Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I had been writing Had I been writing? I had not been writing

He had been writing Had he been writing? He had not been writing

She had been writing Had she been writing? She had not been writing

We had been writing Had we been writing? We had not been writing

You had been writing Had you been writing? You had not been writing

They had been writing Had they been writing? They had not been writing

3. The contracted affirmative forms are:

I’d been writing; She’d been writing

The contracted negative forms are:

I hadn’t been writing; We hadn’t been writing

4. The negative-interrogative forms are:

Had he not been writing?/ Hadn’t he been writing?; Had you not been writing?/ Hadn’t you been writing?

The use of the Past Perfect Continuous.

We distinguish two uses of the Past Perfect Continuous: the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive.

1.The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive denotes an action which began before a definite moment in the past, continued up to that moment and was still going on at that moment. Either the starting point of the action is indicated or the whole period of duration. The preposition for is used to denote the whole period of duration. Since is used to indicate the starting point of the action.

We could not go out because it had been raining since early morning.

We could not go out because it had been raining for two hours.

With verbs not admitting of the Continuous form the Past Perfect Inclusive is the only tense possible. In negative sentences the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive can be used, but it is far less common than the Past Perfect Inclusive.

With certain non-terminative verbs both the Past Perfect Inclusive and the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive are used.

He said he had worked for twenty years. (The fact is emphasized.)

He said he had been working for a long time without achieving final results. (The process is emphasized.)

2.The Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive denotes an action which was no longer going on at a definite moment in the past, but which had been in progress not long before.

I sobbed a little still, but that was because I had been crying, not because I was crying then.

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive and the Past Continuous.

The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive should not be confused with the Past Continuous. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action going on at a definite moment in the past, no previous duration is expressed. The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive is used when the previous duration of the action is expressed.

The magnificent motor-car was waiting at the kerb. It had been waiting for two hours.

THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

The formation of the Future Perfect Continuous.

I. The Future Perfect Continuous is formed by means of the Future Perfect of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle I of the notional verb.

2.In the interrogative form the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.

Affirmative Interrogative

I shall have been working Shall I have been working?

He will have been working Will he have been working?

She will have been working Will she have been working?

We shall have been working Shall we have been working?

You will have been working Will you have been working?