The Past Perfect Tense is used:
. To talk about a finished event or situation which took place before a particular time in the past.
They had failed the first exam.
. To describe an event, situation, or event which happened before another event in the past.
By the time we got to the bank, it had already closed.
. When a time reference (e.g. before/after) makes explicit which action took place first, the Past Perfect is optional.
The burglar disappeared (had disappeared) before the police arrived.
The Past Continuous Perfect Tense is used:
. To describe a completed action which lasted during a period of time in the past before another event, we use the Past Perfect Continuous.
When I got back home, my son had been playing on the computer for two hours.
Note: Sometimes the difference between them has to do with emphasis. If the focus is on the duration of a particular event or situation, use the Past Perfect Continuous tense. If the focus is on the completion of the event opt for the Past Perfect Tense.
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