Past Perfect Continuous

1. We use the past perfect continouos when we talk about a situation or activity that happened over a period up to a particular past time, or until shortly before it.

They had been expecting the news for some time.

She had been wearing high-heeled shoes, and her feet hurt.

Compare how the past perfect continuous and the past perfect are used:

I had been finishing some work in the garden and hadn't seen Sue come home.

Bill had been saving since Christmas to buy a new bike.

Bill had saved enough money to buy the bike he wanted.

I had finished all my work, so I had very little to do.

2)We use the past perfect continouos when we talk about the continuity or duration of a situationor activity, and the past perfect to talk about the completion of a situation or activity or its effects.

Sometimes the difference between them is simply one of the emphasis.

I had been working hard, so I felt that I deserved a holiday, (emphasizes the activity)

I had worked hard, and the report was now finished, (emphasizes the result)

3) If we talk about how long something went on up to a particular past time, we prefer the past perfect contunious. If we talk about how many times something happened in a period up to a particular past time, we use the past perfect:

They had been travelling for about 36 hours, (rather than They had travelled...)

We had been looking at the painting for about ten minutes before we realized who the artist was. (rather than We had looked...)

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