THE PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

Present Perfect Continuous

Tenses
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INTRODUCTION
Present perfect continuous is a tense used to talk about actions and
situations which started in the past and are still going on in the present.

FORM
Present perfect continuous (or progressive) has three forms:

Affirmative
Its structure, in the affirmative form, is:
Subject + have/has + been + [verb + -ing] + …

 To Have: the third person singular changes from have to has;

 The affirmative short forms are: I’ve been – you’ve been – he’s

been…
 Been is the past participle of to be. {see Past Participle, A2 level}

BEENPRESENT PARTICIPLE

SUBJECT AUXILIARY VERB

I/You have been working

 He/She/It has been working

We/You/They have been working

Negative
Its structure, in the negative form, is:
Subject + have/has + not + been + [verb + -ing] + …

 To Have: the third person singular changes from have not to has not;

 Negative short forms are: I haven’t been – you haven’t been – she
hasn’t been…
 Been is the past participle of to be.

SUBJECT AUXILIARY VERB + NOT BEEN PRESENT PARTICIPLE

I/You have not been working

He/She/It has not been working

We/You/They have not been working

Interrogative
Its structure, in the interrogative form, is:
Have/has + subject + been + [verb + -ing] + …?

 To Have: the third person singular changes from have to has;

 Been is the past participle of to be.
 QUESTION
AUXILIARY VERB SUBJECT BEEN PRESENT PARTICIPLE
MARK

Have I/You been working …?

Has He/She/It been working …?

Have We/You/They been working …?

EXAMPLE
1. Past actions that continue in the present (often used with for or since).
o I have been thinking about her for decades.
o She hasn’t been living together with Tom since 2008.
o Have they been using this computer since 2003?
2. Focus on the result of an unfinished action
o You have been trying to fix the computer for 4 hours.
o The grass is dry, it hasn’t been raining.
o Have they been cooking for 2 hours?
3. Repeated actions
o I have been calling you all day.
o He hasn’t been sending me friend requests for a month.
o Have we been using the computer too much lately?

USE
We use present perfect continuous when we:

1. Talk about actions that started in the past and continue in the present
(very often used with for or since);
2. Focus on the result of an action that has not finished yet;
3. Refer to repeated actions.
 SUMMARY
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about situations which have
started in the past and are still going on in the present or have just finished and
still have effects on the present.

We can use it in its different forms:

 Affirmative: We start with the subject followed by have been and a

verb that ends with -ing. In the third person singular, we use has;
 Negative: We start with the subject followed by have not and been and
a verb that ends with -ing. In the third person singular, we use has not;
 Interrogative: We start with have followed by the subject and been and
a verb that ends with -ing (the sentence ends with a question mark). In the
third person singular, we use has.

For example:
— Affirmative: “She has been working on important projects the last few
months.”
— Negative: “She hasn’t been working on important projects the last few
months.”
— Interrogative: “Has she been working on important projects the last few
months?”

NOTE: Been is the past participle of to be. {see Past Participle, A2 level}

For example:
— “I have been working on an important project for the last few months.” =
We use the present perfect continuous to express progress (I started working
in the past and I am still working).
♦ “I am working on an important project this month.” = We use the present
continuous to express an action that takes place while talking (in that
moment).
♦ “I work on important projects.” = We use the present simpletense to talk
about a repeated action (I work regularly).

Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the
{Example} section that shows its use within a context.

RELATED
For better understanding about how to use Present perfect continuous, you can
learn more about Past participle.
 In English, if you want to talk about an action that takes place in that moment,
you can use present continuous. Besides that, when you want to speak of an
obvious truth or a repetitive act, you can use present simple.

Present Perfect Progressive Tense in

English Grammar
 Usage
 Conjugation of English Present Perfect Progressive Tense
 Contractions
  Online exercises to improve your English

Introduction
The present perfect progressive tense, also present perfect continuous, expresses an
action that begins in the past and lasts until a present or almost present moment. The
timing of this action is not specified, instead, the result or process of the action is
emphasised. The present perfect progressive is conjugated with the present form
of have, the past participle of be and the present participle or -ing form of the main verb.

Learn how to use and conjugate the present perfect progressive tense in English

grammar. In the exercises, you can practise what you have learnt.

Example

Aaron has been repairing cars since he was sixteen years old. He has always wanted to
be a mechanic.

He has been working in this garage for ten years.

