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.
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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 ​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 ​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 ​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?