Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Definitions Rules Formula Examples

Learn Past Perfect Continuous Tense with definitions, formulas, and examples of Negative, Interrogative, and Interro-negative Sentences in the easiest way.

Definitions of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

General Definition:
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses an action that had been happening for a period of time before another past action or a specific time in the past.

Grammar Definition:
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is formed using “had been” + present participle (verb + ing) to indicate a past action that was ongoing before another past event.

Example-Based Definition:
If an action was happening for some time and then something else occurred in the past, the Past Perfect Continuous is used to describe the ongoing action.

Past =passed

Perfect =complete

Continuous = any action in process/happening recently

Tense = verb/time

Past Perfect Continuous Tense = any action completed in a continuous manner

Structure/Formula of Past Perfect Tense

S+had+been+(1V+ing)+ O.

They had been doing duty.

Examples of Past Perfect Tense Affirmative Sentences

had been =use for any subject(s)

S	had	been	1V-ing	O
Ahmad	had	been	do-ing	job.

Ahmad had been doing the job.

S	had	been	1V-ing	O
We	had	been	play-ing	cricket.

We had been playing cricket.

S	had	been	1V-ing	O
You	had	been	teach-ing	in a college.

You had been teaching in a college.

Affirmative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples

Here’s a table with 20 affirmative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense, using since and for correctly:

No.	Past Perfect Continuous Affirmative Sentence
1.	She had been reading the novel.
2.	They had been playing football.
3.	He had been working at the company.
4.	We had been waiting.
5.	The baby had been crying.
6.	I had been learning Spanish.
7.	She had been cooking in the kitchen.
8.	The dog had been barking.
9.	John had been practicing the piano.
10.	They had been discussing the project.
11.	The workers had been repairing the road.
12.	She had been painting the wall.
13.	We had been watching TV.
14.	He had been exercising in the gym.
15.	The teacher had been explaining the topic.
16.	They had been arguing to resolve the issue.
17.	The river had been flowing rapidly.
18.	She had been traveling across Europe.
19.	The scientist had been researching the new theory since last year.
20.	I had been trying to call you.

These sentences are complete and structured properly in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after had. Let us formulate it.

S+had+not+been+1V-ing+O

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O
We	had	not	been	go-ing	school.

We had not been going to school.

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O
We	had	not	been	do-ing	homework.

We had not been doing homework.

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O
I	had	not	been	go-ing	walk.

I had not been going for a walk.

Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples

Here is a table with 20 negative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense, using since and for appropriately.

No.	Negative Sentence (Past Perfect Continuous)
1.	She had not been reading the book for two hours before dinner.
2.	They had not been playing football since the morning.
3.	He had not been working on the project for three months before he quit.
4.	We had not been living in that house since last summer.
5.	The baby had not been crying for an hour before his mother arrived.
6.	I had not been studying English since 2019.
7.	You had not been waiting for long when the bus finally arrived.
8.	The workers had not been protesting for a week before the issue was resolved.
9.	It had not been snowing since early morning.
10.	The teacher had not been explaining the topic for thirty minutes when the bell rang.
11.	She had not been exercising regularly since January.
12.	They had not been discussing the issue for two days before a decision was made.
13.	The mechanic had not been repairing the car since Monday.
14.	I had not been feeling well for three days before visiting the doctor.
15.	The boys had not been playing video games for five hours before their mother stopped them.
16.	He had not been learning Spanish since his last trip to Spain.
17.	The birds had not been chirping for an hour before the storm started.
18.	We had not been waiting for the train since 7 a.m.
19.	The neighbors had not been arguing for weeks before they finally reconciled.
20.	She had not been practicing the piano since last month.

These sentences are grammatically correct and properly formatted with since (for specific points in time) and for (for durations of time). Would you like me to create more examples or explain anything further? Ask in the comment box.

Interrogative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence interrogative, place “had” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence. Let us formulate it.

Had+ S +been +1V-ing + O + ?

Had	S	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	Ahmad	been	do-ing	teaching job?

Had Ahmad been doing a teaching job?

Had	S	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	you	been	cook-ing	food?

Had you been cooking food?

Had	S	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	she	been	wash-ing	clothes?

Had she been washing clothes?

Interrogative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples

Here’s a table with 20 interrogative sentences in Past Perfect Continuous Tense, using since/for appropriately.

