Short and long forms in the Past Perfect Continuous
How to use short and long forms with the Past Perfect Continuous
We often use short forms of auxiliaries in spoken English. The Past Perfect Continuous is formed with the auxiliary had.
1. Affirmative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I, he, she, it, we, you, they | I had been playing | I‘d been playing |
| you had been playing | you‘d been playing | |
| he had been playing | he‘d been playing | |
| we had been playing | we‘d been playing |
2. Negative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I, he, she, it, we, you, they | I had not been playing | I‘d not been playing |
| I hadn’t been playing | ||
| you had not been playing | you‘d not been playing | |
| you hadn’t been playing | ||
| he had not been playing | he‘d not been playing | |
| he hadn’t been playing | ||
| they had not been playing | they‘d not been playing | |
| they hadn’t been playing |