As Aaron has been changing tyres all morning, his clothes are dirty now.
Usage
The present perfect progressive is similar to the present perfect, but we use it to express
a continuing or unfinished action, or emphasise an action rather than a result.

Here are the three main uses of the present perfect continuous:

 to express an action in the recent past with emphasis on the action itself and not
the result

Example:
Aaron has been changing tyres all morning.
 to express a single continuing action that started in the past and is incomplete at
the present moment

Example:
He has been working in this garage for ten years.
He still works in the garage, therefore the action is incomplete.
 to express repeated actions that started in the past and continue now.
Example:
Aaron has been repairing cars since he was sixteen years old.

Take a closer look at the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect
progressive in English grammar in the tense comparison section of the website.

Signal Words: English Present Perfect Progressive

Signal words can help us to recognise the tense in a sentence. The signal words for
the present perfect progressive are:

 all day, the whole week

 for 4 years, since 1993, how long?
 lately

Conjugation of English Present Perfect

Progressive Tense
To conjugate the present perfect progressive we follow the rule: have/has + been
+ verb in the -ing form. The table below provides an overview of conjugations of
the present perfect progressive in positive, negative and interrogative sentences.

positive negative question

I have
I/you/we/they I have not been speaking Have I been speaking?
been speaking
 positive negative question
he has been
he/she/it he has not been speaking Has he been speaking?
speaking

Present Participle – Spelling Rules

The present participle is generally formed by adding -ing to the base form of a verb.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:

 An -e at the end of the word is removed, but -ee, -oe and -ye remain unchanged.

Example:
come – coming
but: agree - agreeing
 The final consonant is doubled in words that have a short stressed vowel before
the final consonant. However, -w, -x and -y are not doubled.

Example:
sit – sitting
but: mix – mixing
 An -l as a final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British English but
not in American English.

Example:
travel – travelling (British)
traveling (American)
 An -ie at the end of the word is replaced with a -y

Example:
lie – lying

Contractions
Contractions are a combination of certain pronouns, verbs and the word not. They are
mostly used in spoken and informal written English. The table below provides an
overview of contractions in the present perfect progressive tense using the verb have.

long
contraction example
form
have …’ve they’ve
have not …’ve not/… haven’t I’ve not/I haven’t
 long
contraction example
form
has …’s she’s
has not …’s not/… hasn’t he’s not/he hasn’t
To Note

The contracted form of have is generally only used after pronouns.

Example:
They’ve been repairing cars in the morning.
(but not: The men’ve been repairing cars in the morning.)

But the contraction of has is possible after nouns as well as pronouns unless

the noun already ends with -s.

Example:
He’s/Aaron’s not been repairing cars in the morning.

Present Perfect Continuous

have been/has been + present participle. ie. -ing
Duration from the past to now
I have been working here for five years.
Recently, lately
Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
Content

1. Duration from the past to now

2. Recently, lately

3. IMPORTANT Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs

4. Passive / Active

1. Duration from the past to now

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has
continued upto now. For ten minutes, for two months, and since Monday are all durations which
can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.

 I have been working here for five years.


 He has been studying English for one year.

 She has been sleeping for the last hour.

 I have been waiting here for two hours.

 John has been studying at the college since May.


2. Recently, lately
You can use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as for ten minutes, for
two months, and since Monday. We often use the word recently in the sentence to strengthen
this meaning.

 Recently, I have been feeling really tired.



3. IMPORTANT Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed

Verbs
Some English verbs do not form a continuous tense, hence the name non-continuous verbs.
These include for example the verb "to love", "to like" or "to belong".

Other English verbs have several meanings, one of which usually do not form a continuous
tense. These verbs are called mixed verbs.. These include for example the verb "to have" or "to
be".

If these verbs occur in a sentence, where we would normally use the Present continuous tense,
we must replace it with the Present perfect.

 Sam has been having his bike for 6 months. Incorrect

 Sam has had his bike for 6 months. Correct


4. Passive / Active
 Recently, Pavel has been doing the work. Active

 Recently, the work has been being done by Pavel. Passive

The Present perfect continuous tense in not used in the Passive form very often.

Present Perfect Continuous

 Use:
Use present perfect continuous in two situations.
1) You started something in the past and you are still doing it now.
I’ve been working all morning (and I’m still working now).
2) You have just finished doing something. The effects of this activity can still be seen.
I’ve been gardening, so my hands are dirty.
               