No.	Interrogative Sentence (Past Perfect Continuous)
1.	Had she been studying for three hours before the test started?
2.	Had they been working in the company since 2015 before they resigned?
3.	Had he been waiting for you for an hour when you finally arrived?
4.	Had the children been playing outside since morning before it started raining?
5.	Had you been feeling unwell for a week before visiting the doctor?
6.	Had the dog been barking for an hour before the owner came home?
7.	Had she been practicing piano since last year before her big performance?
8.	Had we been traveling for six hours before we reached the destination?
9.	Had the teacher been explaining the lesson for 30 minutes before the bell rang?
10.	Had the workers been protesting for better wages since last month?
11.	Had he been living in this house since childhood before moving out?
12.	Had they been searching for the missing keys for two days?
13.	Had the students been preparing for the exam since last Monday?
14.	Had you been waiting at the bus stop for 20 minutes before the bus arrived?
15.	Had the baby been crying for a long time before the mother soothed her?
16.	Had he been playing football since noon before he got injured?
17.	Had she been working on her novel for six months before it was published?
18.	Had they been discussing the project for an hour before the manager joined?
19.	Had the scientist been researching the new medicine since last year?
20.	Had the chef been cooking for three hours before the guests arrived?

Interro-Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “had“ right before the subject of a negative sentence and put the sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

Had	S	not	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	she	not	been	go-ing	school?

Had she not been going to school?

Had	S	not	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	she	not	been	cook-ing	food?

Had he not been cooking food?

Had	S	not	been	1V-ing	O?
Had	you	not	been	do-ing	hard work?

Had you not been doing hard work?

Interro-Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples

Here is a table with 20 non-plagiarized interro-negative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense, using since/for correctly.

No.	Interro-Negative Sentence
1	Had she not been reading the book for two hours before dinner?
2	Had they not been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes before it arrived?
3	Had he not been working in the office since morning?
4	Had we not been practicing football for three hours before the coach arrived?
5	Had you not been living in this house since 2015?
6	Had she not been feeling unwell since last night?
7	Had the children not been playing in the park for an hour before it started raining?
8	Had the teacher not been explaining the topic for 20 minutes before the bell rang?
9	Had the baby not been crying since noon?
10	Had the workers not been repairing the road for two days before the inspection?
11	Had the students not been studying for their exams for a week before the test?
12	Had the driver not been driving continuously for five hours before taking a break?
13	Had the singer not been rehearsing for the concert since last Monday?
14	Had you not been using this phone for three years before replacing it?
15	Had the gardener not been watering the plants since early morning?
16	Had she not been looking for a job for six months before she got hired?
17	Had they not been discussing the project since yesterday?
18	Had the dog not been barking at strangers for a few minutes before you arrived?
19	Had the chef not been cooking in the restaurant for ten years before he left?
20	Had the musician not been playing the guitar since his childhood?

These sentences maintain correct grammar and the interro-negative structure while ensuring originality.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense for Time Frame

When we consider time content, the formula will be as:

had

been

1V-ing

since/for

time

For Example:

For=how long

For Example:

For,

Two years,

One month,

Half an hour

Use since for the following:

Morning,

Last Summer,

Night,

June,

S	had	been	1V-ing	O	since/for	time
He	had	been	reading	a book	since	morning.

He had been reading a book since morning.

S	had	been	1V-ing	O	since/for	time
We	had	been	doing	business	for	a year.

We had been doing business for a year.

No.	Past Perfect Continuous Affirmative Sentence
1.	She had been reading the novel for two hours before dinner.
2.	They had been playing football since morning when it started raining.
3.	He had been working at the company for five years before he got promoted.
4.	We had been waiting since 6 AM for the bus to arrive.
5.	The baby had been crying for twenty minutes before his mother picked him up.
6.	I had been learning Spanish for three months before visiting Spain.
7.	She had been cooking in the kitchen since 5 PM when the guests arrived.
8.	The dog had been barking for half an hour before it calmed down.
9.	John had been practicing the piano since last summer before his first concert.
10.	They had been discussing the project for three hours before reaching a decision.
11.	The workers had been repairing the road since early morning when it started raining.
12.	She had been painting the wall for two hours before she took a break.
13.	We had been watching TV since 8 PM when the power went out.
14.	He had been exercising in the gym for an hour before his trainer arrived.
15.	The teacher had been explaining the topic since the beginning of the class.
16.	They had been arguing for a long time before they finally resolved the issue.
17.	The river had been flowing rapidly since the heavy rainfall.
18.	She had been traveling across Europe for six months before returning home.
19.	The scientist had been researching the new theory since last year.
20.	I had been trying to call you for an hour before you finally answered.

Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Time)

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after had. Let us formulate it.

S+had+been+not+4V+O+since/for+…..

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O	for	time
We	had	not	been	play-ing	cricket	for	four years.

We had not been playing cricket for four years.

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O	for	time
I	had	not	been	gossip-ing		for	an hour.

I had not been gossiping for an hour.

“Gossip” represents both verb and object.

S	had	not	been	1V-ing	O	for	time

Sajid	had	not	been	go-ing	school	since	wedn-esday

Sajid had not been going to school since Wednesday.

