YUNOVA · English Grammar · Module 9: Advanced tenses

Past perfect and past perfect continuous

Notes for offline study · 3 November 2026

Past perfect and past perfect continuous

Key points

  • Past perfect (had + past participle) shows an action finished before another past action.
  • Past perfect continuous (had been + -ing) shows an action ongoing up to a past moment.
  • Example: She had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally came.