Form:
Form the present perfect continuous in this way.
Positive and Negative

have / haven’t been verb + ing

I, you, we, they ‘ve /’ve not

  has / hasn’t
‘s / ‘s not
he, she, it

Examples:           You’ve been eating chocolate. I’ve not been sleeping well.

 
Questions

I, you, we, they been verb + ing?

Have
he, she, it
Has

Examples:           Have you been drinking? Has Emily been seeing her ex-boyfriend?

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

What is the present perfect continuous?
The present perfect continuous (or present perfect progressive) is one of the English verb tenses.

USE & EXAMPLES

FORM
NOTES
QUIZZES
You can learn more English online by visiting our free English grammar lessons, which include
other verb tenses and more grammar points.

You can also find more grammar, vocabulary and communication tasks for each English level:

 A1 (Beginner)
 A2 (Elementary)
 B1 (Pre-Intermediate / Intermediate)
 B2 (Upper Intermediate)
 C1 (Advanced)
 C2 (Proficiency)
 Use & examples
The present perfect continuous tense links the past to the present (as well as the present perfect
simple) and we use it to describe:

(1) Unfinished situations or periods of time

[English level B1]

It describes situations (single or repeated) that started in the past and still continue to the present
(and possibly into the future).

 I've been living in Munich for two years.

 I've been training at the gym recently.
The present perfect continuous focuses more on the unfinished action itself.
The present perfect simple focuses more on the completion or the present result than the action itself.

(2) Recently finished situations

[English level B2]

It can also describe temporary actions that were finished recently (a short time ago) and have present
results.

 You look tired.

Yes, I've been painting  the house.
 Form

How do you write and pronounce the present perfect simple?

Form: Key points

 Use the auxiliary verb 'have' (have/has) + been + main verb (-ing).
Here are examples of the affirmative (positive) form, negative form and question form using the
verb 'live'.

Contractions

It is also possible to contract subject pronouns with auxiliary verb + 'not'

 I've not
 He's/She's/It's not
 Short answers
 Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
 Yes, you have. / No, you haven't.
Other questions forms
 How long...?
(unfinished situations - used with for and since)
How long have you been living in Germany? For 2 years.

Pronunciation
We commonly use contractions (e.g. 'I've been meeting friends' or 'He hasn't been working today')
for the present perfect continuous tense, especially when speaking English.

Notes

For the present perfect continuous, we have extra information about:

 spelling exceptions for verbs and

 time expressions that you can use.
Spelling exceptions for verbs

Sometimes we need to remove a letter, and other times we need to add another letter. Here are the
exceptions:

1) One 'e' at the end of a verb

Remove the final 'e' and add 'ing'.
Examples:
[live] I've been living in Germany.
[save] I've been saving money for a new car.
* Verbs ending in 'ee'
These follow the normal rules.
Examples:
[see] He's been seeing  his friends.

2) Verb ends with consonant + one stressed vowel + one consonant

Double the final consonant and add 'ing'.
Examples:
[stop] I've been stopping work early recently.
* Verbs ending with an unstressed vowel
These follow the normal rules, and the last consonant is not doubled.
Examples:
[develop] They've been developing  a new idea at the company.

3) Verb ends in 'l' (British English)

Double the final consonant and add 'ing'.
Examples:
[travel] I've been travelling  with friends.

4) Verb ends with 'ie'

Change 'ie' to 'y' and add 'ing'.
Examples:
[lie] She's been lying  to the teacher.

5) Verb ends with 'ic'

Add 'k' before -ing'.
Examples:
[panic] He's been panicking about the exam.

Time expressions used with present perfect continuous

Here are time markers that can be used with the present perfect continuous.

1) for
This gives a period of time.
Examples:
I've been working at this company  for two years.

2) since
This gives a starting point.
Examples:
I've been living in this apartment since 2015.

3)  this week / month / year / today / all day

These expressions can be used for periods of time that are not finished.
Examples:
He's been studying hard  this week.

3)  recently
This started not long ago.
Examples:
We've been going to the gym recently.
 Present perfect continuous
(progressive)
(Using the continuous form of the English
present perfect tense)
Table of contents – present perfect continuous

On this page you will find the following:

1. Use of the present perfect continuous

2. Rule for conjugation
3. Further explanations and exercises

When is the present perfect continuous used?

