Impact-e English Training

The Past Perfect Progressive

When do we use the Past Perfect Progressive?

The Past Perfect Progressive combines aspects of the Past Progressive and the Past Perfect . Please remember that this tense is used less than 5% of the time - so don't overuse it! When we do use it, it is:

to emphasize the length of an action (Progressive) and show that it started in the past and had been going on before a past action (Past Perfect)
- He had been working for the company for over twenty years when he retired.
as the past of the Present Perfect Progressive
- Present Perfect Progressive: John still isn't here? How long have you been waiting for him?
- Past Perfect Progressive: How long had you been waiting for John before he arrived?
to emphasize or show that it was a long time
- You can use this tense to show that you felt it was a long period of time although it may not seem to have been.
- e.g. I had been waiting for him for over twenty minutes before John showed up.

How do I make the tense?	The Past Perfect Progressive is formed with the Past Perfect form of the verb to be (had been) and the -ing form of the main verb.
Here are examples of:
Statements:	I had (I’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. You had (You’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. She had (She’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. He had (He’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. It had (It’d) been working for over ten years before it broke down. (E.g. the computer) We had (We’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. You had (You’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring. They had (They’d) been working here for over ten years before retiring.
Questions:	How long had I been working here before retiring? How long had you been working here before retiring? How long had she been working here before retiring? How long had he been working here before retiring? How long had it been working before it broke down? How long had we been working here before retiring? How long had you been working here before retiring? How long had they been working here before retiring?
Negatives:	I had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. You had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. She had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. He had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. It had not (hadn’t) been working very long before it broke down. We had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. You had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring. They had not (hadn’t) been working there very long before retiring.
Short answers	Yes, I had. Yes, she had. No, I had not. No, I hadn’t No, she had not. No, she hadn’t.