Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Past Perfect Progressive Tense)

The past perfect continuous is written by using the past tense of have + been + present participle. It’s used when one activity in the past was happening before or after another activity had taken place. Look for the words for, since, and before.

The car had been sitting in the garage, unused, for a month.

It was 5 o’clock; his parents had been waiting for him since 2 o’clock.

Before they immigrated, my father had been working as a surgeon and my mother had been training to be a psychiatrist.

We’d been walking for only 5 minutes when the rain started.

Remember not to use the past perfect continuous tense with non-action verbs like be, seem, and know. These verbs should use the past perfect.

The baby had been being cranky all night.

The baby had been cranky all night.