English-Zone.Com ...the BEST English-Learner's site on the 'Net! |
USAGE: | Past perfect progressive is used for an event that was in progress in the past.
It is also used for events that happened in the recent past. |
EXAMPLE: | The police had been looking for the robber for two months before they finally found him. |
MEANING: | The police actively searched for two months, and THEN they found the robber.
"had been looking" tells us that the event took a while to finish. |
FORMAT: | had + been + ___ing = They had been looking for two months. |
Copyright (C) 1995-2004 by Kaye Mastin Mallory |