 1
  He well for weeks before he saw a doctor. (not sleep)
• 2
  They to each other before the argument. (not talk)
• 3
  I enough, so I felt weak. (not eat)
• 4
  The machine correctly for months. (not work)
• 5
  She attention in class, so she missed the answer. (not pay)
• 6
  The team hard, so they lost the game. (not practice)
• 7
  He his medicine, so he felt worse. (not take)
• 8
  It all day, so the roads were dry. (not rain)

Type the missing words of speaker B’s question, using the words given.

• 1
  A: The doctor arrived at noon.
  B: How long before the doctor arrived? (the patient / wait)
• 2
  A: Mia was out of breath.
  B: before the meeting? (she / run)
• 3
  A: We got to the top at noon.
  B: How long before you reached the top? (you / climb)
• 4
  A: The floor was wet.
  B: the floor before you came? (someone / clean)
• 5
  A: Tom was very tired.
  B: How long before he went to bed? (he / work)
• 6
  A: The kitchen smelled great.
  B: What before we arrived? (she / cook)
• 7
  A: The kids were muddy.
  B: Where before they came home? (they / play)
• 8
  A: The movie began at seven.
  B: How long before it began? (people / wait)

Read the result. Click the form that explains it.

• 1
  His clothes were dirty. He in the garden.

  had been working worked

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 2
  The streets were wet. It all night.

  rained had been raining

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 3
  She was out of breath. She .

  was running had been running

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 4
  My eyes were tired. I all day.

  had been reading read

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 5
  The kitchen was a mess. They .

  had been cooking were cooking

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 6
  His voice was weak. He for hours.

  shouted had been shouting

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 7
  The kids were muddy. They outside.

  played had been playing

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.
• 8
  Her legs hurt. She all morning.

  had been walking walked

  ✓ Correct — The long activity explains the result. A long activity before a past time → Past Perfect Continuous.

Read each question. Choose the sentence that matches.

• Form: subject + had been + verb-ing. Negative: hadn’t been + verb-ing.
• Question: Had + subject + been + verb-ing? How long had + subject + been + verb-ing?
• For + a length of time. Since + a starting time.
• The past time comes with when or before + the Past Simple.
• A result you see: result (Past Simple), then the activity (Past Perfect Continuous).
• State verbs (know, want, need) do not use -ing: had known.

✓ Mark this lesson complete