Past Perfect Continuous: rules of formation and cases of use. Past Perfect Continuous - Past perfect continuous tense: formation, use, rules and examples Past perfect progressive example sentences

When it comes to forms of the Perfect Continuous category, it is important to remember one thing: for any tense related to this grammatical construction, all attention is paid not only to the completion of a specific event, but also to the duration during which it occurred, i.e., the time period is also relevant here.

General time information

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense displays just such a case, but unlike a similar one, here attention is paid to a continued action, but not to the present, but to the past moment, when a particular situation occurs up to a certain point in the Past. This form is used quite often, and examples of such tenses include the following:

· They had been talking for a few minutes when he raised his head. (When he raised his head, they had been talking for several minutes)
· She said the very things her husband had been saying for so long. (She said exactly the things her husband had been saying for so long)
· The woman came from under the tree where she had been waiting. (The woman came out from under the tree under which she had been waiting

From such examples it becomes clear that such time indicates a certain process that either lasted until a certain point and ended, or can continue after it. The use of Past Perfect Continuous will be described in more detail below, but for now it is necessary to understand how this form is formed and what structural features it has.

Formation Past Perfect Continuous

Due to the fact that the basis of the Past Perfect Continuous is both a completed and a long action, this tense has both perfect features and properties inherent in continuous forms, as, for example, this is visible even in education. The first place is occupied by the auxiliary verb had. He is alone here, unlike the Present Perfect Continuous. Next, just like the present tense, follows, which is in the form Participle II and looks like been (or, to make it easier, the third form). The construction ends with a verb in Participle I, but this is also simplified and called simply a verb ending in –ing.

General scheme of Past Perfect Continuous
Summarizing all of the above, we can create a simple formula for this time, which should be used as a guide when constructing sentences:

Had + been + V(–ing)

Interrogative sentences

The formation of interrogative sentences here is quite logical. As in any tense that contains an auxiliary verb (y is did, y is have and has, etc.), had in this case will come first, making the reverse word order specific to English grammar, characteristic of questions. This should be followed by the subject, expressed, as a rule, by a personal pronoun or noun, and after it should be the rest of the tense construction with the minor members of the sentence.

For the Past Perfect Continuous, examples of question sentences could be as follows:

· You were at the airport at 2. Had she been waiting long? (You were at the airport at 2 o'clock. Did she wait long?)
· Had you been sleeping for the whole day before I came? (Did you sleep all day before I came?)

Features of negation in the Past Perfect Continuous

As for negative sentences, for the Past Perfect Continuous the rules and norms of grammar prohibit its use. Here the explanation comes into force, indicating that there was no such thing as a long-term effect. But if, for example, it is possible to form a negative form with the Past Continuous, then in the case of the perfect continuous tense this cannot be done. In this case, the standard Perfect Past should be used:

· She said she hadn’t waited for a long time. (She said she didn't wait very long)
· When I saw him, he hadn’t slept for 2 days already. (When I saw him, I hadn’t slept for 2 days)

Types of Past Perfect Continuous and usage cases

Before talking about ways to use this form, it should be noted that the Past Perfect Continuous has two varieties (the same as the Present) - Inclusive and Exclusive. Therefore, it would be more correct to describe the features of using Perfect Continuus pastes of each of these two types.

Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive time has one explanation, which is classic in principle for this entire temporal form as a whole: the action here lasts until a specific point in the past and, possibly, will continue after.

The standard and frequently used markers in this case are two main prepositions: for and since. The first is necessary in order to show the period, the period of how long the action has already been long, and the second is used for the so-called initial, or starting point, that is, to display the event from which the situation began:

· I had been fixing the roof for 3 hours when they came – I was fixing the roof for three hours when they came
· My wife had been washing windows since early morning when suddenly the rain started – My wife had been washing windows since early morning when suddenly it started raining

Time indicators such as for and since certainly reflect how long the action lasts, and the period of its duration can be any - for 2 months, since yesterday, for three years, since 2007, etc.

Additional features of using the Inclusive form

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive form is not typical for the following situations:

1. For verbs that are not used in the Continuous () form:

He said that he had known Mr. Adams for 2 years – He said he knew Mr. Adams for 2 years

2. For sentences with negation (examples are described above).

3. For verbs called non-finite, i.e. those where there is no time limit and the situation can last a very long time - travel, study, work, live, etc.

Note: in the last situation there is an exception: provided that the process is emphasized, and not the fact of the action, then duration is possible and the Past Perfect Progressive is used:

· Jenny said she had worked there for 10 years – Jenny said that she worked there for 10 years (fact)
· Jenny said she had been working there for 10 years – Jenny said that she worked there for 10 years (duration)

Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive

Sentences in this tense are formed in the same way as in the standard Past Perfect Continuous, but with one difference in use: what is illustrated here is not an action that is still lasting until a moment in the past, but was in the process a little earlier, and now at a specific moment the past is the result of this event:

When I saw her eyes I could easily guess she had been crying - When I saw her eyes, I immediately guessed that she was crying

Note: Just like the Present, the Past Perfect Continuous has only the active voice, which we do not use here.

