These slides will help you to understand the past perfect progressive tense more easily and effectively . Learn better with us 

1. THE PAST PERFECTCONTINUOUS
TENSE

2. Form
Thistenseisformedwithhad been + the
present participle. Itisthesamefor all
persons:
Ihad/ I'd beenworkingWehadbeenworking
You had/you'd been working You had been working
He/she/it hadbeenworkingTheyhadbeen working

3. Negative: They had not/hadn't been working
Interrogative: Had you been working?
Negative interrogative: had you not/hadn't you
been working?

4. USE
Durationbeforesomethinginthepast
Weusethepastperfectcontinuoustoshow
thatsomethingstartedinthepastand
continuedup untilanothertimeinthe past.

5. Timeexpressionssuchas“forfiveminutes”
and“fortwoweeks”canbeusedwithboth
PresentPerfectContinuousandPastPerfect
Continuous.
However,withPastPerfectContinuousthe
durationdoesnotcontinueuntilnow,itstops
beforesomethingelseinthe past.
They had been talking for over an hour before
Tony arrived.

6. Shehad been working at that company for
three years when it went out of business.
Mike wanted to sit down because he had been
standing all day at work.

7. Causeof somethinginthepast
Usingthepastperfectcontinuousbefore
anotheractioninthepastisagood wayto
showcauseandeffect.
Jasonwastiredbecausehehad been
jogging.
Bettyfailedthefinaltestbecauseshehad not
been attending classes.

8. PastContinuousvs.PastPerfectContinuous If
youdo notincludeadurationsuchasfor five
minutes, for two weeks or since Friday, many
speakerschoosetousethePastContinuous
ratherthanthePastPerfect Continuous.
Becarefulbecausethiscanchange the
meaning of the sentence. PastContinuous
emphasizesinterruptedactions,whereasPast
PerfectContinuous emphasizes aduration
beforesomethinginthe past.

9. He was tired because he was exercising so
hard. (pastcontinuous=hewastiredbecause
hewasexercisingatthatexactmoment)
He was tired because he had been exercising
sohard. (pastperfectcontinuous=hewastired
becausehehadbeenexercisingoveraperiod
of time.Itispossiblethathewasstillexercising
atthatmomentORthathehadjust finished)

10. PastPerfectSimplevs.PastPerfect
Continuous
Thereisadifferencebetweenasingleaction
inthePastPerfectSimpleandanactioninthe
PastPerfectContinuous:
By six o'clock he had repaired the engine. (this
job hadbeen completed)
He had been repairing the engine tellsus
howhehadspenttheprevioushour/half hour
etc.Itdoesn'ttelluswhetheror notthe job
wascompleted.

11. AnotherdifferenceisthatanactioninthePast
perfectContinuouscontinuesupto,or
beyond,thetimeof speakinginthepast.An
actioninthePastPerfectSimplemayoccur
shortlybeforethetimeof speaking,butthere
couldbequitealong intervalbetweenthem:
Hehad been painting thedoor.(Thepaint
wasprobablystill wet)
Hehad painted thedoor.(Perhapsrecently,
perhapssometimeago)

12. EXERCISES
Complete the sentences with the Past Perfect
Continuous
1)I (work)allday,soIdidn't wanttogoout.
2) She (sleep)for 10hourswhenIwokeher.
3) They (live)inBeijingfor 3yearswhenhelost
his job.
4) Whenwemet, you (work)inthatcompany
for 6 months.

13. 5) He wasredinhisface becausehe (run).
6) She (not/work) butshewastiredanyway.
7) It (not/rain) long whenIgot home.
8) Icaught a coldbecauseI (not/eat) properly.
9) There waswatereverywhere, (what/the
children/do)?
10) (why/you/study) so hard?