top of page

Past Perfect Continuous

Subject + had + been + continuous verb phrase

Explain

We use the past perfect continuous to link an event that is or was happening to another event. 

​

Start with one event.

Past

Now

Future

the dog barked

The dog barked.

We then add an event that happened before or during.

Before

I had been eating dinner

Past

Now

Future

the dog barked

Before the dog barked, I had been eating dinner.

​

I had been eating dinner â€‹before the dog barked

During

I had been eating dinner

Past

Now

Future

the dog barked

When the dog barked, I had been eating dinner.

​

I had been eating dinner â€‹when the dog barked.

The past perfect continuous tense is often used to tell stories.

Examples

I had been walking in the park

Past

Now

Future

I saw the car accident

When I saw the car accident , I had been walking in the park.

​

I had been walking in the park â€‹when I saw the car accident.

She had been sleeping all day

Past

Now

the fire started

Future

Before the fire started, she had been sleeping all day.

​

She had been sleeping all day before the fire started.

We had been cooking dinner

Past

Now

Future

Tommy cut his finger

When Tommy cut his finger, we had been cooking dinner.

​

We had been cooking dinner when Tommy cut his finger.

They had been driving late at night

Past

Now

Future

they found the campsite

Before they found the campsite, they had been driving late at night.

​

They had been driving late at night before they found the campsite.

Practice

Outdoor activity

Verbs
Vocabulary

We had been following the map

Past

Now

it blew away

Future

We had been following the map when it blew away.

Jack and Priya had been camping

Past

Now

Future

their car was stolen

Answer

Jack and Priya had been camping when their car was stolen.

I'd been navigating my way around the lake in the rain

Past

Now

I found a place to shelter

Future

Answer

I'd been navigating my way around the lake in the rain before I found a place to shelter.

My family and I had been walking in the Lake District

Past

Now

Future

our son said his first words

Answer

My family and I had been walking in the Lake District when our son said his first words.

I had been

  • hiking all day

  • climbing for hours

Past

Now

Future

I reached the campsite

We can add a second continuous verb phrase with an and after the first.

Answer

I'd been hiking all day and climbing for hours, before I reached the campsite. 

Past perfect continuous negative - part 1

The negative is used to say that either the subject was not doing an action before or when another action occurred.

I had not been eating dinner

Past

Now

Future

the phone rang

I had not been eating dinner when the phone rang.

Practice

We had not been climbing for long

Past

Now

Future

we needed to stop

Answer

We had not been climbing for long before we needed to stop.

They'd not been walking for long

Past

Now

Future

it began to rain

Answer

They'd not been walking for long until it began to rain.

Past perfect continuous negative - part 2

The other way to use the negative is to make the second event negative. In this case we use 'but' as the conjunction.

They'd been walking for long

Past

Now

Future

it didn't rain

They'd been walking for long but it didn't rain.

We'd been camping with friends

Past

Now

Future

we didn't enjoy it

Answer

We'd been camping with our friends but we didn't enjoy it.

Past perfect continuous - questions (?)

Question word + had + subject + been + continuous verb phrase

A: You wouldn't believe what happened.

B: What?

A: My tent blew away last night.

B: Where had you been camping?

A: What happened to your ankle?

B: I sprained it.

A: What had you been doing?

B: I'd been hiking in the Lake District when I tripped over a huge rock.

A: I'm afraid I broke your vase.

B: How did that happen?

A: I was cleaning it.

B: How had you been cleaning it?

A: Do you remember when I was sacked?

B: Yeah. It was a long time ago, right?

A: Yeah.

B: Who had you been working for?

A: It was a small office company: Smith and Co.

Practice

Guess the question.

A: I got lost last night.

Answer

Where had you been going?

A: My dad broke has broken his foot.

Answer

What had he been doing?

A: I stopped seeing that guy I was dating.

Answer

Who had you been seeing?

bottom of page