Past Perfect Continuous - She Had Been Waiting (Short Story)
- Rose Sensei
- Sep 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 4
1.What is The Past Perfect Continuous Form?
Example: Emma had been watching the rain through the window.
2. How to form the Past Perfect Continuous
🟰[Subject + had been / 'd been + verb-ing]
e.g. Emma had been watching before he arrived.
3. When to use the Past Perfect Continuous
✔️To show an action that was happening over a period of time before another past event.
✔️To explain the background of a situation in the past.
✅ Example: She had been waiting for an hour before he arrived.
📚Short Story: She Had Been Waiting
🗣️Read aloud or listen (if recorded) coming soon!
Emma had been waiting at the café for over an hour when Daniel finally arrived.
She had been watching the rain through the window, feeling more and more nervous. Why was he late?
Daniel explained that he had been running around the city looking for the perfect birthday gift for her.
He had been searching since the morning, and the rain had made everything more difficult.
But when he opened his bag, Emma saw a small box wrapped with a golden ribbon.
She smiled—because while she had been worrying, he had been planning something special.
4. 📖Vocabulary Check
Match the words to their meanings:
waiting
nervous
explained
wrapping
planning
a. covering something with paper
b. telling someone the reason for something
c. feeling worried or afraid
d. staying in one place until someone/something arrives
e. thinking carefully about what to do
5. 🧠Comprehension Questions
Where was Emma waiting?
___________________________________
How long had she been waiting?
___________________________________
What had Emma been doing while she waited?
___________________________________
Why had Daniel been running around the city?
___________________________________
What was inside the bag?
___________________________________
6. 🙇♂️Grammar Practice
A. Identify the tense
Underline all sentences in the story with the Past Perfect Continuous.
B. Complete the sentences
She _____________________ (wait) for an hour before he arrived.
He ______________________ (look) for the gift all morning.
They were wet because they __________________ (walk) in the rain.
Emma was nervous because she ________________ (think) he had forgotten.
He was tired because he ____________________ (run) around the city.
C. ✍🏻Rewrite in Past Perfect Continuous
He looked for a gift all morning.
➡ ___________________________________
She watched the rain before Daniel came.
➡ ___________________________________
7. 🗣️Speaking Practice (Pair Work)
Student A: You are waiting for a friend. What had you been doing before they arrived?
Student B: You are late. What had you been doing before you arrived?
(e.g., I had been studying… I had been shopping… I had been sleeping…)
8. ✍🏻Writing Practice
Write a short paragraph (4–5 sentences):
“Think about a time you were late or someone was late.
What had you / they been doing before arriving?”
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
🔑Answer Key
Vocabulary: 1-d, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a, 5-e
5.🧠Comprehension:
At the café
For over an hour
Watching the rain
Looking for a birthday gift
A small box with golden ribbon
Grammar Practice:
A. (Underline)
had been waiting, had been watching, had been running, had been searching, had been worrying, had been planning
B.
had been waiting
had been looking
had been walking
had been thinking
had been running
✨ Your Turn to Practice!
Now that you’ve read She'd been waiting and practised the Past Perfect Continuous, it’s time to try it yourself.
👉 In the comments, write one sentence in Past Perfect Continuous about something you had been doing before another past event.
Examples:
I had been cooking dinner before my friend arrived.
She had been reading all afternoon before she went shopping.
💬 Share your examples below — we’d love to see how you use today’s grammar in real life!
And don’t forget: if you enjoyed this story, check out our other grammar + story lessons for fun ways to learn English. 🌟
🔔 Practice More:Want to improve your listening and speaking skills?
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel Playlist:
🔗Learn Grammar Through Engaging Stories https://tinyurl.com/bvwvckfu
🔗Quick and Easy Vocabulary https://tinyurl.com/44chnrb9
🔗ESL Listening Practice With Engaging Stories https://tinyurl.com/37rf8e23
Watch and Learn! For more ESL reading and listening practice video lessons, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
📖 Prefer Reading?
🔗Check out the related post links below ⬇️
📖✨ Love This Content? Get more delivered to you! Sign up for our weekly email with fresh ideas for learning English.
Thank you for reading and Happy Learning!
Comments