🎯 Objective
To help learners master the Present Perfect Continuous tense, understanding when and how to use it for ongoing actions that started in the past and continue to the present moment.
📝 What is Present Perfect Continuous?
The Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of actions that began in the past and continue to the present, or have recently stopped with visible results.
| Subject | Positive Form | Negative Form | Question Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| I/You/We/They | have been working | have not been working | Have I/you/we/they been working? |
| He/She/It | has been working | has not been working | Has he/she/it been working? |
📚 Step-by-Step Guide: Mastering Present Perfect Continuous
Understanding Present Perfect Continuous
Formula: Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing
Key concept: Actions that started in the past, continue to now, and emphasize duration or ongoing process rather than completion.
The 4 Main Uses of Present Perfect Continuous
1. ⏱️ Duration from Past to Present
Usage: Actions continuing from past to now with emphasis on duration
Examples: "I have been studying for 3 hours." / "She has been working here since 2020."
Signal words: for, since, how long, all day/week/month
2. 👁️ Recent Actions with Visible Results
Usage: Actions that recently stopped but show evidence or results now
Examples: "You're covered in paint! Have you been painting?" / "I'm tired because I've been running."
Context: Explaining current conditions or appearance
3. 🔄 Repeated Actions Over Time
Usage: Actions repeated regularly over a period from past to present
Examples: "He has been calling me every day this week." / "They have been having problems lately."
Context: Patterns of behavior over time periods
4. 😤 Temporary Situations with Annoyance
Usage: Ongoing temporary situations, often with frustration
Examples: "The neighbors have been making noise all night!" / "My computer has been acting strangely lately."
Context: Complaints about ongoing problems
Grammar Rules: Formation
Positive Sentences
Formula: Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing
- I have been reading this book for hours.
- She has been cooking all morning.
- They have been traveling for six months.
Negative Sentences
Formula: Subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ing
- I have not been sleeping well lately.
- He has not been feeling good recently.
- We haven't been getting much rain this year.
Questions
Formula: Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing + ?
- Have you been waiting long?
- Has she been studying English?
- How long have they been living there?
For vs Since Usage
For + duration: for 2 hours, for a long time, for ages
Since + starting point: since Monday, since 2019, since I was young
How long: How long have you been learning English?
Key Signal Words and Time Expressions
✅ Present Perfect Continuous Signals:
- for, since, how long
- all day/week/month/year
- lately, recently
- these days, nowadays
- the whole morning/afternoon
❌ Stative Verbs (Usually No Continuous):
- know, understand, believe
- like, love, hate, prefer
- be, have (possession), own
- see, hear, smell (senses)
- Use Present Perfect instead!
Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect (completed action/result)
"I have read three books this month." (focus on completed number)
"She has painted the room." (focus on finished result)
Present Perfect Continuous (ongoing process/duration)
"I have been reading for 2 hours." (focus on ongoing activity)
"She has been painting the room." (focus on ongoing process)
Both Possible - Different Emphasis
"I have lived here for 5 years." (permanent state)
"I have been living here for 5 years." (temporary, may change)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistake 1: Using stative verbs in continuous
Wrong: "I have been knowing him for years."
Correct: "I have known him for years."
❌ Mistake 2: Forgetting "been"
Wrong: "She has working all day."
Correct: "She has been working all day."
❌ Mistake 3: Wrong time expressions
Wrong: "I have been studying yesterday."
Correct: "I have been studying all day."
🧩 Task: Complete with Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous
Read each sentence and choose the most appropriate form. Consider whether the focus is on completion/result or ongoing process/duration.
📝 Sentences to Complete:
1. How long _______ you _______ (learn) English? I _______ (study) it for five years.
2. You look tired! _______ you _______ (work) all night? Yes, I _______ (finish) three reports.
3. She's covered in flour because she _______ (bake) all morning. She _______ (make) six cakes already.
4. I _______ (live) in this city since 2010, but lately I _______ (think) about moving.
5. The weather _______ (be) terrible recently. It _______ (rain) for days!
1. ✏️ Complete: "How long _______ you _______ (learn) English? I _______ (study) it for five years."
2. ✏️ Complete: "You look tired! _______ you _______ (work) all night? Yes, I _______ (finish) three reports."
3. ✏️ Complete: "She's covered in flour because she _______ (bake) all morning. She _______ (make) six cakes already."
4. ✏️ Complete: "I _______ (live) in this city since 2010, but lately I _______ (think) about moving."
5. ✏️ Complete: "The weather _______ (be) terrible recently. It _______ (rain) for days!"
✅ Answer Key & Explanation
1. ✅ Correct Answer:
"How long have you been learning English? I have been studying it for five years."
Explanation: "How long" asks about duration of ongoing activity → Present Perfect Continuous. Both focus on the ongoing process of learning/studying.
2. ✅ Correct Answer:
"You look tired! Have you been working all night? Yes, I have finished three reports."
Explanation: "All night" = duration + visible result (tired) → Present Perfect Continuous. "Finished three reports" = completed result → Present Perfect.
3. ✅ Correct Answer:
"She's covered in flour because she has been baking all morning. She has made six cakes already."
Explanation: "All morning" = duration + visible evidence (flour) → Present Perfect Continuous. "Six cakes already" = completed quantity → Present Perfect.
4. ✅ Correct Answer:
"I have lived in this city since 2010, but lately I have been thinking about moving."
Explanation: "Live" can be either, but simple form shows permanent state. "Lately thinking" = recent ongoing mental activity → Present Perfect Continuous.
5. ✅ Correct Answer:
"The weather has been terrible recently. It has been raining for days!"
Explanation: "Be" is usually stative → Present Perfect. "Raining for days" = ongoing action with duration → Present Perfect Continuous.
🏆 Model Examples of Present Perfect Continuous
⏱️ Duration from Past to Present:
- "I have been working on this project for three weeks."
- "She has been learning the piano since she was six."
- "How long have you been waiting for the bus?"
- "They have been renovating their house all summer."
👁️ Recent Actions with Visible Results:
- "You're sweating! Have you been exercising?"
- "Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?"
- "I'm exhausted because I've been cleaning all day."
- "The ground is wet - it has been raining."
🔄 Repeated Actions Over Time:
- "He has been calling me every hour today."
- "We have been having the same argument all week."
- "She has been visiting her grandmother regularly."
- "The price has been going up and down lately."
😤 Temporary Situations with Annoyance:
- "My neighbor has been playing loud music all night!"
- "The internet has been acting up all morning."
- "You have been complaining about everything today!"
- "The elevator has been making strange noises recently."
❓ Questions and Negatives:
- "What have you been doing all day?"
- "Has she been studying for the exam?"
- "I haven't been sleeping well lately."
- "They haven't been getting along recently."
Why These Examples Work:
- ✅ Correct have/has + been + -ing formation
- ✅ Emphasis on duration, process, or ongoing nature
- ✅ Appropriate time expressions (for, since, all day, lately)
- ✅ Clear connection between past action and present evidence
- ✅ Focus on temporary or changeable situations
- ✅ No stative verbs used incorrectly in continuous form