Explain the difference between the past simple and past perfect continuous tenses.

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Explain the difference between the past simple and past perfect continuous tenses.

The past simple tense is used to describe a completed action or event in the past. It is typically used to talk about a specific point in time or a habitual action in the past. For example, "I ate dinner last night" or "She always went to the park on Sundays."

On the other hand, the past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action or event that started in the past and continued up until another point in the past. It emphasizes the duration or length of time of the action. For example, "I had been studying for three hours when she called" or "They had been playing soccer all afternoon."

In summary, the past simple tense focuses on a completed action in the past, while the past perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration of an ongoing action that occurred before another point in the past.