Practice Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets: Exercises

Mastering English grammar requires consistent practice, and one of the most effective ways is through past perfect continuous tense worksheets. The past perfect continuous tense (also known as past perfect progressive) describes an action that began in the past, continued for a while, and stopped before another action in the past.

Example:

• She had been studying for two hours before the teacher arrived.

This article provides everything you need:

• Detailed rules of the tense
• Examples in real-life usage
• Printable worksheets
• Fill-in-the-blanks, MCQs, sentence corrections, matching activities
• Exercises with answers
• A teacher’s guide to use these worksheets in the classroom

Whether you are a student preparing for exams, a teacher designing a lesson plan, or an ESL learner practicing grammar, this complete guide will help you understand and master the past perfect continuous tense.

What is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The past perfect continuous tense is used to show that an action:

1. Started in the past
2. Continued for a duration
3. Ended before another action in the past

Formula:
Subject + had + been + present participle (-ing verb) + object

Examples:

• I had been reading for an hour before my friend arrived.
• They had been playing football before it started raining.
• She was tired because she had been working all day.

Read More: Tenses with fill in the blanks

Structure of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Affirmative Sentences

• She had been cooking dinner before they arrived.
• We had been traveling for six hours before we stopped.

Negative Sentences

• He had not been sleeping well before the doctor’s visit.
• They had not been practicing enough before the match.

Interrogative Sentences

• Had you been waiting for a long time before the bus came?
• What had she been doing before the accident happened?

Rules of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Always use had + been + verb+ing.
   • Correct: He had been working.
   • Wrong: He was been working.
2. Use with time expressions such as:
   • for two hours, since morning, all day, before, until, by the time
3. Use to explain cause and effect.
   • She was tired because she had been running.
4. Do not use with stative verbs (like know, believe, own).
   • Wrong: I had been knowing her for years.
   • Correct: I had known her for years.

When to Use Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

1. To show duration before another event
   • They had been working in the office for years before they retired.
2. To explain the reason for something
   • Her clothes were dirty because she had been painting.
3. To describe interrupted actions
   • I had been sleeping before the phone rang.

Examples in Real-Life Sentences

• By the time the film started, we had been waiting for 30 minutes.
• She had been teaching at the school for 10 years before she moved abroad.
• The ground was wet because it had been raining all night.
• He was exhausted because he had been running in the marathon.
• We had been studying together before the teacher entered the class.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense Worksheets

Below are ready-to-use worksheets with exercises and answers.

1. Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks using the past perfect continuous tense of the verb given.

1. She __________ (wait) for an hour before the doctor came.
2. They __________ (play) cricket before it started to rain.
3. He __________ (study) hard before the test began.
4. We __________ (work) in the garden for two hours before it got dark.
5. The children __________ (watch) cartoons before dinner.

Answers:

1. had been waiting
2. had been playing
3. had been studying
4. had been working
5. had been watching

2. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. By the time we reached, they __________ for half an hour.
   • a) had played
   • b) had been playing
   • c) played
   • Answer: b) had been playing
2. She was tired because she __________ all day.
   • a) had been working
   • b) worked
   • c) has worked
   • Answer: a) had been working
3. We __________ English for months before the exam.
   • a) had been studying
   • b) studied
   • c) have studied
   • Answer: a) had been studying

3. Error Correction Worksheet

Find and correct the mistakes:

1. He had being running before the rain started.
2. They was tired because they had working hard.
3. She had been study for hours before the test.

Corrected Sentences:

1. He had been running before the rain started.
2. They were tired because they had been working hard.
3. She had been studying for hours before the test.

4. Matching Exercise

Match the sentences with their correct endings:

1. She was sleepy because…
2. They failed the test because…
3. He was wet because…

Options:
a) they had not been studying.
b) he had been walking in the rain.
c) she had been working late.

Answers:
1 → c
2 → a
3 → b

5. Writing Practice

Write 5 sentences using past perfect continuous tense about:

• Studying
• Traveling
• Playing
• Working
• Waiting

Printable Worksheet (For Teachers)

Part A: Fill in the blanks

1. She __________ (sleep) for three hours before she woke up.
2. We __________ (not eat) before the food arrived.

Part B: Choose the correct option

1. By the time I met her, she __________.
   • a) had been waiting
   • b) waited
2. He was sad because he __________.
   • a) had been ignored
   • b) had been working

Teacher’s Guide for Using Worksheets

1. Introduce the tense with examples.
2. Explain the formula and rules.
3. Give students fill-in-the-blank exercises.
4. Conduct MCQ quizzes for quick revision.
5. Use group activities like matching and error correction.
6. Assign writing tasks to strengthen creativity.

Conclusion:

The past perfect continuous tense worksheets are designed to help learners understand rules, practice grammar, and improve writing and speaking skills. By solving fill-in-the-blanks, MCQs, corrections, and writing exercises, students can confidently use this tense in real communication. These worksheets also highlight the correct use of helping verbs such as had and been, which are essential for forming accurate sentences in past perfect continuous tense.

Teachers can use these printable worksheets in classrooms, while students can practice them at home for exams or fluency improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions