PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Past perfect continuous tense is used to state an action that started in the past, continued for some time in the past and then completed in the past. It also uses a time reference “Since” or “For” to indicate a specific time or duration.
When the exact time (particular day, month, year, time etc.) is given : 4 pm, January, 1984
Since
When the number/quantity/duration of time (3 days, 5 months, 7 years) is given
For
a) Affirmative/Positive Sentence
Subject + Auxiliary Verb ( Had ) + Been + Main Verb 1st Form + Ing + Object + Since/For
Examples:
1. He had been sleeping for 3 hours.
2. She had been working with that organization since 2012.
3. The kids had been playing cricket since 8 o’clock.
4. They had been working on the report for 6 hours.
5. She had been applying for jobs since January 2017.
6. They had been living in this house since 2010.
7. It had been raining for three hours.
8. They had been reading the book for two hours.
9. The Mumbai expressway project had been pending since 2018.
10. We had been roaming in Delhi for two hours.
11. He had been typing for two hours.
12. Illiteracy had been decreasing since 2014.
13. They had been shopping for three hours.
14. Two children had been making a noise since morning.
15. They had been winning the match since 2015.
b) Negative Sentence
Subject + Auxiliary Verb ( Had ) + Not + Been + Main Verb 1st Form + Ing + Object + Since/For
Examples:
1. He had not been writing the paper for 3 years.
2. Workers had not been working since 1 pm.
3. The internet had not been working for 5 hours.
4. He had not been visiting his parents since 2015.
5. They had not been watching cricket for 2 years.
6. Traffic had not been moving since morning.
7. Electricity had not been coming for two hour.
8. Children had not been eating food since morning.
9. The group had not been submitting their project for three days.
10.The farmer had not been getting urea for two years.
11. Uncle Amarjeet had not been taking the challenge since 1980.
12. Reliance had not been launching 5G in India since 2019.
13. They had not been studying English since Monday.
14. They had not been spreading the rumour for two months.
15. They had not been meeting since Tuesday.
c) Interrogative Sentence
Auxiliary Verb ( Had ) + Subject + Been + Main Verb 1st Form + Ing + Object + Since/For
Examples:
1. Had he been working on this project since 2015?
2. Had the kids been waiting for their food for 2 hours?
3. Had they been living in the same house since 2005?
4. Had you been waiting for me for 3 hours?
5. Had they been watching the match for 5 hours?
6. Had she been doing work for two hours?
7. Had you been fighting with each other for two hours?
8. Had the school been opening since 16th March?
9. Had they not been winning the match since 2017?
10. Had you been watering the plants since Monday?
11. Had he not been going to office since 2017?
12. Had Monica not been completing her household chores since morning?
13. Had this company not been launching new cars since 2018?
14. Had she been solving the sum for two hours?
15. Had they been watching the movies for three hours?
Exercise
Fill in the blanks :
1. They had not been _____English since Monday.
a). study
b). studies
c). studying
2. …………..
