Questions in the Past Perfect Continuous
1. Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Continuous
| Auxiliary | Subject | Past Participle | Verb+ing | Remainder | Yes/No | Subject | Auxiliary (+ n’t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Had | you | been | waiting | long before I arrived? | Yes, No, No, |
I I I |
had. had not. hadn’t. |
| Had | Susan | been | studying | before she went out? | Yes, No, No, |
she she she |
had. had not. hadn’t. |
| Had | they | been | going out | for very long before they married? | Yes, No, No, |
they they they |
had. had not. hadn’t. |
2. Questions with question words in the Past Perfect Continuous
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Past Participle | Verb | Rest | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How long | had | you | been | trying | to win the lottery, before you won? | I had been trying for years. |
| How long | had | they | been | living | in London before they left? | They had been living in London for 10 years. |
| What | had | she | been | doing | before I arrived? | She had been helping me. |
► Use had with all persons.
► Use the past participle of be: been
► Add –ing to the infinitive.