No.	Negative Sentence (Past Perfect Continuous) Time Frame
1.	She had not been reading the book for two hours before dinner.
2.	They had not been playing football since the morning.
3.	He had not been working on the project for three months before he quit.
4.	We had not been living in that house since last summer.
5.	The baby had not been crying for an hour before his mother arrived.
6.	I had not been studying English since 2019.
7.	You had not been waiting for long when the bus finally arrived.
8.	The workers had not been protesting for a week before the issue was resolved.
9.	It had not been snowing since early morning.
10.	The teacher had not been explaining the topic for thirty minutes when the bell rang.
11.	She had not been exercising regularly since January.
12.	They had not been discussing the issue for two days before a decision was made.
13.	The mechanic had not been repairing the car since Monday.
14.	I had not been feeling well for three days before visiting the doctor.
15.	The boys had not been playing video games for five hours before their mother stopped them.
16.	He had not been learning Spanish since his last trip to Spain.
17.	The birds had not been chirping for an hour before the storm started.
18.	We had not been waiting for the train since 7 a.m.
19.	The neighbors had not been arguing for weeks before they finally reconciled.
20.	She had not been practicing the piano since last month.

Interrogative Sentence of Past Perfect Tense (Time)

To make a sentence interrogative, place “had” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence. Let us formulate it.

Had+S+been+4V+O+since/for+…… ?

Had	S	been	1V-ing	O	since/for	time?
Had	he	been	reading	a book	since	morning?

Had he been reading a book since morning?

Had	S	been	1Ving	O	since/for	time?
Had	we	been	do-ing	work	for	one year?

Had we been doing work for one year?

Had	S	been	1Ving	O	since/for	time?
Had	Ali	been	do-ing	a job	for	two years?

Had Ali been doing a job for two years?

No.	Interrogative Sentence (Past Perfect Continuous) Time Frame
1.	Had she been studying for three hours before the test started?
2.	Had they been working in the company since 2015 before they resigned?
3.	Had he been waiting for you for an hour when you finally arrived?
4.	Had the children been playing outside since morning before it started raining?
5.	Had you been feeling unwell for a week before visiting the doctor?
6.	Had the dog been barking for an hour before the owner came home?
7.	Had she been practicing piano since last year before her big performance?
8.	Had we been traveling for six hours before we reached the destination?
9.	Had the teacher been explaining the lesson for 30 minutes before the bell rang?
10.	Had the workers been protesting for better wages since last month?
11.	Had he been living in this house since childhood before moving out?
12.	Had they been searching for the missing keys for two days?
13.	Had the students been preparing for the exam since last Monday?
14.	Had you been waiting at the bus stop for 20 minutes before the bus arrived?
15.	Had the baby been crying for a long time before the mother soothed her?
16.	Had he been playing football since noon before he got injured?
17.	Had she been working on her novel for six months before it was published?
18.	Had they been discussing the project for an hour before the manager joined?
19.	Had the scientist been researching the new medicine since last year?
20.	Had the chef been cooking for three hours before the guests arrived?

Interro-Negative Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Time)

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “had” right before the subject of a negative sentence and put the sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

S+had+been+not+1Ving+O+since/for+time(Simple)

S+had+been+not+1Ving+O+since/for+time (Negative)

S+had+been+not+1Ving+O+since/for+time (Interro-negative)

Had	S	not	been	1V-ing	O	since/for	time?
Had	Sajid	not		go-ing	school	since	Wednesday?

Had Sajid not been going to school since Wednesday?

Had	S	not	been	1V-ing	O	since/for	time?
Had	we	not		do-ing	hard work	since	morning?

Had we not been doing hard work since morning?

No.	Interro-Negative Sentence (Time Frame)
1	Had she not been reading the book for two hours before dinner?
2	Had they not been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes before it arrived?
3	Had he not been working in the office since morning?
4	Had we not been practicing football for three hours before the coach arrived?
5	Had you not been living in this house since 2015?
6	Had she not been feeling unwell since last night?
7	Had the children not been playing in the park for an hour before it started raining?
8	Had the teacher not been explaining the topic for 20 minutes before the bell rang?
9	Had the baby not been crying since noon?
10	Had the workers not been repairing the road for two days before the inspection?
11	Had the students not been studying for their exams for a week before the test?
12	Had the driver not been driving continuously for five hours before taking a break?
13	Had the singer not been rehearsing for the concert since last Monday?
14	Had you not been using this phone for three years before replacing it?
15	Had the gardener not been watering the plants since early morning?
16	Had she not been looking for a job for six months before she got hired?
17	Had they not been discussing the project since yesterday?
18	Had the dog not been barking at strangers for a few minutes before you arrived?
19	Had the chef not been cooking in the restaurant for ten years before he left?
20	Had the musician not been playing the guitar since his childhood?

You may also learn

Past Perfect Continuous Tense – Definitions Rules Formula Examples