{"id":44048,"date":"2023-06-27T16:00:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T13:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/?p=44048"},"modified":"2024-06-14T15:41:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T12:41:56","slug":"past-perfect-continuous-tense-explanation-with-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/en\/past-perfect-continuous-tense-explanation-with-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Past Perfect Continuous Tense: Explanation with Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_video_widget wpb_content_element vc_clearfix   vc_video-aspect-ratio-169 vc_video-el-width-100 vc_video-align-left\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_video_wrapper\"><iframe title=\"English Tenses Part 10: PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v6LaO_LPbQQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 15px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element vc_custom_1687174564829\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>On our journey of speaking English fluently, one thing we can\u2019t ignore is the tenses. Tenses are what change the meaning of the verbs. While verbs define actions, tenses define what time those actions take place. A lot of different tenses are used when referring to different time passages. One of these tenses is Past Perfect Continuous Tense. This article is prepared to help you learn all about the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p><a href=\"http:\/\/tr.englishcentral.com?utm_source=Blog&#038;utm_medium=Organic&#038;utm_campaign=IngilizceSarkilar\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/In-post-ad-tr1-3.png\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>What is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to refer to <strong>an action that started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.<\/strong> When using this tense, we put emphasis on both <strong>the duration and the completion<\/strong> of the action in question.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>What are the Past Perfect Continuous Tense Grammar Rules?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Past Perfect Continuous tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb &#8220;have&#8221; in its past tense \u201chad\u201d, followed by another auxiliary verb &#8220;be&#8221; in its past participle form \u201cbeen\u201d and the present participle form of the main verb \u201cv+ing\u201d. The formula for this tense is <strong>subject + had + been + v-ing.<\/strong> The subject doesn\u2019t make a difference in the auxiliary verbs in this tense. Some points to pay attention to with the Past Perfect Continuous tense are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Had&#8221; as the auxiliary verb:<\/strong> The auxiliary verb &#8220;had&#8221; is always used in the past perfect tense to indicate that the action occurred before another past event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Been&#8221; as the auxiliary verb:<\/strong> The auxiliary verb &#8220;been&#8221; is used after &#8220;had&#8221; to indicate the ongoing nature of the action.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Verb form:<\/strong> The main verb is used in its present participle form, which ends in &#8220;-ing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time reference:<\/strong> The Past Perfect Continuous tense places emphasis on the duration of the action up until a specific point in the past. It is often used with time expressions such as &#8220;for,&#8221; &#8220;since,&#8221; &#8220;all day,&#8221; &#8220;all night,&#8221; &#8220;before,&#8221; &#8220;by,&#8221; etc., to indicate the time frame of the action.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a table:<\/p>\n<p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-1666-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1666\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Auxiliary Verb (have)<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Auxiliary Verb (be)<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Verb<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">I\/You\/He-She-It\/We\/They<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">had<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">been<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">v+ing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nShe <strong>had been reading<\/strong> all day before she went back to her room.<br \/>\nWe <strong>had been waiting<\/strong> for the train for three hours when it finally arrived.<br \/>\nWhen you arrived at the ball, I <strong>had been dancing<\/strong> for hours.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>How To Construct Sentences in Past Perfect Continuous Tense<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To form a sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, we write subject + had + been + v-ing. The auxiliary verbs don\u2019t change form according to the subject. We can form different types of sentences ( affirmative, negative, interrogative) by just changing the formula a little. Let\u2019s take a look at forming these sentence types:<\/p>\n<p><strong> 1. Positive Sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense:<\/strong> The auxiliary verbs \u201chad\u201d and \u201cbeen\u201d are used. The formula is <strong>subject + had + been + v-ing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She <strong>had been studying<\/strong> Spanish for a year before she moved to Madrid.<\/p>\n<p><strong> 2. Negative Sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense:<\/strong> Negative adverb \u201cnot\u201d is added to the auxiliary verb, turning it into \u201chad not (hadn\u2019t)\u201d. The formula turns into <strong>subject + had + not + been + v-ing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They <strong>hadn&#8217;t been traveling<\/strong> for long when their car ran out of gas.<\/p>\n<p><strong> 3. Interrogative Sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense:<\/strong> Auxiliary verb \u201chad\u201d comes first, followed by the subject and auxiliary verb \u201cbeen\u201d. The formula is <strong>had + subject + been + v-ing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Had you been living<\/strong> in \u0130stanbul for many years before you decided to move?<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> In both negative and interrogative sentences, the contraction &#8220;hadn&#8217;t&#8221; can be used instead of &#8220;had not&#8221; for simplicity and informality.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p><a href=\"http:\/\/tr.englishcentral.com?utm_source=Blog&#038;utm_medium=Organic&#038;utm_campaign=IngilizceSarkilar\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/In-post-ad-en2.png\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>ENG1-1.png&#8221; \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>Positive Sentences in Past Perfect Continuous Tense<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As stated above, to form a positive sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, we need to use the formula <strong>subject + had + been + v-ing.