English Past Perfect Continuous Tense, Definition and Example Sentences;
Table of Contents
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Although Past Perfect Continuous Tense appears to have a rather complex structure, it is actually shaped by simple logic. If you want to learn about Past Perfect Continuous Tense and get tips about when to use this structure, you can read our article in detail. Past perfect continuous tense can be used to sort two events in the past with each other. But unlike past perfect tense, one of the events in this use needs a process.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense should be used in such cases. All of the samples that are used in the past continuous tense that require a process can also be rewritten for the Past Perfect Continuous Tense. Past Perfect Continuous Tense is rearranged using verb -ing. Past Perfect Continuous Tense is often seen especially in fairy tales and novels. 16 Tenses and Example Sentences in English
In addition, it is possible to say that this tense structure is an advanced level. So you are about to have advanced English!
Positive Sentence
If you want to make a positive sentence within Past Perfect Continuous Tense structure, you have to pay attention to something first. Past continuous tense and Past Perfect Continuous Tense are mixed continuously. If you’re not sure which one to use in a sentence, look for any other event that happened in the past before or after the event. If so, you should use Past Perfect Continuous Tense. If you don’t, you can use Past continuous tense. Let us now see the general structure and examine the examples.
- Subject + had + been + V + ing
- I had been washing the dishes before they came.
- You had been studying when they asked.
Note: You can understand that there is no difference in I, you, we, they, he, she or it. All of them takes ‘’had’’.
Negative Sentence
If you want to make a negative sentence with Past Perfect Continuous, all you have to do is add a note to the sentence after the word had. In this way, the whole meaning of the sentence will become negative. You can follow the hint above when deciding which tense to use in the sentence structure. Review which structure you should follow when using this tense:
- Subject + had + not + been + V + ing
- I had not been studying when you asked.
- He had not been coming when you came.
Example Sentences with Past Perfect Continuous Tense
- When her husband came home, the woman had been cleaning the house for hours.
- The ground was covered with snow. It had been snowing heavy for several hours.
- Had her daughter been eating anything all day?
- Had she been working all day?
- Had he been reading a book?
- She had not (hadn’t) been working all day so she was energetic.
- He had not (hadn’t) been reading a book.
- I had not (hadn’t) been cooking any meal when she came to my home.
- You had not (hadn’t) been studying English all day.
- Had he been cooking any meal when she came to my home?
- Had you been studying English all day?
- They had been being friend since childhood.
- Thomas had been trying to repair the phone the whole day.
