Past Perfect Continuous
El Past Perfect Continuous describe acciones que estaban en progreso antes de otra acción en el pasado, enfatizando la duración.
¿Cuándo usar el Past Perfect Continuous?
El Past Perfect Continuous describe acciones que estaban en progreso antes de otra acción en el pasado, enfatizando la duración del proceso.
Formación:
| Forma | Estructura | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Afirmativa | had been + verb-ing | I had been studying |
| Negativa | hadn't been + verb-ing | I hadn't been studying |
| Interrogativa | Had + sujeto + been + verb-ing? | Had you been studying? |
Usos principales:
Acciones en progreso antes de otra acción
When she arrived, I had been waiting for 2 hours
By the time he called, we had been working all day
She was tired because she had been running
(acción continua antes de otra)
Efectos visibles en el pasado
His clothes were dirty. He had been gardening
She was exhausted. She had been studying all night
The ground was wet. It had been raining
(explica el estado en el pasado)
Comparación con Past Perfect Simple:
Past Perfect Simple
I had finished my homework
(énfasis en resultado)
She had eaten dinner
(acción completada)
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been doing my homework for hours
(énfasis en proceso)
She had been eating when I arrived
(acción en progreso)
Con expresiones de tiempo:
For + duración
I had been waiting for 2 hours
She had been working for 3 days
We had been living for 5 years
They had been studying for months
Since + punto de inicio
I had been waiting since 2 PM
She had been working since morning
We had been living since 2010
They had been studying since January
Con conectores temporales:
Before, when, by the time, after
Before I moved, I had been living here for 10 years
When she called, I had been working for 3 hours
By the time he arrived, we had been waiting since morning
After I had been studying all night, I passed the exam
Verbos que NO se usan en continuo:
❌ No se usan en continuo:
- know, understand, believe
- like, love, hate, prefer
- see, hear, smell, taste
- have (=possess), own, belong
- need, want, require
✅ Pueden usarse en continuo:
- think (=consider), feel
- see (=meet), hear (=listen)
- have (=experience), taste
- look, smell (aparentar)
Práctica: Past Perfect Continuous
1. When she arrived, I _____ (wait) for 2 hours. (acción continua anterior)
2. His clothes were dirty because he _____ (work) in the garden. (explica estado pasado)
3. By the time we arrived, they _____ (live) there for 10 years. (duración hasta ese punto)
4. She was exhausted because she _____ (study) all night. (causa del estado)
5. _____ you _____ (sleep) when the phone rang? (acción en progreso)
6. Before I moved to this city, I _____ (work) in London for 5 years. (duración anterior)
💡 Consejos importantes
- Se forma con had been + verb-ing
- Enfatiza la duración de una acción antes de otra en el pasado
- Explica efectos visibles o estados en el pasado
- Se usa con for/since para duración específica
- No se usa con verbos de estado
🎯 Regla clave
El Past Perfect Continuous muestra que una acción estaba en progreso durante un período antes de otra acción en el pasado.