Thus, the Past Perfect Continuous has a lot in common with the present completed and continuous tense, and all the situations of use and the rules of formation described above will help you use this form correctly and not make mistakes with its use.

Past Perfect Continuous- past continuous perfect tense in English. Indicates an action that began in the past, continued for some time and ended or did not end before some event in the past. The rules for forming the Past Perfect Continuous in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences, auxiliary words and examples of use are discussed in more detail below.

To form an affirmative sentence in the Past Perfect Continuous, you must use the auxiliary verbs had been and a verb ending in -ing. Formula for forming an affirmative sentence:

Noun + had been + verb ending in -ing

The noun and had can be contracted to form “d.” Examples of conversational sentences:

I had been playing football for 2 hours and then I took a shower. — I played football for 2:00, after which I took a shower.

I’d been typing this text for 2 hours and then found it on the Internet. — I typed this text for 2:00, and then found it on the Internet.

Negative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous are formed in a similar way, with the only difference that after the auxiliary verb had the share not is added. Formula:

Noun + had + not + been + verb ending -ing

The auxiliary verb had and the clause not can merge to form had not. Examples of negative sentences:

I had not been playing football all day before I got home. — I hadn't played football all day before I got home.

They had not been waiting for you for 2 hours before you came. — They weren’t expecting you at 2:00 when you arrived.

Interrogative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous are formed by moving the auxiliary verb had to the beginning of the sentence. Formula:

Had + noun + been + verb ending in -ing

Examples of interrogative sentences:

Had you been doing your homework for 3 hours before I came? — Did you do your homework 3:00 before you came?

Had it been raining before he arrived at home? — Was it raining before he came home?

Auxiliary words Past Perfect Continuous

When using the Past Perfect Continuous tense, you can use the following auxiliary words (so-called indicator words):

Cases in which the Past Perfect Continuous is used

The main thing when studying any time is to know the cases when its use will come in handy. Below are the rules and cases for using the Past Perfect Continuous in various situations.
Use case I: long-term exposure before an event in the past

Duration Before Something in the Past

The Past Perfect Continuous is used in cases where you need to put emphasis on an action that occurred over a period of time and ended (or did not end) before another event in the past. examples:

They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived. They talked for over an hour before Tony arrived.

She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business. “She worked for the company for three years before it went bankrupt.”

A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara? — How long did you study Turkish before you left for Ankara?
B: I had not been studying Turkish very long. — I haven’t studied Turkish for too long.

IIuse case: the reason for what is in the past

Cause of Something in the Past

Past Perfect Continuous can also be used in cases where you need to show a cause-and-effect relationship between events in the past. examples:

Jason was tired because he had been jogging. — Jason was tired because he was running.

Sam gained weight because he had been overeating. — Sam gained weight because he overeated.

Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class. — Betty failed the final test because she was not present in class.

And, as follows from the very name of the time. Like all times of the Continuous group, this time has a long-term character. From the Perfect group there is a character of completeness and the presence of results. Belonging to the group of so-called pre-past tenses, Past Perfect Continuous is used to denote a long-term action that occurred before a moment in the past.

Using the Past Perfect Continuous.

Past Perfect Continuous is used to indicate

• an action that began before a moment in the past, lasted for some time and ended before a moment in the past:

Jacob, who had been reading aloud Ava’s letter, stopped suddenly. Jacob, who had been reading Ava’s letter out loud, suddenly stopped.

• an action that began before a moment in the past, lasted for some time and continues at a moment in the past:

Since Ella’s return she had been losing strength. “Since her return, she has been losing strength.

Formation Past Perfect Continuous.

The Past Perfect Continuous is formed using a verb in the perfect form had been and the present participle () of the semantic verb.

Negative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous are formed using not. They can have a full or abbreviated form:

Interrogative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous are formed by placing the auxiliary verb had before the subject:

Past Perfect Continuous Tense (past perfect continuous tense) is another “scary” tense form for Russian-speaking people who are just starting to get acquainted with English grammar. If you are already familiar with the Continuous and Perfect tenses, then most likely you can already imagine what this temporary form is formed from and what functions it performs. You probably already guess that Past Perfect Continuous Tense has a lot in common, both in construction and in use, with Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses a long-term action that began before a certain moment in the past and continued up to this moment (it could continue during this moment or end immediately before this moment).

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is translated into Russian by imperfective verbs in the past tense.

This tense is very rarely used both in oral and written speech. But this does not mean that they can be neglected!

Rules for the formation of Past Perfect Continuous

Affirmative sentences are formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the Past Perfect Tense (had been) and the present participle of the main verb (Present Participle → infinitive of the verb + ending -ing).

Mean + had been + Present Participate …

In interrogative sentences, the first auxiliary verb (had) comes first before the subject, and the rest of the tense remains unchanged after the subject.