<\/strong> Here is a table and a few examples to help you better understand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Positive Sentences<\/strong><br \/>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1669-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1669\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Auxiliary Verb (have)<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Main Verb (-ing form)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">I<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">had<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">been<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Main Verb (-ing)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">You<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">We<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">They<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">He<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">She<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">It<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n<p>The kids <strong>had been playing<\/strong> in our house all day before it started to rain.<\/p>\n<p>She <strong>had been working<\/strong> on her novel for 2 years before she finally completed it.<\/p>\n<p>We <strong>had been studying<\/strong> Portuguese for a year before we moved to Portugal.<\/p>\n<p>The team <strong>had been going<\/strong> over their strategies before the big game.<\/p>\n<p>I <strong>had been learning<\/strong> to play the saxophone for years before I gave my first public performance at our school.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>Negative Sentences in Past Perfect Continuous Tense<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To form a negative sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, we write <strong>subject + had + not + been + v-ing.<\/strong> The formula for positive sentences gets a negative adverb (not) to make the sentence negative. Here is a table and a few examples for you to better understand.<\/p>\n<p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-1671-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1671\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Main Verb (-ing form)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">I<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">had not (hadn\u2019t)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">been<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Main Verb (-ing)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">You<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">We<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">They<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">He<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">She<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">It<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nShe <strong>had not been working<\/strong> out lately, so she struggled during the match.<\/p>\n<p>They <strong>hadn&#8217;t been studying<\/strong>, that\u2019s why they got poor grades on the exam.<\/p>\n<p>The company <strong>had not been giving<\/strong> their employees a pay raise despite the increasing protests.<\/p>\n<p>We <strong>hadn&#8217;t been running<\/strong> everyday like we agreed on, so we started working out more at the gym.<\/p>\n<p>He <strong>had not been paying<\/strong> attention to the instructions, so he did the entire homework wrong.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>Interrogative Sentences in Past Perfect Continuous Tense<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When forming an interrogative sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, we use the formula of <strong>had + subject + been + v-ing.<\/strong> This is different from the other two formulas because to make a sentence interrogative, the auxiliary verb \u201chave\u201d has to begin the sentence. Here are some tables and a few examples to help you better understand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Positive Interrogative Sentences<\/strong><br \/>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1672-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1672\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Main Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Complement<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Had<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">I<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Been<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Main Verb (-ing)<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Object<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">You<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">We<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">They<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">He<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">She<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">It<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had you been studying<\/strong> for the exam before you heard it was canceled?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had they been traveling<\/strong> Europe before they returned to their hometown?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had she been working<\/strong> on the project with her team before we took over?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had the children been reading<\/strong> outside before they came inside?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had he been practicing<\/strong> French before he decided to take a trip to France?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Negative Interrogative Sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-1673-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1673\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Negative Adverb<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Verb<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Had<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">I<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">not<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">been<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">V + ing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">You<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">We<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">They<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">He<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">She<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">It<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<strong>Hadn&#8217;t you been waiting<\/strong> before she finally picked you up?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hadn&#8217;t they been studying<\/strong> together before they left for vacation?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had she not been practicing<\/strong> the piano diligently before she gave her first performance?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hadn&#8217;t the employees been working<\/strong> overtime consistently before they sued the company?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Had he not been saving<\/strong> money for months before he bought a car?