Intermediate Grammar
Master English grammar one unit at a time. Clear notes, then 40+ interactive exercises with instant feedback — based on the topics in English Grammar in Use (Intermediate).
Past Perfect Continuous“I had been doing” — 44 interactive questions
📖 Grammar Reference — Past Perfect Continuous
Study the notes, then work through the six exercises.
A Form — had been + verb-ing (same for everyone)
| + | I had been waiting. · She ‘d been running. (‘d = had) |
| − | We hadn’t been sleeping. · They had not been listening. |
| ? | Had you been waiting long? · How long had it been raining? |
💡 had never changes for the person — one form fits all subjects. After had been always use the -ing form of the verb (working, running, studying…).
B Use — an activity continuing up to a past moment
Something had been happening for a while, and then we reach a point in the past. We often see its result at that point (tired, wet, out of breath…).
📖 It answers How long…? in the past: When I arrived, they had been waiting for an hour. · The ground was wet because it had been raining.
C Continuous vs simple — activity or finished result?
⚠️ Use had been + -ing for the activity and how long; use had + past participle for a completed result or a number. State verbs (know, like, have, be) don’t take the continuous.
Made with care for English learners · allenglish4u.com
Original practice material inspired by the English Grammar in Use syllabus (Cambridge University Press). Example sentences and exercises are written by All English 4U.