Sure, ok so past continuous is somewhat like the "imperfect" in other languages. It conveys an action that was INTERRUPTED by another action. For example: I was walking when I saw her. See, when someone asks you, "what did you do yesterday?" You don't reply, "I was walking" it sounds really off and will leave the person you are talking to in suspense because they expect you to continue with another action. Past perfect is the tense that one would use when an action is completed and completely in the past. For example, "I have walked, I have eaten, I have seen" . It is a compound tense because you need to combine an auxiliary with the past participle. You could also use the simple past which is more widely used here in the United States. Did this clear things up for you?

Past continuous tense is used to show concurrent action in the past (two things happened at the same time). Yesterday, as I was walking down the street, I saw a beggar lady along the side of the road. She was crying. I felt pity for her so I stopped and give her a few coins. (the walking, seeing, and crying actions were all occurring at the same time) Past perfect tense is used to show the earlier of TWO past completed actions: When he came to visit me at my home yesterday, I had just left the house to go to the grocery store. (two actions: come, leave; leaving happened first) I arrived at 10:02 am but the train had departed on time at 10:00 am. Darn it! (two actions: arrive, depart; departing happened first)