<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>WH- Questions in Past Perfect Continuous<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We may add question words to our interrogative sentences to ask for more specific information. To do that, we add the question words (such as what, which, when, where, who, whose, why etc.) before the auxiliary verb \u201chad\u201d, which is followed by the subject and auxiliary verb \u201cbeen\u201d respectively. The formula for question word sentences in Past Perfect Continuous is <strong>question word + had + subject + been + v-ing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Positive Question Word Sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-1676-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1676\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Wh- question<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Auxiliary Verb<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Main Verb<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Who<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Had<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">I<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Been<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Verb + -ing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Whose<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">You<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Which<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">We<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Where<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">They<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">What<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">He<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Why<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">She<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">When<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\">It<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">How<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><\/td><td class=\"column-5\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<strong>What had you been doing<\/strong> before he texted you yesterday?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which team had been practicing<\/strong> the most before the championship game?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where had they been studying<\/strong> for the exam before it was canceled?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Negative Question Sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-1677-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1677\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Question Word<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Auxiliary Verb (have)<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Subject<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Negative Adverb<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Auxiliary Verb (be)<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Verb<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">What, which, when, where, who, whose, why<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">had<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">I\/You\/He-<br \/>\nShe-It\/We<br \/>\n\/They<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">not<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">been<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">v+ing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<strong>What had they not been discussing<\/strong> before they reached their final decision?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why hadn\u2019t you been listening<\/strong> to me before?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who hadn\u2019t you been calling<\/strong> before moving back home?<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>Temporal Adverbs (Adverbs of Time) in Past Perfect Continuous Tense<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To further specify what time the actions in question take place, we can add temporal adverbs. Some adverbs we can use with Past Perfect Tense are <strong>for, since, before, by the time, all day\/night\/week\/month\/year.<\/strong> Here are some examples with these temporal adverbs:<\/p>\n<p>They <strong>had been studying <em>for<\/em><\/strong> days to prepare for their exam.<br \/>\nShe <strong>had been waiting <em>since<\/em><\/strong> yesterday.<br \/>\nWe <strong>had been talking <em>all day.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nHe <strong>had been practicing <em>before<\/em><\/strong> the race.<br \/>\n<strong><em>By the time<\/em><\/strong> she arrived, they <strong>had been watching<\/strong> TV.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<h2><strong>Frequently Asked Questions About Past Perfect Continuous Tense<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Present Continuous Tense?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Present Continuous tense describes an ongoing action happening in the present or around the present time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Simple Past Tense?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Simple Past tense describes completed actions or events in the past.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Simple Future Tense?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Simple Future tense relates to actions that will happen in the future.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense formula?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The formula for Past Perfect Continuous tense is <strong>subject + had + been + v-ing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Present Continuous Tense?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Present Continuous tense describes an ongoing action happening in the present or around the present time.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Simple Past Tense?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Simple Past tense describes completed actions or events in the past.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Difference Between Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Simple Future Tense?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Past Perfect Continuous tense focuses on the ongoing nature of an action that started and ended in the past, while the Simple Future tense relates to actions that will happen in the future.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense formula?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The formula for Past Perfect Continuous tense is subject + had + been + v-ing.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_empty_space\"   style=\"height: 10px\"><span class=\"vc_empty_space_inner\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<p>Would you like to put what you have learned into practice? You can access everything you need to <a style=\"color:red\" class=\"sarki-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\">learn English<\/a> on a single platform! With 25-minute one-on-one live <a style=\"color:red\" class=\"sarki-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\">English lessons<\/a>, 40-minute group lessons, more than 30,000 interactive videos, vocabulary learning tools, AI-supported tutor MiMi, quizzes, and interactive activities, <a style=\"color:red\" class=\"sarki-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishcentral.com\">EnglishCentral<\/a> offers its users a personalized and quality education plan at an affordable price. 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