past perfect continuous

AFFIRMATIVE Subject+ had+ been + the –ing form of the verb. NEGATIVE Subject+ hadn’t + been + the –ing form of the verb. INTERROGATIVE Had +subject+ been + the –ing form of the verb.  We use the present perfect continuous to talk about an action taking place before a certain time in the past. I had been reading the book for 10 minutes when Sue arrived. They had been working the whole afternoon. We use this tense to put emphasis on the duration or course of an action. She had been studying for her final exam since the beginning of the month of June. FORM USE OF THE TENSE  The past perfect continuous is the past of the present perfect continuous: I hope the bus comes soon. I have been waiting for over 10 minutes. At last the bus came. I had been waiting for over ten minutes. Compare the past perfect continuous and the past continuous: It wasn’t raining when we went out. The sun was shining. But it had been raining, so the ground was wet. Complete the sentences using a suitable verb from the list in the past Continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous. DRIVE WASH FEEL TRY MARRY GO START KNOW GET TAKE WORK BE READ TALK DO RAIN WATCH SEE 1. She ________________________ the book the whole morning. 2. We were good friends. We _____________ each other for a long time. 3. Sue ____________________ for ten years when her husband died. 4. They ____________________ ten miles when the car broke down. 5. She ________________ part in competitions since she was a little girl. 6. Tina _________________ the ironing when her daughter arrived. 7. Paul and Lisa ________________ out together for 3 years when they broke up. 8. He ________________ to solve the crossword since the beginning of the week and in the end he completed it. 9. He __________________ on his computer when the light went out and lost all the information. 10. While Tom ______________ the dishes his wife went shopping to the supermarket. 11. The concert ______ already ______ when we arrived at the theatre. 12. Brenda told the policeman she ______________ anything strange in the neighbourhood. 13. She decided to go to the doctor as she __________________ very well since she got up in the morning. 14. When we went out the road was wet as it ________________ heavily. 15. He ______________ in prison for over ten years when he managed to escape. 16. He ________________ on his mobile for over ten minutes when his teacher saw him. 17. They _________________ TV the whole afternoon before they decided to go out for a walk. 18. They were late for work as they ________________ stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour. Time expressions FOR- SINCE She’d been cooking since she got up/ for 2 hours. HOW LONG We use “how long” in questions: How long had you been waiting? THE WHOLE DAY/ ALL DAY They had been studying the whole day / all day. . sentences using a suitable verb from the list in the past Continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous. DRIVE WASH FEEL TRY MARRY GO START KNOW GET. the month of June. FORM USE OF THE TENSE  The past perfect continuous is the past of the present perfect continuous: I hope the bus comes soon. I have