Question

explain past perfect continues tense​

Answer 1

$\huge{\bf{\green{Past\: Perfect\: Continues\: Tense}}}$

$\bf{\underline{STRUCTURE}}$

For sentences with verbs in the$\bf{past \:perfect \:continuous \:tense}$ , we write:

$\bf{\blue{subject+had\: been + -ing form\: of \:the\: verb}}$

$\bf{\underline{FORMATION}}$

$\bf{1. Affirmative\: sentences}$

We use $\blue{had \:been}$ and $\blue{present \:participle}$ with all the subjects.

$\bf{\red{Examples:}}$

• Sheena $\blue{had\: been\: trying}$ to immigrate to Australia for a year.

• Rohan $\blue{had \:been\: learning}$ French for some weeks before he left for Paris.

$\bf{2. Negative \:sentences}$

We use$\blue{not}$ between $\blue{had}$ and $\blue{been}$.

$\bf{\red{Examples:}}$

• She $\blue{had \:not \:been\: trying}$ for admission in this school for two years.

• We $\blue{had\: not\: been\: thinking}$ of engaging a professional artist.

$\bf{3. Interrogative \:sentences}$

We use $\blue{had}$ before the subject and $\blue{been}$ follows it.

$\bf{\red{Examples:}}$

• $\blue{Had}$ she $\blue{been speaking}$ to you for an hour before she left?
• $\blue{Had}$ they $\blue{been\: playing}$ for an hour when the bell rang?

$\bf{\underline{USE}}$

This tense is used to express an action which began before a definite moment in the past, had continued up to that moment, and was still in progress at that moment or had recently finished. Generally, a time expression is used with this tense.

$\bf{\red{Examples:}}$

• You $\blue{had \:been\: listening}$ to music for an hour before there was a power cut.
• Thomas Alva Edison$\blue{had\: been\: experimenting}$ for years before he invented the electric bulb.

Answer 2

The past perfect continuous tense (also known as the past perfect progressive tense) shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past. The past perfect continuous tense is constructed using had been + the verb’s present participle (root + -ing).