Past perfect continuous

Past perfect continuous описує дію, яка вже тривала якийсь час до певного моменту в минулому. Форма: had been + -ing. Українською — минулий час недоконаного виду з «уже», «до того».

Коли вживати

• Тривалість до моменту в минулому, часто з for / since / how long: We had been driving for six hours when the car broke down.
• Видимий результат попередньої дії: His eyes were red. He had been crying.
• Порівняйте: I had read the book (дочитав) / I had been reading (процес, можливо, не завершений).

Приклади

• It had been raining, so the streets were wet.Ішов дощ, тому вулиці були мокрі.
• She had been working there for ten years before she left.Вона пропрацювала там десять років, перш ніж пішла.
• I was tired because I had been studying all night.Я був утомлений, бо вчився всю ніч.
• How long had you been waiting when the bus came?Скільки ти вже чекав, коли приїхав автобус?
• He was out of breath because he had been running.Він захекався, бо біг.

Типові помилки

• ✗ I had been wait for an hour.✓ I had been waiting for an hour.Після had been потрібна форма дієслова на -ing: waiting.
• ✗ She had been knowing him.✓ She had known him.Дієслово know не вживається в continuous, тому беремо past perfect: had known.
• ✗ I had waiting.✓ I had been waiting.Між had і формою на -ing потрібне слово been: had been waiting.
• ✗ How long you had been waiting?✓ How long had you been waiting?У питанні had стоїть перед підметом: How long had you been waiting.
• ✗ I had been waiting since two hours.✓ I had been waiting for two hours.Тривалість передаємо словом for, а since вживаємо лише з моментом початку дії.