Past perfect continuous tense

Past perfect continuous tense: It is used for the action that got completed at a point in the past after continuing for the duration...

Past perfect continuous tense:

It is used for the action that got completed at a point in the past after continuing for the duration.

The continuous verb is used after “had been”

The past perfect continuous corresponds to the present perfect continuous, but with reference to a time earlier than 'before now'. As with the present perfect continuous, we are more interested in the process.

Rules:

In negative sentence not is used between had and been.

 In question had is placed before the subject and the other question words how where why etc are placed before had

The past perfect continuous tense is related to the action taking place earlier in times and past indefinite to the action later in the time when both these tenses are used together.

If the verb does not indicate action been and after it the adjective, preposition, etc. are used.

For is used for the duration and since for a point in time with reference to continuous action or situation in the past.  

Table Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Examples:

I had been learning English before I left United States.

Before going turkey, they had been flaying planes.

Until the end of British rule, Kashmir had been considered a paradise of Indians.

She had been studying medicine before she decided to marry.

Had we not written the answers before the examination time was over?

I had been working with the government in the last decade.

Since the war ended we had been living in the slums.

Past perfect Continous 

 I had been waiting for him for one hour.
 She had been playing chess since 7 O’clock.
 Had they been watching television since 6 O’clock?
 Had she been working in this office since 2014?
 Had it been raining for three days?
 She had not been working in this office since 2014.
It had not been raining for three days.