Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She noted that he had been typing on his phone throughout the speech, which she considered an actual distraction.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
She had decided to release a statement on Uvalde after all, and had been typing a draft on her phone.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 13, 2022
He also denied he had been typing into his satellite-navigation system at the time Dylan was struck.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2021
An antique typewriter—a gift from Janet Malcolm—contained a long roll of linen on which Sacks had been typing passages from “The Voyage of Argo.”
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 18, 2019
I said, “Yes, the same as anyone,” and the clerk, who up to then had been typing steadily, must have hit the wrong key, because he lost his place and had to go back.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
