Past perfect continuous verbs: This is when two verbs, conjugated in the past tense, began in the past and is still happening up until the second action verb begins.

An action happening from one point in the past to a second:

"He'd been giving a lecture until the alarm went off."

"Her brother was angry since she came home late."

An event/action that is recent to another event/action both in the past:

"Lately, things have been picking up."