Past Perfect Continuous Tense Set-3 - Grade 6 Assessment

Which sentence is written correctly in the past perfect continuous tense?

• She had been playing soccer when it started to rain.

• She had playing soccer when it started to rain.

• She have been playing soccer when it started to rain.

• She was been playing soccer when it started to rain.

Answer explanation

This is correct because the past perfect continuous tense follows the structure: had + been + verb(-ing).

The sentence 'He had been studying for the test all night' is in the past perfect continuous tense.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This sentence correctly uses the formula for past perfect continuous: subject (He) + had been + verb-ing (studying).

My mom was tired because she (a)   all day. (Use the verb 'work')

Answer explanation

The past perfect continuous tense is used to show a past action (working) that continued up until another past event (mom was tired).

By the time I got home, my brother _____ video games for three hours.

• played

• was played

• had been playing

• has been playing

Answer explanation

The correct choice shows an action (playing) that was happening continuously for a period of time before another action in the past (I got home).

We (a)   been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes when it finally arrived.

Answer explanation

'Had' is the auxiliary verb needed to form the past perfect continuous tense, along with 'been' and the -ing verb.

This sentence is grammatically correct: 'She had been try to call me for an hour before her phone died.'

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The main verb must be in its present participle (-ing) form. The correct sentence is 'She had been trying to call me...'

Which sentence correctly shows a negative idea in the past perfect continuous tense?

• They had been not listening to the teacher.

• They not had been listening to the teacher.

• They had not been listening to the teacher.

• They had been listening not to the teacher.

Answer explanation

To make a sentence negative in this tense, 'not' is placed between 'had' and 'been'.

(a)   you been watching that show for a long time before I joined you?

Answer explanation

To form a question in the past perfect continuous tense, the sentence starts with 'Had', followed by the subject.

He failed the quiz because he (a)   attention in class. (Use 'pay' in the negative form)

Answer explanation

This requires the full negative construction 'had not been' plus the '-ing' form of the verb 'pay' to show why he failed.

Choose the phrase that correctly completes the question: 'How long _____ for your lost dog before you found him?'

• you had been looking

• had you been looking

• have you been looking

• did you looked

Answer explanation

In a question that starts with a question word (like 'How long'), the structure is: question word + had + subject + been + verb-ing.