Mechanical Engineering  >  General Aptitude for GATE  >  Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics - General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

Past Perfect Progressive Tense

We use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense to talk about duration of an action in the past.

Forming Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Affirmative Form

Subject + had + been + verb(ing)...
I had been studying English.

Negative Form

Subject + hadn't + been + verb(ing)...
I hadn't been living in poverty.

Question Form

Had + subject + been + verb(ing)...?
Had she been sleeping?

Negative Question

Hadn't + subject + been + verb(ing)...
Hadn't they been waiting for you?
Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

More Examples

a. The old man had been sleeping on the corner until you came.
b. I had been practicing the violin before my dad arrived.
c. How long had you been learning English before you moved to USA?
d. The students had been waiting for the results until yesterday.
e. Henry had been watching TV before you called him.

The document Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering is a part of the Mechanical Engineering Course General Aptitude for GATE.
All you need of Mechanical Engineering at this link: Mechanical Engineering
84 videos|84 docs|108 tests

FAQs on Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses, English Grammar Basics - General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

1. What is the difference between Past Perfect Progressive Tense and Past Perfect Continuous Tense?
Ans. The Past Perfect Progressive Tense and Past Perfect Continuous Tense are essentially the same and can be used interchangeably. They both indicate an ongoing action that started in the past and continued up until another point in the past. The only difference is that the term "progressive" emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action, while the term "continuous" emphasizes the duration of the action.
2. How do we form the Past Perfect Progressive Tense?
Ans. To form the Past Perfect Progressive Tense, we use the auxiliary verb "had" in the past perfect tense, followed by "been" and the present participle form of the main verb (-ing form). For example, "I had been studying for three hours before the exam."
3. When do we use the Past Perfect Progressive Tense?
Ans. We use the Past Perfect Progressive Tense to describe an ongoing action that started in the past, continued for a period of time, and was still ongoing at a specific point in the past. It is often used to establish the duration of an action before another past event. For example, "She had been working at the company for five years before she got promoted."
4. Can we use the Past Perfect Progressive Tense to talk about completed actions in the past?
Ans. No, the Past Perfect Progressive Tense is specifically used to describe ongoing actions in the past. If you want to talk about completed actions in the past, you should use the Past Perfect Tense instead. For example, "I had finished my homework before dinner."
5. Are there any signal words or phrases that indicate the use of the Past Perfect Progressive Tense?
Ans. Yes, there are some signal words or phrases that can indicate the use of the Past Perfect Progressive Tense, such as "had been," "for," and "since." These words or phrases can help identify the ongoing and continuous nature of the action in the past. For example, "I had been waiting for hours when she finally arrived."
84 videos|84 docs|108 tests
Download as PDF
Explore Courses for Mechanical Engineering exam
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev
Download free EduRev App
Track your progress, build streaks, highlight & save important lessons and more!
Related Searches

mock tests for examination

,

Sample Paper

,

Viva Questions

,

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses

,

pdf

,

MCQs

,

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses

,

English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

,

Semester Notes

,

Exam

,

ppt

,

English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

,

English Grammar Basics | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering

,

Summary

,

Extra Questions

,

video lectures

,

Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Tenses

,

study material

,

shortcuts and tricks

,

Free

,

past year papers

,

Previous Year Questions with Solutions

,

practice quizzes

,

Important questions

,

Objective type Questions

;