inspect
verb (used with object)
to look carefully at or over; view closely and critically.
had been inspecting
-
past perfect progressiveof inspect.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The source said Kim pulled a tendon after joining a military drill he had been inspecting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2014
The US coast guard said the remains were found by divers hired by Houston-based Black Elk Energy, the company that had been inspecting the platform.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 18, 2012
Weller had been inspecting the site’s injection wells, which were used to enhance the recovery of oil, for the better part of a decade, certifying them as safe.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2012
Weller had been inspecting the site's injection wells, which were used to enhance the recovery of oil, for the better part of a decade, certifying them as safe.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 20, 2012
He turned his attention to the machine which he had been inspecting with childlike interest.
From The Boy Scouts of the Air in Indian Land by Gordon Stuart
