"had p.p." and "had been V-ing"

[simile]

In a teacher's manual, it says that "had p.p." indicates that the behavior lasts for longer time while "had been V-ing" indicates that the behavior lasts for shorter time.


◊ The waitress’s legs were stiff because she had been standing for the whole afternoon.
◊ The lighthouse had stood on the hill for one hundred years.

Therefore, when we say "The lighthouse had been standing on the hill for one hundred years," does this sound natural or odd to native speakers?

Thank you for your reply.

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

I don't really detect a difference in meaning between the past perfect and the progressive in your sentence.
However, in the context of a past narration, present perfect would suggest the action was completed, while the
progressive would suggest that the action was still ongoing.