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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

Complete the sentence to show a consistent, past habit: My dad was a great cook because he ______ new recipes his whole life.

• had always been trying

• had been always trying

• always had been trying

• had been trying always

Answer explanation

Adverbs like 'always' or 'never' are usually placed between the first helping verb ('had') and the second one ('been') for correct and natural-sounding grammar.

Your friend wrote: 'The ground was wet because it had been rain.' How would you correct this sentence to use the proper grammar rule?

• The ground was wet because it had raining.

• The ground was wet because it had been raining.

• The ground was wet because it was be raining.

• The ground was wet because it had rained.

Answer explanation

The original sentence is missing the correct '-ing' form of the verb. To fix it, you must use the present participle 'raining' after 'had been'.

Complete the story: The kitchen was a mess. Flour dusted every surface, and empty eggshells were on the counter. My sister ______ a cake for the party.

• was making

• has made

• had made

• had been making

Answer explanation

The phrase 'had been making' best explains the evidence (the messy kitchen). It shows the continuous action of making a cake that happened before the moment the kitchen was seen.

If your friend's eyes were red, which sentence best explains the reason using the past perfect continuous tense?

• She was watching a sad movie when I arrived.

• She had been watching a sad movie before I arrived.

• She watched a sad movie.

• She has been watching a sad movie.

Answer explanation

This answer best uses the past perfect continuous to show a past action (watching the movie) that continued for some time and caused a result (red eyes) that was visible at a later past moment (when I arrived).

What is the main job of the past perfect continuous tense when you're telling a story?

• To describe the single most important event.

• To talk about something happening in the present.

• To give background information about an action that was going on before the main past event happened.

• To list a series of completed actions in order.

Answer explanation

This tense is perfect for setting the scene in a narrative. It tells the reader what had been happening for a while leading up to a specific moment or event in the story.