Past Perfect simple OR past perfect continous

 

A.    The Past Perfect Simple

Forms:         After I had told him the truth, I felt much better.

                   When I arrived, they had already gone.

                   She said she hadn't met him before.

USES:

In reported speech: referring to things that had happened before the time of speaking/thinking.                    Sara told me she had met Dave the day before.                    I thought I had seen that man somewhere before.          The policeman man asked Mathew if he had witnessed the accident

In if-sentences, type III (impossible).                    The dog wouldn't have snapped at you if you hadn't teased it.                    If I had known myself, I would have told you.

B.    Past Perfect Continuous

Forms:         He was tired because he had been working hard all day.

She had been wandering around for some time before she asked someone the way.

USES :

For longer actions that had begun before a given time in the past and that were still going on at this given time.                    [The past perfect continuous relates to the past just as the present perfect continuous relates to the present.]                    When I got there they had already been waiting for two hours.                    [they had begun waiting two hours before and they were still waiting when I got there]                    The body had been lying unnoticed for a long time before it was found.