Past Perfect Continuous: phrases, exercices, tests et exemples

Past Perfect Continuous utilisons

Le Past Perfect Continuous s’emploie pour parler d’une action qui se poursuivait depuis un certain temps avant un moment précis ou une autre action dans le passé.

She had been working for two hours before the meeting started.
Elle travaillait depuis deux heures avant que la réunion ne commence.

Past Perfect Continuous Forme

Subject + had been + V-ing

I had been studying all evening.
J’avais étudié toute la soirée.
They had been waiting for a long time.
Ils attendaient depuis longtemps.

Past Perfect Continuous Règle

  • Il est utilisé pour des actions qui ont continué jusqu’à un certain moment dans le passé.
    I had been reading the report before my manager came in.
    J'avais lu le rapport avant que mon responsable n'entre.
    She had been talking on the phone before the lesson started.
    Elle avait parlé au téléphone avant le début du cours.
  • Il met l’accent sur la durée d’une action avant un autre événement passé.
    They had been travelling for three days before they arrived.
    Ils voyageaient depuis trois jours avant d’arriver.
    He had been working there for years before he changed jobs.
    Il y avait travaillé pendant des années avant de changer de travail.
  • Il est souvent utilisé lorsque nous expliquons la cause d’un état ou d’un résultat passé.
    She was tired because she had been studying all night.
    Elle était fatiguée parce qu’elle avait étudié toute la nuit.
    The ground was wet because it had been raining.
    Le sol était mouillé parce qu’il avait plu.
  • Il est souvent utilisé avec for et since pour indiquer une durée.
    I had been living in London for five years before I moved to Cyprus.
    J’avais vécu à Londres pendant cinq ans avant de déménager à Chypre.
    She had been working there since 2020 before the company closed.
    Elle y travaillait depuis 2020 avant que l’entreprise ne ferme.
  • Les expressions temporelles courantes comprennent toute la journée, toute la matinée, pendant deux heures, depuis lundi, avant et quand.
    We had been discussing the problem all morning before we found a solution.
    Nous avions discuté du problème toute la matinée avant de trouver une solution.
    He had been sleeping for an hour when I called him.
    Il dormait depuis une heure quand je l’ai appelé.
  • Le Past Perfect Continuous met l’accent sur le processus, tandis que le Past Perfect met plus souvent l’accent sur le résultat.
    ✅ She had been writing emails before lunch. (process)
    ✅ She had written five emails before lunch. (result)
  • Certains verbes ne s’emploient généralement pas aux formes continues (know, like, want, need, understand).
    ✅ I had known him for years before we worked together.
    ❌ I had been knowing him for years before we worked together.

Past Perfect Continuous Négation

  • La négation se forme avec had not been ou la forme abrégée hadn't been.
    I hadn't been sleeping well before the exam.
    Je n'avais pas bien dormi avant l'examen.
    She had not been working there for very long before she resigned.
    Elle n’y travaillait pas depuis très longtemps lorsqu’elle a démissionné.
    They hadn't been waiting for more than ten minutes when the bus arrived.
    Ils n’attendaient pas depuis plus de dix minutes quand le bus est arrivé.

Past Perfect Continuous Questions

Dans les questions, had se place avant le sujet.

Had + subject + been + V-ing?
Wh-word + had + subject + been + V-ing?

Had you been waiting long before the doctor saw you?
Aviez-vous attendu longtemps avant que le médecin ne vous reçoive ?
Had she been studying before the test began?
Avait-elle étudié avant le début du test ?
Why had they been arguing before the meeting?
Pourquoi se disputaient-ils avant la réunion ?
How long had he been working there before he left?
Depuis combien de temps travaillait-il là avant de partir ?

Past Perfect Continuous Erreurs courantes

❌ She had been work all day.
✅ She had been working all day.
❌ They had working for hours before the break.
✅ They had been working for hours before the break.
❌ Had you been wait long?
✅ Had you been waiting long?
❌ I was tired because I had worked all night. (if you want to stress the process)
✅ I was tired because I had been working all night.
❌ She had been knowing him for years.
✅ She had known him for years.

Past Perfect Continuous Phrases

I had been preparing for the interview for several days before it finally happened.
Je me préparais à l’entretien depuis plusieurs jours avant qu’il n’ait enfin lieu.
She had been working on the presentation since morning before the manager reviewed it.
Elle travaillait sur la présentation depuis le matin avant que le directeur ne la révise.
We had been waiting at the airport for two hours before the flight was cancelled.
Nous attendions à l’aéroport depuis deux heures avant que le vol ne soit annulé.
He had been learning English for a year before he moved abroad.
Il apprenait l’anglais depuis un an avant de partir à l’étranger.
They had been discussing the new design before the client joined the call.
Ils discutaient du nouveau design avant que le client ne rejoigne l’appel.
I had been trying to fix the bug all evening before I found the solution.
J'avais essayé de corriger le bug toute la soirée avant de trouver la solution.
She had been feeling stressed before she took a few days off.
Elle se sentait stressée avant de prendre quelques jours de congé.
We had been living in that apartment for six months before we moved.
Nous habitions cet appartement depuis six mois avant de déménager.
He had been running every morning before he injured his leg.
Il courait tous les matins avant de se blesser à la jambe.
The team had been developing the feature for weeks before it was released.
L’équipe avait développé la fonctionnalité pendant des semaines avant qu’elle ne soit publiée.

Past Perfect Continuous Exemples

I had been checking the document before I noticed the mistake.
J’avais vérifié le document avant de remarquer l’erreur.
She had been speaking to a customer for twenty minutes before the line disconnected.
Elle parlait à un client depuis vingt minutes lorsque la ligne a été coupée.
They had been working on the same issue since Monday before they escalated it.
Ils travaillaient sur le même problème depuis lundi avant de le faire remonter.
We had been looking for a better solution before we changed the plan.
Nous avions cherché une meilleure solution avant de changer le plan.
He had been fixing the server all night before everything started working again.
Il avait réparé le serveur toute la nuit avant que tout recommence à fonctionner.
I had been thinking about that idea for a long time before I shared it.
J’y pensais depuis longtemps avant de la partager.
She had been getting ready for the trip before the weather changed.
Elle se préparait pour le voyage avant que le temps ne change.
We had been testing the application for hours before we deployed it.
Nous testions l’application depuis des heures avant de la déployer.
He had been talking to HR before he made the final decision.
Il parlait avec les ressources humaines avant de prendre la décision finale.
They had been planning the event for months before it took place.
Ils avaient planifié l’événement pendant des mois avant qu’il n’ait lieu.

Exercices de grammaire anglaise disponibles dans l’application

Tenses

Future Simple Present Simple Present Perfect Present Continuous Past Simple Past Perfect Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous

Conditionals

Second Conditional First Conditional Third Conditional Zero Conditional

Sentences

Relative Clauses Conjunctions Reported Speech

Verbs

Used to To be used to To get used to