Free Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Worksheets and Exercises (PDF with Answers)

Our past perfect and past perfect continuous worksheets help learners compare, choose, and use the two tenses correctly through targeted activities like sentence completion, timeline exercises, error correction, and verb form practice. They’re ideal for intermediate students looking to improve their grammar and writing flow.

Want to strengthen your tense knowledge further? Explore these related lessons:

• Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense

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Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercises

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercise 1: Sentence Rewriting

Rewrite the sentence using either past perfect or past perfect continuous based on the context.

1. She studied French for two years before she moved to Paris.
   → She had been studying French for two years before she moved to Paris.
2. He ate all the pizza before we arrived.
   → He had eaten all the pizza before we arrived.
3. They lived in Spain before moving to Germany.
   → They had lived in Spain before moving to Germany.
4. We played football for an hour when it started raining.
   → We had been playing football for an hour when it started raining.
5. I read the book before watching the movie.
   → I had read the book before watching the movie.

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Use the verb in parentheses in past perfect or past perfect continuous.

1. He __________ (work) all morning, so he was very tired.
   → He had been working all morning, so he was very tired.
2. We __________ (not/eat) when the food arrived.
   → We had not eaten when the food arrived.
3. I __________ (live) there for 5 years before I moved.
   → I had lived there for 5 years before I moved.
4. She __________ (practice) the violin before the concert.
   → She had been practicing the violin before the concert.
5. They __________ (already/leave) when we got there.
   → They had already left when we got there.
6. The kids __________ (play) outside when it started to rain.
   → The kids had been playing outside when it started to rain.
7. I __________ (never/see) such a beautiful mountain before.
   → I had never seen such a beautiful mountain before.
8. My phone __________ (not/charge), so it was dead.
   → My phone had not charged, so it was dead.
9. We __________ (walk) for two hours before taking a break.
   → We had been walking for two hours before taking a break.
10. He __________ (finish) the report before the meeting.
    → He had finished the report before the meeting.

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercise 3: Time-Line Matching

Match the two actions in each sentence. Decide which came first and which tense (past perfect or past perfect continuous) fits better.

1. I was tired because I had been studying all day.
2. They had left before we arrived.
3. She had been crying when I saw her.
4. We had eaten by the time the guests came.
5. He had been waiting for 30 minutes when the train arrived.

Answer:

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercise 4: Error Correction

Each sentence contains an error in the use of past perfect or past perfect continuous. Rewrite it correctly.

1. She had studying for the test all night.
   → She had been studying for the test all night.
2. We had went to the mall before it rained.
   → We had gone to the mall before it rained.
3. They had been plays basketball for an hour.
   → They had been playing basketball for an hour.
4. I had been seen the movie before.
   → I had seen the movie before.
5. He had working at that company for years.
   → He had been working at that company for years.

Answer:

1. She had been studying for the test all night.
2. We had gone to the mall before it rained.
3. They had been playing basketball for an hour.
4. I had seen the movie before.
5. He had been working at that company for years.

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Exercise 5: Verb Form Drill

Choose the correct verb form for each sentence: past perfect or past perfect continuous.

1. I __________ (had studied / had been studying) English before I moved to the UK.
2. They __________ (had cleaned / had been cleaning) the house when the guests arrived.
3. She __________ (had worked / had been working) there for 10 years before she quit.
4. He __________ (had not eaten / had not been eating) anything all day.
5. We __________ (had waited / had been waiting) at the station for an hour before the train came.
6. The baby __________ (had cried / had been crying) when her mom picked her up.
7. I __________ (had written / had been writing) the essay before the deadline.
8. They __________ (had played / had been playing) video games for hours before dinner.
9. You __________ (had heard / had been hearing) that song before, right?
10. She __________ (had traveled / had been traveling) to Asia before she moved to Europe.

Answer:

1. had been studying
2. had cleaned
3. had been working
4. had not eaten
5. had been waiting
6. had been crying
7. had written
8. had been playing
9. had heard
10. had traveled