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Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Continuous? Grammar Review





Past Perfect Simple

They had lived in New York for 3 years before they moved to Seattle. (up to the time they moved to Seattle)

Past Perfect Continuous

She had been studying for 4 hours when he arrived. (The four hours directly before he arrived)

Now, let's take a look at the specific differences between the two forms:

Past Perfect Simple is used to express finished activity before a specific point of time in the past.

Example: He had already eaten when his wife came home.

Past Perfect Continuous is used to express continuous/progressive activity up to a specific point of time in the past.

Example: They had been waiting for 2 hours before their friends finally arrived.



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