Transcript Verb Tenses: The Past Perfect Continuous

Verb Tenses:
The Past Perfect Continuous
Created by Kathryn Reilly
Verb Tense Background
• Verbs change their form to allow writers to
accurately describe events.
• Verbs alert the reader if the action is in the
past, present or future.
• Within these three main time frames, actions
can be further broken down.
The Past Perfect Continuous
• The past perfect continuous describes an
event that took place over a period in the past
before another past event took place.
• This tense helps writers to convey the
sequence of events.
• To create the past perfect continuous, two
auxiliary verbs are needed: had and been.
Creating the Past Perfect Continuous
• To create the past perfect continuous tense:
Subject + auxiliary verb had + auxiliary verb been + -ing verb
Hope had been baking cookies when the doorbell rang.
Here, the subject was baking before the doorbell rang;
however both these events are in the past.
I had been celebrating my birthday when President Obama
won the election!
Here, the subject was celebrating before President
Obama won the election; however both events are in
the past.
Past Perfect Continuous Examples
• The past perfect continuous tense describes a
longer event before another event in the past.
– Sara had not been expecting anyone when she heard
a knock at the door.
– We had been collecting evidence at the crime scene
since 2 a.m.
Be Aware…
• …when phrasing a question in the past perfect
continuous tense, the auxiliary verb had
should begin the question followed by the
subject.
– Had they been eavesdropping when the officer
discovered them?
– Had Jon been ignoring his phone for days?