The Past Perfect Continuous is used to say how long something had been happening before or when something else happened in the past. It usually emphasizes the duration of an activity before another event in the past. Let’s see the following three aspects of this tense to improve your English:

1. Past Perfect Continuous Examples

• The tennis match had to be stopped. They had been playing for five sets when there was a terrible storm.
• George had been living in Plymouth for 30 years when he decided to move to London last year.
• When I arrived home, a guest had been waiting for me for about an hour.
• Before the tsunami came, the local government had already been warning the people a few times.
• The children had been playing football for almost two hours when the rain started.

2. Past Perfect Continuous as the Past Form of Present Perfect Continuous

The Past Perfect Continuous is the past form of The Present Perfect Continuous. Let’s see the following examples :

• How long have you been smoking (until now) ? The Present Perfect Continuous
• How long had you been smoking when you got lung cancer ? The Past Perfect continuous

3. Past Perfect Continuous to Replace  Present Perfect Continuous in Indirect Speech

In indirect speech we replace Present Perfect Continuous with Past Perfect Continuous.

Examples

• Jane: “I have been swimming for two hours.” ⇒ Jane said (that) she had been swimming for two hours.
• Brian: “I have been driving a car.” ⇒ Brian told me (that) he had been driving a car.

Past Perfect Continuous Exercises

Exercise I

Write a sentence based on the situation given !
Let’s see the examples first!

• We began playing volleyball ten minutes ago. Suddenly the storm came.                                 You write : We had been playing volleyball for ten minutes when suddenly the storm came.

1. John and I started to walk along the road 5 minutes ago. A car stopped, and the driver offered us a lift.
2. I had arranged to meet Jane at a café. I arrived and began waiting. After half an hour, I realized that I had come to the wrong café.
3. The band began playing at the concert. After ten minutes, a man began shouting.
4. We started singing One Direction’s  song half an hour ago. Suddenly, Harry Styles came and joined us in singing Beautiful in White.
5. We started playing tennis at 7 o’clock. At 8 o’clock, it started raining.

Exercise II

Complete the sentences below with the Past Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous.

1. I (study) for two hours when my father came home last night.
2. How long you (wait) here? You’re supposed to be in the next room.
3. Stop. You (work) for too long. Time to have a break.
4. I’m full now. I (eat) too much food.
5. I (try) to solve this riddle for fifteen minutes but I can’t figure it out.
6. He looked tired last night because he (run) after his dog for almost two hours.
7. I was late this morning. When I arrived, the teacher (teach) for almost half an hour.
8. When the train came, I (wait) for about an hour.
9. I (do) this job all my life.
10. I (learn) English for six years but I am not confident to speak to foreigners.

Other Exercises