Exercises · Past perfect or past perfect continuous
Past perfect or past perfect continuous gap-fill
Type the correct form of the verb in brackets. Contractions (I’ve, she’s) and full forms (I have, she has) are both accepted.
Need a refresher? Review the rules in 4.2 Past simple or past perfect in our Verb Tenses in Business guide.
Quick rules
past perfect (had done)
A finished action or result before a moment in the past – often with how many or how much.
By the time the deal closed, we had held twelve meetings.
past perfect continuous (had been doing)
An activity that continued up to a moment in the past – often with how long.
We had been negotiating for six months before they signed.
explaining a past situation
The continuous form explains what caused a situation we could see.
The client was annoyed because he had been waiting for 40 minutes.
state verbs
Know, be, have (own), hate, believe… use the past perfect, not the continuous.
We had known each other since business school.
1. Result or activity?
How many and how much – or how long?
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
1By the time the investors arrived, we (prepare) all the documents.
2We (negotiate) for months before they finally agreed to our terms.
3By the end of the year, the team (sign) 30 new clients.
4I (work) on the project for two years before it was cancelled.
5When we (finish) the audit, we sent the report to the board.
2. Verbs we don’t use in continuous forms
Know, be, have, hate, see…
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
1Before I moved to London, I (never / see) such a busy financial district.
2I (always / hate) the idea of public speaking until I did a presentation course.
3We (know) each other since university, so it was easy to work together.
4The new manager (be) with the company for just three weeks when she made her first big decision.
5Had you (ever / think) about hiring a coach before?
3. Explaining a past situation
Why was it like that? A long activity – or a finished action?
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
1She was exhausted because she (train) new staff all week.
2The client was annoyed because he (wait) in reception for 40 minutes.
3My coach (see) many executives like me before, so she knew exactly what to do.
4I (only just / get used to) my manager’s style when she left the company.
5Our results were poor because we (not / invest) enough in marketing.
4. Mixed review
Both forms together, in real business situations.
Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect
1She (coach) me for two years before she moved to Singapore.
2He (want) to stay, but he had to leave for family reasons.
3I (have) problems with my presentation skills, so I decided to book a course.
4By 2019, the company (expand) into 12 markets.
5The servers crashed because they (run) at full capacity for weeks.
Check a section to see your score here.
More practice
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