Can you please tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the past continuous and the past perfect continuous in the sentences below?
I was working for five hours when the light went out.
I had been working for five hours when the light went out.
I don't see any difference in meaning. Is there any? Are both perfectly natural there?
Best Answer
This one means, "The lights went out during my 5-hour work period." There's no indication of when during the work period the lights went out.
This one means, "The lights went out after I had been working for five hours." There's no indication of how long they worked in total, assuming the lights going out didn't prevent them from eventually continuing to work.