Point 27 in the category of PAST is defined as:
past perfect continuous: an action or event which began before a point in the past and was still continuing up to that point, often with ‘for’ or ‘since’, to give background information.
Point 32 in the PAST is defined as:
past perfect continuous: background action or event which began before a point in the past and was still continuing up to a point in the past when the main event happened.
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
Therefore, the people had been making a lot of music.
Korean female, level 3 writing class.
TLC STUDENT SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE:
they had been trying for decades before they succeeded.
female Russia B2
*no successful examples of past perfect continuous at B1 in TLC.
_VHD been _VVG * *
1 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A 1383
2 HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR 1055
3 HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO 938
4 HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE 713
5 HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE 693
6 HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET 685
7 HAD BEEN WORKING AS A 648
8 HAD BEEN WORKING ON A 645
9 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR . 486
10 HAD BEEN WORKING IN THE 470
11 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR . 430
12 HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE 415
13 HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE 375
14 HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR A 374
15 HAD BEEN LIVING IN A 364
16 HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE 291
17 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THE 273
18 HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIND 251
19 HAD BEEN WORKING AT THE 251
20 HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE 236
21 HAD BEEN WORKING ON FOR 236
22 HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM A 235
23 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A 235
24 HAD BEEN SITTING IN A 216
25 HAD BEEN WORKING ON . 215
26 HAD BEEN WORKING FOR THE 214
27 HAD BEEN DRINKING . 204
28 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR THE 200
29 HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE 191
30 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THIS 183
31 ‘D BEEN LOOKING FOR A 179
32 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR AN 172
33 HAD BEEN WANTING TO TRY 171
34 HAD BEEN STAYING AT THE 170
35 HAD BEEN WORKING FOR A 168
36 HAD BEEN GOING ON IN 166
37 HAD BEEN GOING ON . 157
38 HAD BEEN WORKING AS AN 156
39 HAD BEEN WORKING WITH A 155
40 HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR . 154
41 HAD BEEN LIVING ON THE 153
42 HAD BEEN HOPING FOR . 149
43 HAD BEEN WANTING TO DO 148
44 HAD BEEN WORKING ON IT 147
45 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR , 145
46 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING 143
47 HAD BEEN LIVING AT THE 143
48 HAD BEEN USING IT FOR 142
49 HAD BEEN HOPING FOR A 141
50 ‘D BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO 138
51 HAD BEEN LIVING WITH HIS 136
52 HAD BEEN TAKING CARE OF 135
53 HAD BEEN TOYING WITH THE 133
54 HAD BEEN GOING THROUGH A 131
55 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR , 131
56 HAD BEEN SITTING THERE FOR 131
57 HAD BEEN TRYING TO MAKE 131
58 HAD BEEN TRYING TO SELL 128
59 HAD BEEN TRYING TO DO 127
60 HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT 125
61 HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE 125
62 HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE 124
63 HAD BEEN WORKING ON THIS 122
64 HAD BEEN PLAYING IN THE 120
65 HAD BEEN LIVING WITH THE 119
66 HAD BEEN WORKING AT A 118
67 HAD BEEN USING . 115
68 HAD BEEN SITTING FOR A 114
69 HAD BEEN WORKING IN A 112
70 HAD BEEN MISSING FOR A 110
71 HAD BEEN GOING ON , 109
72 HAD BEEN PLAYING WITH THE 109
73 HAD BEEN WANTING TO MAKE 108
74 HAD BEEN GOING TO THE 107
75 HAD BEEN SITTING IN MY 106
76 HAD BEEN WORKING HARD TO 106
77 HAD BEEN SITTING ON A 104
78 HAD BEEN DEALING WITH A 103
79 HAD BEEN WORKING ON , 103
80 HAD BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH 102
81 HAD BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 101
82 ‘D BEEN TRYING TO GET 98
83 HAD BEEN DATING FOR A 98
84 HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT 98
85 ‘D BEEN WORKING ON FOR 97
86 HAD BEEN WORKING ON AN 97
87 HAD BEEN WAITING FOR HIM 95
88 HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE THE 94
89 ‘D BEEN LOOKING FOR . 94
90 HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE 94
91 HAD BEEN KEEPING AN EYE 93
92 HAD BEEN COMING TO THE 91
93 HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE 90
94 HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS 89
95 HAD BEEN DRINKING AT THE 89
96 HAD BEEN TAKING PART IN 89
97 HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR 89
98 HAD BEEN WORKING ON HIS 89
99 HAD BEEN DRINKING AND WAS 88
100 HAD BEEN STAYING AT A 88
A2:
care, hoping, keeping, missing, sell, since, through, try, trying
B1:
dating, figure, forward, searching, suffering from
B2:
closely