PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE / CONTINUOUS TENSE

Past perfect progressive or continues tense is used to express a running action or activity which is started in the past and continued for a particular time in the past. There must be a time reference at the end of a sentence such as since 2006 or for three hours, in present perfect progressive tense and see Present perfect progressive tense.

Completed Action

Past Activity or Action which we did for a particular time.

Formula

Formula: Subject + Helping Verb(Had been) + Verb ing + Object + time

  • I had been taking a class for four hours.
  • Alina had been learning English since 2009.
  • They had been playing cricket for four hours.

Informative

Here are some basic Past perfect progressive / continuous tense rules of using Since and For.

Since (Starting Point) For (Time Duration)
Since Morning For Five Hours
Since 1990 For Ten Years
Since Childhood For Two Days
Since August For Three Hours
Formula: Subject + Helping Verb + Verb-ing(form) + Object + time-reference

More Examples

Here are some more past perfect progressive / continuous tense examples.

Sentences:

Using For

  • Ali had been waiting for him for two hours.
  • They had been playing games for three hours.
  • We had been watching movies for four hours.
  • She had been cooking food for one hour.
  • we had been trying to start a car for one hour.
  • You had been teasing to your sister for two hours.

Using Since

  • Ali had been trying to pass his matriculation since 2012.
  • She had been cooking pizza since 5 O’clock.
  • They had been playing Cricket since 7 O’clock.
  • I had been playing Football since morning.

  • I hadn’t been playing Football since morning.
  • She had not been cooking food for one hour.

  • Had I been playing Football since morning?
  • Had she been cooking food for one hour?

  • Had I not been playing Football since morning?
  • Had she not been cooking food for one hour?

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