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PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE FORM
Past Perfect Continuous S + HAD BEEN + V-ing[Verb+ing] + O/C
EXAMPLES: I had been waiting there for two hours before she finally arrived. She had only been studying English for two years before she got the job.
NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with more than one part such as Past Perfect Continuous (had been studying), adverbs often come between the first part and the second part (had only been studying).
USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now.
EXAMPLES: They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived. She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business. James had been teaching at the University for more than a year before he left for Asia.
USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.
EXAMPLES: Jason was tired because he had been jogging. Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.
IMPORTANT If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday", many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous. There is also a difference in meaning. Compare the examples below.
EXAMPLES: I was reading when my roommate returned. The reading will be interrupted. I had been reading for an hour when my roommate returned. The reading stopped just before my roommate returned.
ACTIVE / PASSIVE FORMS Past Perfect Continuous
EXAMPLES: Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years, before he moved to Paris. ACTIVE The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. PASSIVE NOTE: Passive forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are not common.