The key difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous is that past perfect indicates the completion of an event in the past but, past perfect continues implies that an event or action in the past was still continuing.
Both past perfect and past continuous tenses are used to describe an action that took place in the past. However, there is a distinct difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous tenses based on their usage and formation.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Past Perfect
3. What is Past Perfect Continuous
4. Side by Side Comparison – Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Continuous in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Past Perfect Tense?
In brief, past perfect tense describes an event that has started and finished in the past. More importantly, it indicates that one event happened before another in the past. Therefore, this tense refers to something that happened before something else. You can make past perfect tense by adding ‘had’ to the past participle of a verb.
Had + Past Participle
For example, imagine that you finished cooking dinner before your guests arrived. When you describe this moment to a friend, you would say this as “I had already cooked dinner by the time guests arrived”. There are two past events in this example, cooking dinner and arrival of guests. Note that it’s the first action that takes the past perfect tense. Let’s look at another example
Action 1: He saved the document
Action 2: The computer crashed
Sentence: He had saved the document before the computer crashed.
Figure 01: I had already finished eating when they arrived.
Given below are some more examples:
- He had cooked breakfast when I got up.
- I recognized her because I had seen her on TV.
- He had lost consciousness by the time the ambulance reached the hospital.
What is Past Perfect Continuous Tense?
Past perfect continuous or past perfect progressive tense shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past. The tense is made from adding the present participle of a verb to ‘had been’.
Had been + Present Participle
Figure 02: It had been raining for several hours.
Given below are some examples:
- She had been waiting for more than one hour when her friends finally arrived.
- It had been raining for several hours, and the streets were slippery.
- My parents had been thinking of calling the police when I finally went home around 2 am.
- Jamie had lost weight because she had been skipping meals.
- He had been studying all day.
What is the Difference Between Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect indicates that action ended in the past before another one started while past perfect continuous indicates that an ongoing action ended at a certain point in the past. Therefore, this is the key difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous.
Moreover, their formation is another difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous. You can form the past participle by adding the past participle of a verb to ‘had’. However, you can form the past perfect continuous by adding the present participle of a verb to ‘had been’.
Summary – Past Perfect vs Past Perfect Continuous
Both past perfect and past continuous tenses are used to describe an action that took place in the past. The key difference between past perfect and past perfect continuous is that past perfect indicates the completion of an event in the past whereas past perfect continues implies that an event or action in the past was still continuing.
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1.”2549069″ by congerdesign (CC0) via pixabay
2.”2569012″ by StockSnap (CC0) via pixabay