Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Which sentence correctly uses the three parts needed for the past perfect continuous tense: had, been, and a verb ending in -ing?

• She had been playing soccer.

• They have been playing soccer.

• He was playing soccer.

• I will be playing soccer.

Answer explanation

This is the correct answer because the past perfect continuous tense is always formed with 'had' + 'been' + the present participle (-ing form) of a verb.

True or False: To make the past perfect continuous tense, you use the helping verbs 'has' and 'been'.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is false. The past perfect continuous tense uses the helping verb 'had', not 'has'. 'Has' is used for the present perfect continuous tense.

Complete the sentence: My brother was sleepy because he ______ video games all night.

• was playing

• has been playing

• had been playing

• is playing

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'had been playing' to show an action that was happening for a duration of time in the past before another past event (he was sleepy).

In the sentence 'He had been studying for two hours when the power went out,' what is the main idea the verb tense is showing?

• An action that was just starting.

• An action that happened for a period of time before another event in the past.

• An action happening right now.

• An action that will happen in the future.

Answer explanation

The past perfect continuous tense is used to emphasize the duration of an activity that was in progress before another action took place in the past.

Complete the sentence with the correct negative form: We missed the bus because we ______ attention to the time.

• hadn't been pay

• weren't paying

• haven't been paying

• hadn't been paying

Answer explanation

The negative form is 'had not been' or 'hadn't been' plus the -ing verb. This shows the action was not happening before the other past event (missing the bus).

True or False: The sentence 'She had been waiting until her friend arrived' correctly shows that the waiting stopped at the moment her friend got there.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is true. The time marker 'until' helps show that the ongoing past action ('had been waiting') continued up to the point of the second past action ('her friend arrived').

Which question is formed correctly to ask about a past ongoing action?

• You had been practicing?

• Been practicing had you?

• Had you been practicing long before the coach arrived?

• Did you were practicing?

Answer explanation

To form a question in the past perfect continuous, you invert the subject and 'had'. The correct structure is 'Had' + subject + 'been' + verb-ing.

Complete the sentence: How long ______ for your friend before you decided to leave the park?

• you had been waiting

• had you been waiting

• were you waiting

• have you been waiting

Answer explanation

For a 'Wh-' question, the structure is 'Wh- word' + 'had' + subject + 'been' + verb-ing. This correctly asks about the duration of the waiting period before the decision to leave.

Which sentence uses the past perfect continuous tense incorrectly, based on the type of verb?

• She had been knowing the secret for a week.

• They had been running for an hour.

• He had been building a treehouse all summer.

• I had been thinking about the problem.

Answer explanation

The verb 'to know' is a stative verb, which describes a state, not an action. Stative verbs are not typically used in continuous tenses; the past perfect simple ('had known') would be correct.

True or False: In the sentence 'I had not been sleeping well,' the word 'not' is placed correctly.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is true. In negative sentences, the word 'not' (or the contraction 'n't') is placed directly after 'had' and before 'been'.