had been stuttering

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of stutter.
  stutter

  verb (used with or without object)

  to speak in such a way that the rhythm is interrupted by repetitions, blocks or spasms, or prolongations of sounds or syllables, sometimes accompanied by contortions of the face and body.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

had been stuttering

Performances had been stuttering, results imperfect: At the Santiago Bernabéu, the 85,000-seat stadium where Real Madrid plays its matches, one loss and three draws in 11 league games does not cut it.

From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2016

Until then Graeme Smith's side had been stuttering nervously.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2011

Related Words

• sputter
• stammer