Когда употребляем

Прошедшее совершенное длительное время Past Perfect Continuous используется тогда, когда действие началось в прошлом и длилось до определенного момента тоже в прошлом.

Mulder had been watching the fishy house for 2 hours when Scully arrived. - Малдер наблюдал за подозрительным домом 2 часа, когда приехала Скалли.

Схема
HAD + BEEN + Ving

Строим предложения

___1______2
Dan had been sleeping for half an hour already when Fox called. - Дана спала уже полчаса, когда позвонил Фокс.

___1______2
Had Dana been sleeping for half an hour already when Fox called? - Дана спала уже полчаса, когда позвонил Фокс?

Yes, he had. - Да.
No, he hadn't. - Нет.

Отрицание

Dana hadn't been sleeping for half an hour already when Fox called. - Дана не спала уже полчаса, когда позвонил Фокс.

Сокращения

had → 'd
had not → hadn't

Маркеры

Маркеры - это слова, которые помогают определить время. Для Past Perfect Continuous обычно это:

since - с (каких-то пор)
for - в течение

В предложении могут также появляться маркеры Present Perfect (ever, never, just, already, yet).

Глаголы, которые не употребляются в Continuous

Не со всеми глаголами можно образовать Past Perfect Continuous.
Ниже приведены самые частые глаголы, которые не употребляются в Continuous:

be - быть
have* - иметь
want - хотеть
know - знать
need - нуждаться
love - любить
like - нравиться
hate - ненавидеть
understand - понимать
recognize - узнавать

*have не употребляется только в значении "иметь". I'd had a Sony Vaio laptop for 2 years already when my brother gave me his Asus. - Я имел ноутбук Sony Vaio уже 2 года, когда брат отдал мне свой Asus. Но, если have является частью устойчивой фразы и не означает непосредственно обладать чем-то, то его можно употребить в Continuous. Например, We'd been having breakfast for 10 minutes when he joined us. - Мы завтракали уже 10 минут, когда он присоединился к нам.

Если надо образовать предложение, в котором по смыслу должно быть Past Perfect Continuous, то мы употребляем Past Perfect вместо Past Perfect Continuous.

Упражнения на Past Perfect Continuous с ответами

1) Переведите:

Мы клеили обои 2 часа, когда закончился клей.
Мы клеили обои 2 часа, когда закончился клей?
Да.
Нет.

Мы не клеили обои 2 часа, когда закончился клей.

2) Заполните пропуски в Past Perfect Continuous и Past Simple:

1. His wife (to draw) since 6pm when the order was delivered.
2. John and Stuart (not to swim) for 20 minutes when it started raining.
3. Sally (to go) to university for a year already before she started her first work? - No, she __ .
4. You (to learn) Chinese for 5 years before you (to go) to China? - Yes, I____.
5. I (to do) yoga since I was 20 when I (to decide) to take up boxing.
6. She (to read) this book since morning when I left? - Yes, she __ .
7. We (to work) for this company for 3 years already before we (to get promoted).
8. Paul (to travel) for 4 hours already when his car (to run out) of gas? - No, he __.
9. You (to try) to fix the heating since Monday when you decided to call the service? - No, we __ .
10. He (to ride) a bike for half an hour before he (to meet) Sally.
11. Hannah (not to knit) the sweater since last weekend before .
12. The police (to look) for the robbers for several months already when they suddenly met one of them at a football match.
13. Peter (to dance) professionally since childhood when he (to decide) to give it up.
14. Her parents (to live) in Germany since last year before they found jobs.
15. You (to make) this dress for 2 weeks already when the client (to cancel) her order? - No, I __ .
16. Paul (to assemble) the furniture since 2 o'clock when he uderstood he couldn't do that? - Yes, he ___.
17. He (to love) chocolate since he was a child when his taste suddenly (to change).
18. You (to clean up) everything for 3 hours already when your friends came around? - Yes, I __ .
19. Mike's baby (to cry) for around 10 minutes when he finally (to manage) to calm her down with her favorite toy.
20. Their parents (to sunbathe) for only about 15 minutes when it suddenly (to start) to rain? - No, they __ .

