Question

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follows.   Gramps had been coaching at the local college when he quit and went to work at the bank.   What does the tense of the verb reveal about the subject? The event took place in the past continuously but concluded prior to another past event. The event took place in the past continuously. The event concluded prior to another past event. The event has been completed.

Answer 1

The event concluded prior to another past event

Answer 2

Answer: The event took place in the past continuously but concluded prior to another past event.

Explanation:

The past perfect continuous tense uses 'had been' + the verb’s present participle (root + -ing) to reveal that an event that began in the past, lasted until another event, also in the past. It´s a verb tense that shows something that occurred continuously during the past and ended at a specified time in the past.

In this example, we know that, at first, Gramps had been coaching for a continued period in the past, until he quit and went to work at the bank (also in the past).