teach
verb (used with object)
to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in.
had been teaching
-
past perfect progressiveof teach.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.
He was getting laid off, and he wasn’t surprised—he had been teaching AI agents to do much of his work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Waite had been teaching Toni Morrison’s Beloved, which provoked discussions about slavery.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2025
Miss Thompson said her son had been teaching English in Cambodia for about 10 years.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2024
Perhaps the third time was the charm, and the universe had been teaching me patience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
At the time Mr. Kapasi had been teaching English in a grammar school, and he bartered his skills as an interpreter to pay the increasingly exorbitant medical bills.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
