Past Perfect Continuous

Today's lesson is...

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Past Perfect Continuous

Yesterday morning… Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The ground was covered in snow but the sky was clear. It had been snowing. It was not snowing when I looked out the window, the sky was clear but it had been snowing before. Had been + -ing is the past perfect continuous:

doingworking playing

I/we/you/theyshe/he/it

been

had

(I'd/we'd/you'd/they'd)(she'd/he'd/it'd)

Past Perfect Continuous

Some more examples:

• When Michael came into the house, his clothes were dirty, his hair was untidy and he had a black eye. He’d been fighting.
• Jane was very tired when she got home. She’d been working hard all day.
• When I went to Paris a few months ago, I stayed with a friend of mine. He’d been living there only a few months but knew the city very well.

Past Perfect Continuous

You can say that something had been happening for a period of time before something happened:

• They’d been playing football for about two hours when it started to rain heavily.
• I hadn’t been feeling well for some time, so I went to the doctor last week.
• Cathy had been playing the piano for 35 years when she was finally asked to do a solo with the local orchestra.

Past Perfect Continuous

Compare the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) and the past perfect continuous (had been + -ing):

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been + ing

I had been + ing

past now

past now

VS

• At last the train came. I’d been waiting for half an hour. (before the train came)
• Caroline was out of breath. She had been running.

• I hope the train comes soon. I’ve been waiting for half an hour. (before now)
• Caroline is out of breath. She has been running.

Past Perfect Continuous

Compare the past continuous (was + -ing) and the past perfect continuous (had been + -ing):

PAST CONTINUOUS It wasn’t snowing when we went out. The sun was shining. Jane was sitting in the sofa resting.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS But it had been snowing the night before, so the ground was covered in snow. She was tired because she’d been working very hard.

VS

Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in the continuous:

• They were good friends, they had known each other for years. (not had been knowing).