What happens in English grammar when you mix the past perfect tense with the past continuous tense? We form a verb tense that shows an action starting in the past and continuing at another time in the past!
Answer the following past perfect continuous tense worksheets to measure your mastery of this verb tense. Then, use the answer key provided to check your answers.
What Is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?
The past perfect continuous tense is a verb tense that shows actions that started sometime in the past and continued until another point in time in the past. Another function of the past perfect continuous tense is to indicate the cause of something in the past.
Do not confuse it with the common present perfect continuous, which shows actions that began in the past and continued to the present.
The correct structure for this verb tense is:
Had been + present participle verb
For example:
- He had been giving a speech when the lights came out.
- She had been studying for five years when she got a job offer.
- I was happy because I had been exercising.
Learn All the Verb Tenses
Hopefully, my guide has shown you the functions and basic structure of using the past perfect continuous tense. It’s even better once you learn how to form sentences in this English verb tense! Start being a grammar pro by answering our other worksheets on different verb tenses.