Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Continuous

Complete past action with visible past action of certain duration

results in the past with visible results in the past

e.g. She was upset because she had e.g. He was dizzy. He had been working on
lost her watch. the computer all night.

Past Perfect
Continuous

The Past Equivalent

Action continuing of The Present Past action which
over a period up to a Perfect Continuous occurred before
specific time in the e.g. She is going to another action or
past the doctor. Her leg before a stated past
e.g. We had been has been aching for time
living in the same two days. e.g. He left his job
house for twelve She went to the because he had been
years before we doctor . Her leg had feeling dissatisfied
decided to move. been aching for two for months.
days.
 past action of certain duration with visible results in the past
E.g They were wet because they had been walking in the rain.
She was upset because she had been waiting to hear from her son for days.

action continuing over a period up to a spefic time in the past

e.g. The storm broke out after we had been driving for four hours.
She had been working as a clerk for ten years before she resigned.
She had been waiting for an hour before he arrived.