had been working vs was working

Question

(1) I had been working in the garden when she arrived, so I didn't hear her come in.

(2) I was working in the garden when she arrived, so I didn't hear her come in.

I think that past perfect continuous in (1) only refers to an action from the past up to/until the past point in time ( she arrived). We don't know if I was still working at the time she came in.

I think that present continuous in (2) refers to an ongoing action at the past point ( she arrived). We know that I was still working when she came in.

So, I think that using the present continuous as in (2) is more correct than using the present perfect continuous in (1). Are my opinions correct?

Answer 1

Yes, (2) is the simplest and most natural way to say it.

(1) could be understood to mean that the speaker had finished working, so they might have stayed in the garden or gone back indoors.

The past perfect continuous could also have been used to speak of a time before another past time.

When I went into the house I was surprised to find Mary there. I had been working in the garden when she arrived, so I hadn't heard her come in.