Past Perfect Continuous

By Mr. Seng Muny

In this lesson, you will learn:

Examples

Forms

Uses

Examples

I found my headset yesterday. I had been looking for it for almost a month. 

By the time Buddhism came to Cambodia, people in Cambodia had been following Hinduism for hundreds of years.

His baby’s eyes were red. She had been crying and asking for milk.

He lost his car’s key. By the time his wife could bring him the spare key, he had been waiting for four hours. 

Forms

Positive:         Subject + had + been + V-ing + … .

Negative: Subject + had + not + been + V-ing + … .

Questions: (Wh-) had + subject + been + V-ing + …. ?

Yes, subject + had.

No, subject + had not. 

Note: had => ’d had not => hadn’t

Uses

Actions happened for a period of time before a another action in the past

I found my headset yesterday. I had been looking for it for almost a month. 

By the time Buddhism came to Cambodia, people in Cambodia had been following Hiduism for hundreds of years.

His baby’s eyes were red. She had been crying and asking for milk.

He lost his car’s key. By the time his wife could bring him the spare key, he had been waiting for four hours. 

Thank you. Drop me your questions, and I will try to look for answers for you.