Grammar – Unit 16

Past Perfect Continuous

(I had been doing)
 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A - action which started in the past and continued up

until another time in the past.

 Example Set B - action that occurred for a period of time before

something else happened.

 Example Set C - comparison between present perfect continuous and

past perfect continuous.

 Example Set D - comparison between past continuous and past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E - verbs that are not normally used in continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 2

 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until another time in the past.

 Example Set B for the action that occurred for a period of time before
something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between present perfect continuous

and past perfect continuous.

 Example Set D for comparison between past continuous and past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 3

Learning Objectives
Past Perfect continuous ( I had been doing)

 Is used for action that started and continued up until another time

 Action that occurred for a period of time before something else

happened.

 Comparison between Present Perfect continuous and Past Perfect

Continuous.

 Comparison between Past Continuous and Past Perfect

Continuous.

 Verbs that are not used in the continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 4

Example Set A - The action that occurred in the
past and continued up until another time in the past.

Study this example situation:

 Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The

sun was shining, but the ground was very wet.

It had been raining.

It was not raining

when I looked out of the window; The sun
was shining. But it had been raining
before.

Past Perfect Continuous 5

Continue..

Had been –ing is the past perfect continuous:

I/we/you/they (= I’d etc.) Doing

He/she/it had (= he’d etc.) been working
Playing
etc.

Past Perfect Continuous 6

Continue..
Some more examples:
When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirty, their hair
was untidy and one of them had a black eye. They’d been fighting.

I was very tired, when I got home. I’d been working hard all day.

When I went to Madrid a few years ago, I stayed with a friend of mine.
She’d been living there only a short time but knew the city very well.

Past Perfect Continuous 7

 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until another time in the past.

 Example Set B for the action that occurred for a period of time
before something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between present perfect continuous

and past perfect continuous.

 Example Set D for comparison between past continuous and past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in
continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 8

Example Set B

You can say that something had been happening for a period of time
before something else happened:

We’d been playing tennis for about half an hour when it started to
rain heavily.

George went to the doctor last Friday. He hadn’t been feeling well
for some time.

Past Perfect Continuous 9

 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until something happened in the past,

 Example Set B for the action which occurred for a period of time
before something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between Present perfect continuous

and Past perfect continuous.

 Example Set D for comparison between Past continuous and Past

perfect continuous

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in the
continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 10

Example Set C

Compare have been –ing (present perfect continuous) and had been
–ing (past perfect continuous):
Present perfect continuous past perfect continuous

I have been -ing I had been -ing

past now past now

 I hope the bus comes soon. I’ve been
waiting for 20 minutes. (before now)
 James is out of breath. He has been
running.
 At last the bus came. I’d been waiting
for 20 minutes. before the bus came)
 James was out of breath. He had been
running.

Past Perfect Continuous 11

 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until something

 Example Set B for the action that occurred for a period of time before
something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between Past perfect continuous and

Past perfect continuous

 Example Set D for comparison between Past continuous and Past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in the
continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 12

Example Set D

Compare was –ing (past continuous) and had been –ing:

 It wasn’t raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it
had been raining, so the ground was wet.

 Cathy was sitting in an armchair resting. She was tired because

she’d been working very hard.

Past Perfect Continuous 13

 Agenda
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until something happened in the past,

 Example Set B for the action which occurred for a period of time
before something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between Present perfect continuous

and Past perfect continuous

 Example Set D for comparison between Past continuous and Past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in the
continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 14

Example Set E – Verbs that are normally not
used in the continuous

Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in the
continuous:

 We were good friends. We had known each other for years.

(not had been knowing)

Past Perfect Continuous 15

Summary
 Learning Objectives

 Example Set A for the action which started in the past and continued
up until something happened in the past,

 Example Set B for the action which occurred for a period of time
before something else happened.

 Example Set C for comparison between Present perfect continuous

and Past perfect continuous

 Example Set D for comparison between Past continuous and Past

perfect continuous.

 Example Set E for the verbs that are not normally used in the
continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous 16