Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous

Sometimes called Present Perfect Progressive, the Present Perfect Continuous is one of the Verb Tenses associated with the Present Tense in English.

We use Present Perfect Continuous to express that an action started in the past and has continued up to the present moment. It emphasizes duration and the amount of time that an action has been taking place.

Quick Example

• You have been studying English for three hours.
• You have not been studying English for three hours.
• Have you been studying English for three hours?

Form

I – you – we – you – they	he – she – it
have + been + present participle*	has + been + present participle*

*Present Participle: the form of a verb ending in -ing (infinitive + -ing), (verb + -ing).

Common Signal Words

• Since (since Monday, since last month)
• For (for two hours, for two months, for ten years)
• All day
• The entire day
• The whole day
• How long…

Use

The Present Perfect Continuous is a verb tense used to express:

1. An action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment.
2. Actions that happened recently or lately.
3. How long…

1. An action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment

• I have been studying for two hous.
• They have been studying for over a week.
• He has been working on that presentation for three hours.
• He has been working at that company for five years.
• What have you been doing for the last couple days?
• I have been waiting for you for over an hour.
• What have you been doing for the last two hours?
• What has John been doing the entire week?
• I have been reading this book for about a week.
• They have been living in Italy for over a year?

2. Actions that happened recently or lately

• You have been studying too much lately.
• You have been studying too much in recent times.
• Have you been studying hard lately?
• Have you been going to the gym lately?
• His health hasn’t been going good recently.
• Have you been exercising lately?
• She have been traveling a lot lately.
• Recently, my company has been monitoring my Internet usage.

3. How long…

• How long have you been studying English?
• Mary, how long have you been dating him?
• How long have you been working at Company XYZ?
• Wow, how long have they been living in Italy?
• How long have you been talking with her?

NOTE:
We usually do not use Present Perfect Continuous with Non Action Verbs.

Examples

Present Perfect Continuous using Work (Regular Verb)

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I have been working.	I haven’t been working.	Have I been working?
You have been working.	You haven’t been working.	Have you been working?
He has been working.	He hasn’t been working.	Has he been working?
She has been working.	She hasn’t been working.	Has she been working?
It has been working.	It hasn’t been working.	Has it been working?
You have been working.	You haven’t been working.	Have you been working?
We have been working.	We haven’t been working.	Have we been working?
They have been working.	They haven’t been working.	Have they been working?

Present Perfect Continuous using Go (Irregular Verb)

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I have been going.	I haven’t been going.	Have I been going?
You have been going.	You haven’t been going.	Have you been going?
He has been going.	He hasn’t been going.	Has he been going?
She has been going.	She hasn’t been going.	Has she been going?
It has been going.	It hasn’t been going.	Has it been going?
You have been going.	You haven’t been going.	Have you been going?
We have been going.	We haven’t been going.	Have we been going?
They have been going.	They haven’t been going.	Have they been going?

Present Perfect Continuous using Study (Regular Verb)

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I have been studying.	I haven’t been studying.	Have I been studying?
You have been studying.	You haven’t been studying.	Have you been studying?
He has been studying.	He hasn’t been studying.	Has he been studying?
She has been studying.	She hasn’t been studying.	Has she been studying?
It has been studying.	It hasn’t been studying.	Has it been studying?
You have been studying.	You haven’t been studying.	Have you been studying?
We have been studying.	We haven’t been studying.	Have we been studying?
They have been studying.	They haven’t been studying.	Have they been studying?

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