2.6: Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) Tense
- Page ID
- 273700
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Form of the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
The Past Perfect Continuous is formed by had + been + -ing form.
Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous): Positive and Negative
|
Subject |
had (not) been |
verb + ing. |
|
I / You She / He / It We / You / They |
had been hadn't been |
studying. |
Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous): Questions
| Had |
I /you she / he / it we / you / they |
been swimming? |
Chart from We Love Teaching English
Use of the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
The Past Perfect Progressive is used to talk about continuous or repeated actions that began and finished in the past before another action in the past.
The Simple Past tense is used for the second past action. Notice the timeline below:
Past Perfect Continuous Timeline” by Virginia McHardy, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Common Time Markers used with The Past Perfect Continuous Tense and the Simple Past:
- when
- by the time
- before
***since and for are also used to show the length of the first action
Some examples are:
- I had been painting for three hours by the time the paint ran out.
- Carolina had been doing her homework since 4pm when the power went out.
- Hannah had been making dinner before her kids got home.
- Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
- The students had been meeting after class every week before they took the final exam.
- How long had you been studying Spanish before you moved to Madrid?
** Just as a reminder, stative verbs cannot be used in progressive (continuous) tenses:
Linh had been knowing me since childhood when we stopped talking to each other.
Except where otherwise noted, “The Past Perfect Continuous Tense” by Sari Martin & Virginia McHardy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Exercise 2.6.1: Past Perfect Progressive-Affirmative Form
Fill in the missing words using affirmative past perfect progressive and the verb in brackets. Spelling and punctuation count!
1. I ________________________ all day so I didn't want to go out. (work)
2. Luis________________________ for 10 hours when I woke him up. (sleep)
3. Dimitri and Athena ________________________ in Beijing for 3 years when he lost his job. (live)
4. We felt a bit ill because we ________________________ all day. (eat)
5. It ________________________ , so the road was covered in water. (rain)
6. It________________________ for 3 days when we were finally able to leave our home. (snow)
Exercise 2.6.2: Past Perfect Progressive-Negative Form
Fill in the missing words using the negative form of Past Perfect Progressive and the verb in brackets. Use the contraction when possible. Spelling and punctuation count!
1. I________________________ there long when Minh quit. (not/work)
2. Even though Janine ________________________ anything, she was still too tired to go out. (do)
3. Hussein was in trouble with the teacher because he ________________________ to his classes. (go)
4. Linh________________________ long when there was a knock at the door. (sleep)
5. Pham didn't feel healthy because he ________________________ to the gym. (go)
Exercise 2.6.3: Past Perfect Progressive-Interrogative (Question) Form
Fill in the missing words by forming the interrogative form of Past Perfect Progressive using the verb and subject in brackets.
1. When you got sick, ________________________ enough? (you/eat)
2. There was water everywhere inside. What ________________________ ? (the children/do)
3. ________________________ (he/use) his cell phone when the professor told him to pay attention?
4. How long ________________________ in Brazil when she found that job? (Julia/live)
5. How long ________________________ when the bus finally arrived? (we/wait)
Activity source: “Past Perfect Continuous Form Practice – Affirmative”, by Sari Martin, licensed under CC BY-NC SA 4.0.