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.
1 Tier 1 – The Concept & Nuance: Duration Leading Up to a Past Point
The past perfect continuous (had been + verb-ing) is the past equivalent of have been doing. It shows that an activity had been happening for a period of time before something else occurred in the past.
– “We were good friends. We had known each other for years.” (stative)
2 Tier 2 – Past Continuous (was doing) vs Past Perfect Continuous (had been doing)
| It was raining. | It was raining at that specific moment. |
| It had been raining. | The rain had stopped just before that moment (the ground was wet). |
3 Tier 3 – Top 3 Common Learner Pitfalls
– Rule: When duration (for two hours) precedes an interruption, use past perfect continuous.
– Rule: Stative verbs of possession (have, own) take the past perfect simple (had had).
– Rule: The preceding activity causing a past state requires the past perfect 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.