write
verb (used with object)
to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe.
had been writing
-
past perfect progressiveof write.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.
Although he had been writing and performing for years by that point, Taylor's travels around Europe helped him truly find his voice in the early 1980s, he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
More importantly, it was completely different from the traditional cover letters I had been writing.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025
Taylor Swift had been writing and releasing albums for six years before she landed her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
Up to that point, Mr. Carr had been writing, with modest success, on military matters.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2024
She knew when Trip had failed a math test by the shredded scraps in his trash bin, when Moody had been writing songs by the crumpled wads of paper in his.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
