Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets and Exercises

1. She was tired because she __________ (work) all day.
2. When I arrived, they __________ (wait) for a long time.
3. By 10 PM, he __________ (study) for five hours.
4. They were hungry because they __________ (cook) for hours.
5. I was sweaty because I __________ (exercise) at the gym.
6. When she called, I __________ (read) for two hours.
7. By the time they woke up, the sun __________ (shine) for hours.
8. He was out of breath because he __________ (run) for an hour.
9. When we met, they __________ (travel) for days.
10. She was muddy because she __________ (play) outside in the rain.
11. By midnight, I __________ (work) on the project for six hours.
12. They were exhausted because they __________ (dance) all night.
13. When I called, she __________ (practice) the guitar for hours.
14. By the time they arrived, the movie __________ (play) for half an hour.
15. She looked relaxed because she __________ (meditate) for a long time.
16. He was covered in flour because he __________ (bake) all afternoon.
17. I was drenched because I __________ (run) in the rain.
18. They were thrilled because they __________ (wait) for this moment for weeks.
19. When he arrived, I __________ (read) the novel for hours.
20. By the time we left, they __________ (party) for several hours.
21. She was hoarse because she __________ (sing) at the concert all evening.
22. They were sunburned because they __________ (swim) in the pool for too long.
23. I was amazed because he __________ (juggle) for hours without dropping anything.
24. When they called, I __________ (watch) TV for a while.
25. By the time she woke up, the storm __________ (rage) for hours.

                                       Scroll down to see Answers

Worksheet 2: Choose the Correct option

By the time she arrived at the party, they __________ for hours.

A) had danced     B) had been dancing     C) danced       D) were dancing

How long __________ before the electricity was finally restored?

A) they were working    B) had they been working   C) did they work   D) have they been working

• When I met him, he __________ a novel for three hours.

A) had been reading    B) has been reading    C) was reading    D) reads  

• By the time she woke up, the sun __________ for hours.

A) shone     B) had shone      C) was shining      D) been shining

• They were exhausted because they __________ soccer all afternoon.

A) were playing    B) had played    C) had been playing     D) played

• When we arrived, they __________ the decorations for the party.

A) have been preparing    B) were preparing    C) had prepared    D) had been preparing

• She looked tired because she __________ in the garden for hours.

A) was working    B) had been working     C) worked    D) has been working

• By the time I got home, he __________ dinner for the family.

A) cooks      B) had cooked       C) was cooking     D) had been cooking

• How long __________ each other before they decided to get married?

A) had they known     B) they knew     C) did they know     D) do they know

• I was out of breath because I __________ for an hour before the race.

A) ran      B) had been running      C) run       D) had run

Worksheet 3: Rewrite Sentences in Negative or Interrogative form

She was tired because she had been playing.

•  She wasn’t tired because she hadn’t been playing.
•  Was she tired because she had been playing?

They were dirty as they had been gardening.

• They weren’t dirty as they hadn’t been gardening.
• Were they dirty because they had been gardening?

I was sleepy because I had been reading.

•  I wasn’t sleepy because I hadn’t been reading.
•  Was I sleepy because I had been reading?

He was happy because he had been watching cartoons.

•  He wasn’t happy because he hadn’t been watching cartoons.
•  Was he happy because he had been watching cartoons?

The cake was delicious; it had been baking in the oven.

• The cake wasn’t delicious because it hadn’t been baking in the oven.
•  Was the cake delicious because it had been baking in the oven?