3) Переведите в Past Perfect Continuous:

1. Рэй не принимал клиентов уже 2 недели, когда вдруг ему поступил звонок от загадочного незнакомца. Рэй не принимал клиентов уже 2 недели, когда вдруг ему поступил звонок от загадочного незнакомца? - Нет.
2. Сара делала прическу уже 10 минут, когда Джон приехал за ней. Сара делала прическу уже 10 минут, когда Джон приехал за ней? - Да.
3. Я не спал уже 5 часов, когда вернулись родители.
4. Моя тетя работала здесь с февраля, когда решила сменить работу? - Да.
5. Диана ездила отдыхать в Альпы с 2020 года, до того как переехала в Лондон.
6. Мы смотрели это кино уже 40 минут, когда позвонила мама.
7. Сестра делала маникюр уже час, когда я закончил делать уроки.
8. Он исправлял ошибки разработчиков уже пару дней, когда они дали ему еще один заказ? - Да.
9. Агнес встречалась с ним год, когда он сделал ей предложение.
10. Мы делали ремонт с прошлого года, когда решили нанять рабочих.
11. Он слушал новости уже 5 минут, когда отключили электричество.
12. Я не писал стихи уже пару лет, когда вдруг появилось вдохновение.
13. Они ходили по магазинам целый день, до того как нашли нужный костюм? - Нет.
14. Сандра делала уборку с 2-х часов, когда зашла Эшли.
15. Он всегда любил сладости до того, как начались проблемы с зубами.
16. Они пили чай уже полчаса, когда пирог испекся.
17. Дети катались на велосипедах с обеда, когда начался дождь? - Да.
18. Кот спал на подоконнике часа три, когда звонок в дверь разбудил его.
19. Питер выбирал себе палатку в онлайн магазине уже час, когда передумал покупать её вовсе.
20. Колин знала его уже 5 лет, когда решила принять его предложение о сотрудничестве.

Ответы:

1)

We had been hanging wallpaper since 2 o'clock when we ran out of glue.
Had we been hanging wallpaper since 2 o'clock when we ran out of glue?
Yes, we had.
No, we hadn't.

We hadn't been hanging wallpaper since 2 o'clock when we ran out of glue.

2)

1. had been drawing. 2. hadn't been swimming. 3. Had Sally been going..? - No, she hadn't. 4. Had you been learning Chinese for 5 years before you went to China? - Yes, I had. 5. I'd been doing yoga since I was 20 when I decided to take up boxing. 6. Had she been reading..? - Yes, she had. 7. We'd been working for this company for 3 years already before we got promoted. 8. Had Paul been travelling for 4 hours already when his car ran out of gas? - No, he hadn't. 9. Had you been trying ..? - No, we hadn't. 10. He'd been riding a bike for half an hour before he met Sally. 11. hadn't been knitting. 12. 'd been looking. 13. He'd been dancing professionally since childhood when he decided to give it up. 14. had been living. 15. Had you been making this dress for 2 weeks already when the client cancelled her order? - No, I hadn't. 16. Had Paul been assembling..? - Yes, he had. 17. He'd loved chocolate since he was a child when his taste suddenly changed. 18. Had you been cleaning up ..? - Yes, I had. 19. had been crying, managed. 20. Had their parents been sunbathing for only about 15 minutes when it suddenly started to rain? - No, they hadn't.

3)

1. Ray hadn't been seeing clients for 2 weeks when he suddenly received a call from a mysterious stranger. Had Ray not been seeing clients for 2 weeks when he suddenly received a call from a mysterious stranger? - No, he hadn't.
2. Sarah had been doing her hair for 10 minutes already when John came to pick her up. Had Sarah been doing her hair for 10 minutes already when John came to pick her up? - Yes, she had.
3. I hadn't been sleeping for 5 hours already when my parents came back.
4. Had my aunt been working here since February when she decided to change jobs? - Yes, she had.
5. Diana had been going to Alps on vacation since 2020 before she moved to London.
6. We'd been watching that film for 40 minutes already when Mom called.
7. My sister had been doing nails for an hour already when I finished doing my homework.
8. Had he been correcting developers' mistakes for a couple of days already when they gave him another order? - Yes, he had.
9. Agnes had been going out with him for a year when he proposed her.
10. We'd been redecorating since last year when we decided to hire workers.
11. He'd been listening to the news for 5 minutes already when the electricity went off.
12. I hadn't been writing poetry for a couple of yers already when inspiration suddenly appeared.
13. Had they been shopping for all day before they found the suit? - No, they hadn't.
14. Sandra had been cleaning up since 2 o'clock when Ashley came in.
15. He'd always loved sweets before he got the troubles with his teeth.
16. They'd been drinking tea for half an hour when the pie was ready.
17. Had children been riding bikes since noon when it started raining? - Yes, they had.
18. The cat had been sleeping on the windowsill for about three hours when the doorbell woke him up.
19. Peter had been choosing a tent in the online store for an hour already when he changed his mind about buying it altogether.
20. Colin had known him for 5 years already when she decided to accept his offer of cooperation.