The present perfect continuous (often called present perfect

progressive) is considered to be a tense of the present rather than
of the past as it has a strong relation to now. When using this tense,
it is the action that has priority and which is emphasized. Compare
the following possibilities of usage:

 The present perfect continuous is used when an action needs to

be emphasized that started in the past and is still ongoing in
the present:
o “She has been telling stories all day.”
o “I’ve been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes now.”
 It also describes a process that has taken place or is still taking
place and that has an effect on the present:
o “Tom is completely soaked. He  has been standing  in the
rain for hours.”
o “I’m very tired. I’ve been working  all day.”
 If you want to show the duration of habits, that have been taking
place, the present perfect progressive can also be utilized:
o “He  has been taking  part in competitions for over 12 years
now.”
 The person started 12 years ago and is still doing it.
o “We’ve been going  to that restaurant  since 1998.”
  They started to visit the restaurant in 1998 and still go
there regularly.
 Tip: Signal words that are frequently used with the present perfect
continuous are: ‘for, since, all day, how long?, the whole day’,
etc. They have been coloured in the previous example sentences.

What is the rule for forming the present perfect

continuous?

The present perfect continuous needs two auxiliary verbs, which

means it is formed by using the conjugated form of the auxiliary ‘to
have’, the past participle of ‘to be’ (→ been), and the present
participle (which is the ing-form) of the corresponding verb.
Compare:

Conjugation rule for the present perfect continuous/progressive

Auxiliary verb ‘have/has’ + ‘been’ + present participle

(ing-form) of the corresponding verb

Additional examples for the formation of the present perfect

progressive

 Very often, the auxiliary ‘have/has’ is shortened to ‘’ve/’s’:

o “Sandra’s been sleeping  for 6 hours.”
 with the short form of the auxiliary verb ‘has’
o “We’ve been studying  Chinese for 2 years.”
 with the short form of the auxiliary ‘have’

Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect progressive expresses an action that recently stopped

or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the
action.

Form of Present Perfect Progressive

  Positive Negative Question

 I / you / we / I have been speaking. I have not been speaking. Have I been speaking?
they

he / she / it He has been speaking. He has not been Has he been speaking?
speaking.

Exceptions in Spelling

Exceptions in spelling when adding ing Example

final e is dropped come – coming

(but: ee is not changed) (but: agree – agreeing)

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled sit – sitting

l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British travel – travelling

English)

final ie becomes y lie – lying

Use of Present Perfect Progressive

 puts emphasis on the duration or course of an action (not the result)
Example: She has been writing for two hours.

 action that recently stopped or is still going on

Example: I have been living here since 2001.

 finished action that influenced the present

Example: I have been working all afternoon.

Signal Words of Present Perfect Progressive

 all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Exercises on Present Perfect Progressive

COMPARED TENSES + EXERCISES

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-
 up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-
up/grammar/simpre-preperpro

The present perfect continuous tense -

Easy Learning Grammar
Typical forms of this tense are as shown in:
 I have been waiting.
 I’ve been waiting.
 She has been waiting.
 She’s been waiting.
 Have I been snoring?
 Has he been waiting?
 Have you been waiting long?
 I have not been waiting.
 She has not been waiting.
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about:
 actions and states that began in the past and are still continuing at the time of
speaking.
 I have been holding this ladder for ages. When are you going to come down?
 actions and states that began in the past and have only just finished.
 Thank goodness you’re here! I’ve been waiting for hours.
 repeated actions.
 I’ve been getting this magazine every week for a year.
There is sometimes little difference between the meaning of the present perfect
and the meaning of the present perfect continuous when they are used for long-
term actions.
 I have been working here for three years.
 I have worked here for three years.
We usually choose the continuous form for more temporary actions or states.
 I have been living in London since I left school.
… and the present perfect form for more permanent ones.
 I have lived in London since I was born.
 We cannot use this tense with verbs such as be, know, and like, which are not
used in continuous forms.

 We can use for and since with the continuous form in the same way as with the
present perfect form. See also The present continuous tense and The past continuous
tense for more about continuous uses of the verb.
 I have been studying English for three years.
 I have studied English for three years.
 I have been living in London since I left school.
 I have lived in London since I was born.
Present perfect continuous
The present perfect continuous is used to refer to an unspecified time between 'before
now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking about something that started but perhaps did not
finish in that period of time. He/she is interested in the process as well as the
result, and this process may still be going on, or may have just finished.

Actions that started in the past and continue in the present

She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now).
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still haven't
finished it).
They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet).

Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the

results
She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious).
It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).
Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone).

