At a glance
had+been+verb-ing
Use it for
- How long, up to a past momentI had been waiting for an hour when the bus came.
- The cause of a past resultHis eyes were red. He had been crying.
- Start
- Do you want to say how long, or that it was going on?Yeshad been + -ingShe had been reading for two hours.
- Do you want to say how many, or that it was finished?Yeshad + V3She had read three books.
- State verbs (know, have, be): had + V3I had known him for years.
Examples
I had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally came.
She was out of breath. She had been running.
His eyes were red. He had been crying.
The road was wet. It had been raining.
Not and questions
- We hadn't been waiting long when the doors opened.
- Had you been working there long?
- How long had they been living in Paris?
Now or then?
I'm tired. I have been working all day. (up to now)
I was tired. I had been working all day. (up to then)
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.