1.2. Had the British been living in India for long?
Have a look at this section in order to learn about the interrogative Past Perfect Continuous.
Reflexión
This pattern is used for the interrogative sentences of the past perfect continuous:
(Question word) + auxiliary verb (had) + subject + past participle (been) + verb taking -ing + complemen(s) + ?
See an example:
Solved exercise
1) How long __________ your grandfather __________ this Grand Torino when he met your grandmother? (to drive)
2) __________ you __________ the whole morning when I phoned you? (to sleep)
3) How long __________ your brother __________ for a flat until he found it? (to look)
4) Why __________ Paco __________ English before going to London? (to study)
5) Why __________ Sonia __________ English to Paco before he went to London? (to teach)
Complete these sentences with the interrogative form of the Past Perfect Continuous.
Important
Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect emphasizes completion (or the result of a completed
action) while the Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration or
activity of an action:
He had left the house by the time his parents arrived.
He had been playing the guitar with his friends, by the time his parents arrived.
Present Perfect Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect Continuous, in contrast to the Present Perfect Continuous, never expresses actions that continues up until now:
The children have been playing for two hours (they are still playing or they have just stopped).
The children had been playing for two hours when their parents arrived (they are not playing now).
Once you have studied the Past Perfect Continuous, you are going to learn about modal verbs in English. They behave in a particular way, but if you pay attention to some slight differences between them, they will help you a lot to show a great variety of feelings and intentions.