Past Prefect Continuous Tense

Past Prefect Continuous Tense

Definition & Usage

This is conjugated with had + been + the past participate.

It is used
- to replace the present prefect continuous in indirect speech

Examples

Direct: He said, "I have been waiting for you since this afternoon.'

Indirect: He said that he had been waiting for me since this afternoon.

- to mark an action going on in the past when a second one took place

For example

When I got home, I found that Dennis had been tidying up his room.

When he arrived, he realized that we had been waiting for nearly half an hour for him.