The past perfect continuous

USE 1 - Duration before something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.

For five minutes and for two weeks are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous.

Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now.

Examples:

- They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
- She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.
- James had been teaching at the University for more than a year before he left for Asia.

USE 2 - Cause of something in the Past

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

- Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
- Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

How to form the past perfect continuous

NOTE

There is no past perfect progressive for the verb to be.

Had been being is expressed simply as had been

Ex: We had been being successful before, but we somehow lost our knack.

Like every continuous, some verbs don’t take the continuous form:

- Verbs of perception: see – hear – smell – taste – feel

- Verbs relating to mental and emotional activity: agree – believe – imagine – love – promise – realise – recognise – think

- Verbs of possession and measurement: fit – suit – weigh – belong – possess – own – contain – consist

Active and passive forms

Examples:

- Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years, before he moved to Paris. ACTIVE

- The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. PASSIVE