I had been learning about setting financial goals before I learned the role of education in a successful financial plan. (PERFECT PROGRESSIVE PAST)
Is this the correct verb tense form?
verb - had been learning?
Yes, that is correct.
The other verb (learned) is in the subordinate clause.
You should call that tense the past perfect progressive ... in that order!
Yes, "had been learning" is the correct verb tense form in this sentence. The verb phrase "had been learning" is in the past perfect progressive tense.
To determine the verb tense, let's break down the sentence:
Subject: "I"
Verb phrase: "had been learning"
In this sentence, the subject is "I," and the verb phrase "had been learning" shows an action that was ongoing in the past. The past perfect progressive tense is formed by combining the past tense of "have" (had), the past participle of the main verb (been), and the present participle (learning).
So, "had been learning" correctly expresses that you were continuously engaged in the process of learning about setting financial goals.