Forming the present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous is made up of two elements: the present perfect of the
verb 'to be' (have/has been), and the present participle of the main verb (base+ing)

Subjec +has/have been +base+ing

t

She has been swimming

Affirmative: She has been / She's been running.

Negative: She hasn't been running.
Interrogative : Has she been running?
Interrogative negative: Hasn't she been running?
Example: present perfect continuous, TO LIVE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have been living I haven't been living Have I been living?

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living?

He, she, it has been He hasn't been living Has she been living?
living

We have been living We haven't been living Have we been living?

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living?

They have been living They haven't been living Have they been living?

Verbs without continuous forms

With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the simple present perfect
instead (verbs such as: know, hate, hear, understand, want).
I've wanted to visit China for years.
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
We've understood everything.

 Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous uses two auxiliary verbs together with
a main verb.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect

Continuous tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by
a quiz to check your understanding.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the

Present Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Present
Perfect Progressive tense.

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous

tense?
The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb

conjugated in Present past  

Simple participle

have, has been present

participle
The first auxiliary (have) is conjugated in the Present Simple: have,
has

The second auxiliary (be) is invariable in past participle form: been

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.

For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary

verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous

tense:

  subject auxiliary   auxiliary main  

verb verb verb

+ I have   been waiting for one hour.

+ You have   been talking too much.

- It has no been raining.  

t

- We have no been playing football.

t

? Have you   been seeing her?

? Have they   been doing their

homework?

Contraction with Present Perfect Continuous

When we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in speaking, we
often contract the subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also
sometimes do this in informal writing.

I have been I've been

You have been You've been

He has been He's been

She has been She's been
It has been It's been
John has been John's been
The car has The car's been
been

We have been We've been

They have been They've been

 I've been reading.

 Jenny's been helping us recently.

In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and

"not":

 I haven't been playing tennis.

 It hasn't been snowing.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous

tense?
This tense is called the Present Perfect Continuous tense. There is
usually a connection with the present or now.

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about:

  past action recently-stopped
 past action still-continuing

Present Perfect Continuous for past action just

stopped
We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that
started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

I'm tired because I've been running.

past present future

!!!  

Recent action Result now  

 I'm tired [now] because I've been running.

 Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?
 You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.

Present Perfect Continuous for past action continuing

now
We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that
started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used
with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours.

past present future

  

Action started in past. Action is continuing now.  

 I have been reading for 2 hours. (I am still reading now.)

 We've been studying since 9 o'clock. (We're still studying now.)
 How long have you been learning English? (You are still learning
now.)
 We have not been smoking. (And we are not smoking now.)

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous

tense
We often use for and since with perfect tenses:

 We use for to talk about a period of time: three hours, two

months, one decade
 We use since to talk about a point in past time: 9 o'clock, 1st
January, Monday

for since

a period of a point in past time

time

------------ -•----------

30 minutes 10.00am

four days Friday

 3 months March

2 years 2010

3 centuries 1700

ages I left school

ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present

Perfect Continuous tense:

 I have been studying for three hours.

 I have been watching TV since 7pm.
 Tara hasn't been feeling well for two weeks.
 Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.
 He has been playing football for a long time.
 He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.
For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect
tenses only.

Using the present perfect continuous

(also called the present perfect progressive)
Read about how to make the present perfect continuous tense here.
Download this explanation in PDF here.
 Unfinished actions
1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue
to the present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since' (see the the present
perfect simple page for more about 'for' and 'since').

 I've been living in London for two years.

 She's been working here since 2004.
 We've been waiting for the bus for hours.

This use is very similar to how we use the present perfect simple, and often it's
possible to use either tense. Of course, with stative verbs, we can't use the
present perfect continuous.

 I've been here for hours.

 NOT: I've been being here for hours.
 2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and
continues to the present in the same way as with use number 1, but we don't
answer the questions about 'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like
'recently'.

 I've been going to the gym a lot recently.

 They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
 I've been reading a lot recently.

This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits
and often either tense is possible.

Finished actions
3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be
unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the
present. We don't use a time word here.

 I'm so tired, I've been studying.

 I've been running, so I'm really hot.
 It's been raining so the pavement is wet.

The present perfect simple has a very similar use, which focuses on the result of
the action, whereas the present perfect continuous focuses on the action itself.
See my page here about the difference between the present perfect simple and
the present perfect continuous for more explanation.