Past Perfect Progressive (Past Perfect Continuous )

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Progressive (Past Perfect Continuous)

The past perfect progressive puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Form

• A: He had been talking.

• N: He had not been talking.

• Q: Had he been talking?

Use

• action taking place before a certain time in the past

• sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple

• puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action

signal words

• for, since, the whole day, all day