40 questions focusing on the structure of Past Perfect Continuous: the auxiliary had/hadn't/Had, the particle been, -ing spelling rules, and PPC vs Past Continuous.
Choose the correct auxiliary or question form. The set mixes affirmative (had been), negative (hadn't been), and question forms (Had … been).
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Most verbs: add -ing | work→working · read→reading · talk→talking |
| Ends in -e: drop e, add -ing | make→making · write→writing · argue→arguing |
| Short vowel + consonant: double it | run→running · sit→sitting · swim→swimming · dig→digging |
| Ends in -ie: change to y + -ing | lie→lying · die→dying · tie→tying |
| PPC (had been + -ing) | Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) |
|---|---|
| Duration before another past event | In progress at a specific past moment |
| Explains a past result or state | Background action / interrupted by another event |
| She had been running (so she was tired) | She was running when I called |
| Used with for / since / how long | Used with when / while / at [time] |
Verbs like know, believe, understand, want, love, hate, need cannot be used in continuous form. Use Past Perfect: She had known him for years (not “had been knowing”).