Had + Mean + been + Present Participe ???

To form negative sentences, the particle not is used, which is placed after the first auxiliary verb (had).

Mean + had + not + been + Present Participe …

In English it is customary to use abbreviated forms. For example:

• I had → I'd
• he had → he'd
• had not → hadn’t [ˈhædənt]

As you already understand, for all singular and plural persons, the verb in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense form will look the same.

Conjugation table for the verb to translate in Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used:

1. If you need to express a continuous past action that began before another action in the past, expressed in Past Indefinite Tense, and which was still ongoing at the time of the last one. As a rule, it is necessary to indicate the period of time during which the action lasted. This period can be indicated in such detailed words as:

• for three days (hours, months) - within three days (hours, months)
• for some time (a long time) - for some time (over a long time)
• since he came - since he came
• since 5 o’clock - from 5 o’clock
• all my life (day long, this year) - all my life (all day, all this year)

When translated into Russian, the verb will have an imperfect past tense form. Examples:

• We had been reading the new magazine for two hours when my telephone rang up and our friends invited us for a walk - We were reading the new magazine for two hours when my phone rang and our friends invited us for a walk
• We had been working on this problem since 1991 until we received positive results - We have been working on this problem since 1991 until we received a positive result
• I had been working in the orchard for four hours when my brother came to help me - I worked in the orchard for four hours when my brother came to help me

If there is no indication of how long the action took, then Past Continuous Tense should be used. Example:

• She was singing when the door-bell rang - She sang when the doorbell rang

2. If you need to express a continuous past action that ended immediately before a certain moment or an action in the past tense. This moment in the past tense is usually determined by the situation. Past Perfect Continuous Tense emphasizes the duration of the previous action and its results at the moment being described. The period of time during which the action took place may not be specified. Examples:

• My hands were dirty as I had been peeling potatoes - My hands were dirty as I peeled the potatoes
• I had a headache as I had been watching TV - I had a headache because I was watching TV
• He put aside the book which he had been reading - He put aside the book he was reading

Mastering the Past Perfect Continuous Tense is not as difficult as you might think at first. It is used only in two cases, which will not be difficult for you to remember. The main thing is to practice as much as possible.

Watch the following video lessons on the topic: “Past Perfect Continuous Tense - past perfect continuous tense in English.”

The past perfect continuous tense is quite rarely used in English speech due to the fact that its use requires rather specific conditions and a narrow context. We can see this in the following example:

From the situation described, it becomes clear that when the speaker looked out the window, the snow was no longer falling, it had stopped. But he had been walking for a long time earlier, before the speaker looked out the window, as evidenced by the snow cover on the ground and on the trees.

In the above sentence, the Past Perfect Continuous tense was used, which represents a transfer of another tense - the Present Perfect Continuous - into the conditions of the past. Let's compare:

The difference between these two situations is only in relation to what moment the continuous action in the recent past is considered: if relative to the present moment, then if relative to the past - Past Perfect Continuous.

Affirmative sentence is built according to the following scheme:

had been Ving.

Let's look at a few more examples of affirmative sentences in the Past Perfect Continuous:

For education negative sentence with a predicate in a given tense, the negative particle not is added directly to the form of the auxiliary, for example:

Question forms predicates are formed by moving the auxiliary verb had forward and placing it in front of the subject. For example, general question is built according to the following scheme:

A special question requires adding a question word at the beginning of the sentence, for example:

To form an alternative question, you must use the general question scheme, adding to it the dividing conjunction or/or, for example:

Question to the subject you should start with the question words Who or What, which play the role of the subject in such sentences, therefore the use of any other subject in such sentences is impossible.

Dividing questions– a rather rare occurrence for such a temporary form as the Past Perfect Continuous. But these questions are constructed quite simply even for such a seemingly difficult time. If the original sentence is affirmative, then after the comma separating it from the “label question”, the subject expressed by the corresponding personal pronoun is placed:

If the dividing question is based on a negative sentence, then the “label” will be positive, that is, it will consist of the verb form had and the subject, expressed traditionally by a personal pronoun:

Having considered all the types of sentences allowed in the past perfect continuous tense, it is worth talking a little about use this temporary form.

As shown above, the Past Perfect Continuous is used to show that some action or process continued for a long time in the past and ended before the onset of a later moment or action in the past, for example:

Sometimes such an action does not end at a certain moment in the past, but is only interrupted by it or continues until the specified moment, and sometimes after it:

We should not forget that a number of verbs, including, for example, know and want, cannot be used in the tenses of the Continuous and Perfect Continuous groups. This is due to their meaning not allowing a process or activity duration format. Let's compare:

As can be seen from the sentence on the left, the very meaning of the verb “know” does not allow it to be perceived as a long process.

In conclusion, I would like to note that, despite the low prevalence of the Past Perfect Continuous in speech, studying it is necessary to more accurately convey the nature of an action in the past in English.