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Boost your English skills with our Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets. These easy-to-use sheets help you learn how to talk about actions that were happening before something else in the past. They give you clear examples and exercises to practice this advanced tense. Perfect for anyone trying to get better at English, these Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets make learning this tricky part of grammar much simpler. Use them to get confident in describing past actions that continued over a period of time.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets
Worksheet 1: Fill in the blanks with Appropriate form of the verb given in bracket
- She was tired because she __________ (work) all day.
- When I arrived, they __________ (wait) for a long time.
- By 10 PM, he __________ (study) for five hours.
- They were hungry because they __________ (cook) for hours.
- I was sweaty because I __________ (exercise) at the gym.
- When she called, I __________ (read) for two hours.
- By the time they woke up, the sun __________ (shine) for hours.
- He was out of breath because he __________ (run) for an hour.
- When we met, they __________ (travel) for days.
- She was muddy because she __________ (play) outside in the rain.
- By midnight, I __________ (work) on the project for six hours.
- They were exhausted because they __________ (dance) all night.
- When I called, she __________ (practice) the guitar for hours.
- By the time they arrived, the movie __________ (play) for half an hour.
- She looked relaxed because she __________ (meditate) for a long time.
- He was covered in flour because he __________ (bake) all afternoon.
- I was drenched because I __________ (run) in the rain.
- They were thrilled because they __________ (wait) for this moment for weeks.
- When he arrived, I __________ (read) the novel for hours.
- By the time we left, they __________ (party) for several hours.
- She was hoarse because she __________ (sing) at the concert all evening.
- They were sunburned because they __________ (swim) in the pool for too long.
- I was amazed because he __________ (juggle) for hours without dropping anything.
- When they called, I __________ (watch) TV for a while.
- 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
Scroll down to see Answers
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?
Answer of Worksheet 1:
- had been working
- had been waiting
- had been studying
- had been cooking
- had been exercising
- had been reading
- had been shining
- had been running
- had been traveling
- had been playing
- had been working
- had been dancing
- had been practicing
- had been playing
- had been meditating
- had been baking
- had been running
- had been waiting
- had been reading
- had been partying
- had been singing
- had been swimming
- had been juggling
- had been watching
- had been raging
Answers of Worksheet 2:
B. had been dancing
B. had they been working
A. had been reading
B. had shone
C. had been playing
D. had been preparing
B. had been working
B. had cooked
A. had they known
B. had been running
FAQs:
The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening continuously in the past before another action took place.
Structure: Subject + had been + verb-ing
Example:
“She had been studying for two hours when the phone rang.”
In this example, “had been studying” shows an action (studying) that was happening continuously before the phone rang.
Here are 12 examples of the past perfect tense:
1. She had finished her homework before dinner.
2. They had already left when I arrived.
3. He had read the book before the movie came out.
4. By the time we arrived, the train had departed.
5. I had seen that movie before.
6. She had never visited that place until last year.
7. We had just started the meeting when the boss walked in.
8. They had worked together for years before they became friends.
9. He had already eaten by the time I got home.
10. By the time the storm hit, they had prepared for it.
11. She had practiced the piano for an hour before the recital.
12. We had been to the concert many times before it was canceled.
In each of these examples, the past perfect tense shows an action that happened before another action in the past.
We use the past perfect continuous tense to:
1. Show an action was happening before another event.
Example: She had been waiting for an hour when the bus arrived.
2. Talk about how long something lasted before another action.
Example: They had been working for months before finishing.
3. Explain why something happened.
Example: He was tired because he had been running all day.
Here are 12 examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
1. She has been reading for two hours.
2. They have been studying all day.
3. I have been waiting for the bus since morning.
4. He has been working at the company for five years.
5. We have been cleaning the house all afternoon.
6. They have been playing soccer for an hour.
7. She has been practicing the piano every day.
8. I have been learning French for six months.
9. We have been talking about the project for weeks.
10. He has been feeling sick lately.
11. They have been traveling around the world.
12. She has been watching her favorite show all week.
These sentences show actions that started in the past and continue to the present or just recently finished.
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