Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Complete the sentence: My brother was tired because he ______ all day.

• had been traveling

• has been traveling

• was traveling

• is traveling

Answer explanation

This uses the correct past perfect continuous form 'had + been + verb-ing' to describe an action that happened over time before another past event (he was tired).

Which sentence is written in the past perfect continuous tense?

• She was playing soccer.

• She has played soccer for years.

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

• She played soccer yesterday.

Answer explanation

The past perfect continuous tense is formed with 'had + been + verb-ing'. This is the only option that follows that structure to show an action in progress before another past event.

True or False: The sentence 'They hadn't been paying attention in class' is a correct negative sentence in the past perfect continuous tense.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This sentence correctly forms the negative of the past perfect continuous by using the contraction 'hadn't' before 'been + verb-ing'.

Complete the sentence: I finally finished my homework at 8 PM. I ______ on it since I got home from school.

• was working

• had been working

• have worked

• worked

Answer explanation

The past perfect continuous tense is needed here to show that the action of working started in the past and continued up until another point in the past (8 PM).

Which sentence correctly uses a duration phrase like 'for' or 'since' with the past perfect continuous tense?

• He had been waiting since the bus arrived.

• She had been practicing for she was five.

• They had been studying for three hours before they took a break.

• I had been watching that show since last week and finished it.

Answer explanation

This sentence correctly uses 'for three hours' to show the duration of the studying that happened before another past action (taking a break). The other options misuse the time markers.

Complete the sentence: By the time the pizza arrived, we ______ about what to watch for thirty minutes.

• argued

• have been arguing

• were arguing

• had been arguing

Answer explanation

The phrase 'By the time' signals that one action was in progress before another past action occurred. The past perfect continuous ('had been arguing') correctly shows this.

True or False: To ask a question in the past perfect continuous, you would say, 'You had been listening to the music?'

• True

• False

Answer explanation

To form a question, you must invert the subject and the auxiliary verb 'had'. The correct question form is 'Had you been listening to the music?'.

Which sentence places the adverb 'always' in the correct position?

• He had been always wanting a new bike.

• He had always been wanting a new bike.

• He always had been wanting a new bike.

• He had been wanting always a new bike.

Answer explanation

In the past perfect continuous tense, adverbs like 'always' are typically placed after the first auxiliary verb, 'had'. The other placements are grammatically awkward.

My phone died because I ______ it all morning. Which is the correct negative form to complete the sentence?

• hadn't been charging

• wasn't charging

• haven't been charging

• not had charged

Answer explanation

The negative past perfect continuous ('hadn't been charging') correctly shows the action that was *not* happening for a duration leading up to that past event (the phone dying).

Complete the question: '______ had you been waiting before the train finally came?'

• How long

• When

• Did

• Were

Answer explanation

The answer to a past perfect continuous question often involves a duration. The question word 'How long' is used to ask about the length of time an action had been happening.