Past Perfect Progressive Tense

Form of Past Perfect Progressive Tense

• Subject + had been + "-ing" verb [present participle form]
  

Examples:

• She had been studying all night before the exam. [The action of studying started in the past and continued for some time before the exam.]

• We had been playing the match for an hour before the rain came. [The action of playing started in the past and continued for some time before the rain came.]

• They had been living in Japan for five years before they married. [The action of living started in the past and continued for five years before the decision to marry.]

Note that the past perfect progressive tense often appears in sentences that also include the simple past tense to show the sequence of events in the past.

Use of Past Perfect Progressive Tense

We use the past perfect progressive tense in some specific situations to indicate the duration of an action that occurred before another action or event in the past. Here are some common situations where we use the past perfect continuous tense:

1. Duration before a specific point in the past: 

We use the past perfect continuous tense to describe an action that started in the past and continued for a specific duration before another past action. 

For example:

• They had been studying in this college for six months before they moved to a new college.

• He caught cold because he had been swimming for an hour.

2. Cause and effect relationship: 

We use the past perfect continuous tense to show that one action in the past was the cause of another action or situation. 

For example:

• We were tired because we had been working under the hot sun for a long time.

3. Reporting past actions or events: 

We use the past perfect continuous tense in reported speech to describe what someone was doing at a specific point in the past. 

For example:

• She told me that she had been waiting for me all day.

In general, we use the past perfect continuous tense to describe longer ongoing actions or events in the past before another action to establish a clear sequence of events in the past.

Past Perfect Progressive Tense Worksheet 1

Instructions: Fill in the gaps with the appropriate form of the verb in brackets. Use the past perfect progressive tense for each sentence.

1. By the time I arrived at the party, they (dance) __________ for hours already.
   
2. She was out of breath because she (run) __________ to catch the bus.
3. We (study) __________ all morning, so we decided to take a break.
4. When the guests arrived, the chef (prepare) __________ dinner for the past two hours.
5. Before he finally found his keys, he (search) __________ the entire house.
6. They were exhausted because they (hike) __________ up the mountain for most of the day.
7. By the time I got home, my parents (paint) __________ the living room walls.
8. She (wait) __________ for the train for over an hour when it finally arrived.
9. The kids were all muddy because they (play) __________ in the garden.
10. The mechanic was covered in grease because he (fix) __________ cars all day.

Past Perfect Progressive Tense Worksheet 2

Instructions: Complete the following sentences using the past perfect progressive tense of the verbs given in brackets.

1. By the time I arrived at the party, they (dance) __________ for two hours already.
   
2. She (study) __________ at the library all day, so she was exhausted when she got home.
3. We (wait) __________ for the bus for over half an hour when it finally arrived.
4. The chef (prepare) __________ the ingredients for the recipe before the guests arrived.
5. They (play) __________ video games since morning, so they were tired by evening.
6. He (work) __________ on the project for weeks before he realized he had made a mistake.
7. The flowers (grow) __________ beautifully because of the consistent care they had received.
8. She (paint) __________ the portrait for hours before she decided to add more details.
9. By the time we reached the theater, the movie (start) __________ already.
10. The team (practice) __________ their routine for weeks before the competition.

Remember, the past perfect progressive tense is formed using "had been" + the base form of the verb + "-ing."

Answer Key: Worksheet 1

1. had been dancing
   
2. had been running
3. had been studying
4. had been preparing
5. had been searching
6. had been hiking
7. had been painting
8. had been waiting
9. had been playing
10. had been fixing

Answer Key: Worksheet 2

1. had been dancing
   
2. had been studying
3. had been waiting
4. had been preparing
5. had been playing
6. had been working
7. had been growing
8. had been painting
9. had started
10. had been practicing