Past Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Before I joined this company, I ______________ for five years.

a) has worked
b) had worked
c) had been working
d) was working

2. Kim and John ____________for the whole day before they started playing.
a) has studied
b) had been studying
c) have studied
d) were studying

3. You _______________________ a lot junk food before you started organic food.
a) had eaten
b) ate
c) had been eating
d) were eating

4. I ______________________ working yesterday for 5 house before I left for house.

a) has been
b) had been
c) have been
d) was

5. Before I published the news, I _____________ confirming the news from various
sources for the last six months
a) has received
b) am receiving
c) had been
d) am

6. Before our failure this year, We _________________ the football tournament for the
last four years
a) have won
b) had been winning
c) have been winning
d) had won

7. They ________________ English for two years before they mastered it.
a) had been learning
 b) have learnt
c) will be learning
d) were learning

8. Henry ___________ the grandparents regularly since his childhood until he shifted to
Canada.
a) is visiting
b) had been visiting
c) will be visiting
d) has been visiting

9. She ________________ the movie for the twenty minutes before she changed the
channel.
a) had been watching
b) is watching
c) has been watching
d) watched

10. My Uncle ____________________ in the company for twenty years before he was
made redundant.
a) working
b) had been working
c) worked
d) has been working

11. Isabel and Emily __________ the novel for five years when they decided to open a
publishing company.
a) are writing
b) had been writing
c) had written
d) has been writing

12. It ___________ snowing for 6 years before finally it abated.

a) had been
b) is not
c) had not been
d) was

13. My Mom _____________ in the school for five years before she started teaching in
the university.
a) had taught
b) had been teaching
 c) is cooking
d) was cooking

14. He ___________ driving too fast before the accident happened.

a) had been
b) were
c) was
d) is

15. The trees ____________ blooming since the beginning of spring before they wilted at
the end of the spring
a) are
b) had been
c) have been
d) has been

16. Maria felt ill because she____________ coffee since morning

a) had been drinking
b) had drink
c) have been drinking
d) were drinking

17. Kitty and Alex were feeling tired because they____________ the dishes since
morning.
a) is washing
b) had been washing
c) are washing
d) have been washing

18. The police __________ a covert operations to arrest smugglers for 2 months because
it received authentic information about smugglers’ activities.
a) had been executing
b) is executing
c) executed
d) has been executing

19. He __________ the first prize for three years before when he was defeated by his
competitors.
a) had been winning
b) is winning
c) had won
d) has been winning
20. James ___________ for twelve hours so he was looking fresh and energetic.
a) has slept
b) is sleeping
c) had been sleeping
d) has been sleeping

21. Olivia ___________ her homework problems since morning before she finally
thought that she is ready to appear in the test.
a) had been doing
b) will have been complete
c) is completing
d) has been doing

22. All the boys _________ listening carefully to the teacher as a result they all scored
well in after class surprise test.
a) have been
b) has been
c) had been
d) were

23. It___________ since morning before the sun shine in the noon.
a) rained
b) is raining
c) had been raining
d) was

24. How long __________ waiting for them before they came?
a) are you
b) has you
c) had you been
d) were you

25. We ________ in this street for twenty years before we shifted to the Spain.
a) had lived
b) have lived
c) had been living
d) had live

26. After she died, it was discovered that she _________money to several charity
organizations
 a) has been donating
b) was donating
c) had been donating
d) had donated

27. How long _________ you been seeing this brawl before the brawl finished?
a) have
b) had
c) will
d) were

28. Had they _________ chocolate cake before they made the pastries?
a) baking
b) been baking
c) bakes
d) baked

29. Before Jane decided to go to England, she _____________________ for months.

a) had thought
b) had been thinking
c) thought
d) has think

30. The evidence showed that he _____________________the television for four hours
before he was murdered.
a) had been watching
b) has watched
c) has been watching
d) has watch

31. John and Sue _____________________ the tennis tournament for last three year until
they lost it this year.
a) has win
b) had been winning
c) have won
d) has won

32. The children _________________ sweets for hours before their mother stopped
them.
a) had been eating
 b) have ate
c) are eating
d) have eaten

33. We _________________ for eight hours when he woke us up.

a) were sleeping
b) had been sleeping
c) have slept
d) have sleep

34. They _________________ the guests for 45 minutes before the conference begin.
a) attends
b) attended
c) had been attending
d) had attended

35. He _________________ for less than an hour when he ran out of the petrol.
a) had been driving
b) had driven
c) was driving
d) drove

36. Ella and Sophia _________________ piano for 6 months before they learnt to play
the piano properly.
a) have played
b) has been playing
c) had been playing
d) was playing

37. Emily was really tired because she _________________ her lesson for 10 hours.
a) have been learning
b) had been learning
c) had been learning
d) was learning

38. Jacob _________________ a novel for three weeks before he finished it.
a) is reading
b) had been reading
c) was reading
 d) were reading

39. The factory had not been _________________ cars for two months until it started its
operations again.
a) produced
b) produce
c) producing
d) produces

40. They _________________ for all day so their legs were sore in the evening.
a) had been cycling
b) have been
c) were cycling
d) was cycling

Answer Key

1 c 21 a
2 b 22 c
3 c 23 c
4 b 24 c
5 c 25 c
6 b 26 c
7 a 27 b
8 b 28 b
9 a 29 b
10 b 30 a
11 b 31 b
12 a 32 a
13 b 33 b
14 a 34 c
15 b 35 a
16 c 36 c
17 b 37 c
18 a 38 b
19 a 39 c
20 c 40 a