In [this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/19153/7508) excellent response
by @DariusJahandarie , he covered how to say "I have been [ _verbing_ ]" in
Japanese by using ている. He had given many examples of how would could
potentially translate ている or てい based on the context.

I'm wondering how you would differentiate between the following:

  * I was [ _verbing_ ]
  * I had been [ _verbing_ ]
  * I had [ _verbed_ ]

I will try a few sample sentences.

>   * 昨日は, テストのために **勉強している** とき, 彼女が来た。  
>  She came yesterday while _I was studying_ for my test.
>
>   * 昨夜はあなたが **電話した** とき, **勉強していた** 。  
>  _I was studying_ when _you had called_ last night.
>
>   * 私達がその本のことを初めて **話した** までに, 一週間私がそれをもう **読んでいた** 。  
>  By the time _we had_ first _talked_ about that book, _I had_ already _been
> reading_ it for a week.
>
>
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2014-10-20T22:39:40.213
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2016-02-14T05:57:18.800
2017-04-13T12:43:48.447
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question
grammar verbs
How to say "had been [verbing]"?
Note: I can't comment yet, so I need to answer, even though I think your
attempts are just fine.

I think grammatically you have #3 right (with the verbs) anyway.
私たちがその本のことを最初に話した時までに、１週間前からもう読んでいた。

I try to keep it in my head the same was as "would have", which sounds a
little wonky in English if you do a literal translation (or always has to me
anyway).

来ることを知っていたら、部屋を奇麗にした。 lit: If I knew you come, I cleaned the room. colloquial:
If I knew you would come, I would have cleaned the room.

I'm not sure if you could classify it as implication in these cases, but there
is no word that directly translates the "would", and in English you can use it
at least once, and probably twice.

The real trick though is to not think about the English verb tense you want to
say - just know how you'd say it in Japanese. :)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-21T16:08:17.467
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answer
I don't know if this answers your question but I would say them as:  

> 昨日、テスト勉強(を)しているときに、彼女が来た。  
>  Yesterday she came (to my place) while I was studying for a test.
>
> 昨夜、あなたが電話してきたとき、私は勉強していた。  
>  I was studying when you called me last night.
>
> 私達がその本のことを初めて話したときには、もう私は一週間それを読んでいた。  
>  By the time we first talked about that book, I had already been reading it
> for a week.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-21T12:48:39.137
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answer