Present Perfect Continuous Tense: How to Use It, With Examples

As you continue to learn English grammar, you may come across the present perfect continuous tense. This verb tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment.

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Structure of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “have” in the present tense, followed by the auxiliary verb “been,” and ending with the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.

Here is the formula for forming the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

Subject + have/has + been + present participle (-ing) of main verb

For example:
“I have been working on this project for two hours.”

Subject = I
Auxiliary verb “have” in present tense = have
Auxiliary verb “been” = been
Present participle (“-ing” form) of main verb = working

So, the Present Perfect Continuous tense is “have been working.”

Some more examples:

She has been playing tennis for an hour.
They have been studying Spanish for six months.
He has been watching TV all day.

It’s worth noting that the use of “have” or “has” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense depends on the subject of the sentence. “Have” is used with first-person singular (“I”), plural (“we,” “they”), and second-person singular and plural (“you”) subjects, while “has” is used with third-person singular subjects (“he,” “she,” “it”).

When to Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

1. Ongoing Actions: Describes actions that began in the past and are still underway.

“She has been studying English for three years.”
“He has been playing video games since morning.”

2. Duration: Highlights the length of an ongoing action.

“They have been waiting for the bus for half an hour.”
“He has been jogging for 45 minutes.”

3. Emphasis on Continuity: Stresses the ongoing nature of an action.

“They have been working non-stop on the project.”
“He has been practicing daily to hone his tennis skills.”

4. Temporary Situations: Describes short-term actions or situations that are still in progress.

“She has been staying with her parents for a few days.”
“He has been caring for his sick dog all week.”

5. Recently Concluded Actions: The Present Perfect Continuous can depict an action that has just ended.

“He’s been cooking all day, and now the kitchen is filled with a delightful aroma.”
“I’ve been running and now feel exhausted.”

6. Actions with Present Results: Use this tense for actions that have a current impact or result.

“I’ve been exercising for three months, and I’ve never felt better.”
“Their consistent studying has improved their grades.”

7. Describing Changes: It’s apt for indicating changes over a span of time.

“The weather has been gradually turning colder.”
“The company’s profits have seen a decline over the past year.”

8. Inquiring About Ongoing Actions: Pose questions about actions that might still be in progress.

“Have you been studying the entire day?”
“Has she been frequenting the gym lately?”

Note: The Present Perfect Continuous often pairs with time markers like “for” (indicating duration) and “since” (pointing to when the action began). While it’s a favorite in spoken English, the Present Perfect tense is more prevalent in written form.

Use of the Present Perfect Continuous with stative verbs

You cannot use the Present Perfect Continuous with non-continuous verbs. Non-continuous verbs, also known as stative verbs, are verbs that describe a state or condition that is not an action, such as “believe,” “like,” “love,” “know,” and “want.”

Since the Present Perfect Continuous is used to describe ongoing actions or events, it is not appropriate to use it with non-continuous verbs. Instead, you should use the Present Perfect tense to describe a completed action or state with non-continuous verbs.

For example:

I have known her for 10 years. (Present Perfect tense with non-continuous verb “know”)
He has loved that song since he was a child. (Present Perfect tense with non-continuous verb “love”)

However, there are some verbs that can be used as both stative and action verbs, depending on the context. In such cases, you can use the Present Perfect Continuous with the action verb form of the verb. For example, “have” is usually a stative verb, but it can also be used as an action verb to describe an ongoing action, as in “I have been having trouble sleeping lately.”

Crafting Questions in Present Perfect Continuous:

To make questions in Present Perfect Continuous, you need to invert the subject and auxiliary verb “have” (or “has” for third person singular) and add the present participle form of the main verb, which ends in “-ing.” Here’s the formula:

Have/Has + subject + been + present participle of main verb

For example:

Have you been studying for the test?
Has he been working out at the gym?
Have they been watching TV all day?

Note that you can also use question words such as “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how” to ask specific questions in Present Perfect Continuous. Here are some examples:

What have you been doing all day?
When have they been planning to leave?
Where have you been traveling lately?
Why have you been feeling so tired?
How long have you been waiting for the bus?

What is the difference between the Present Perfect Continuous and the Present Perfect tenses?

1. Use
The Present Perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and has a connection to the present. It’s often used to talk about experiences or changes that have happened over a period of time.

For example:”I have visited Paris twice.” (experience)”She has lived in New York for five years.” (time period)

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing, or just recently stopped. It’s often used to talk about actions or situations that have been in progress for a duration of time, and the speaker is often interested in the result of the action.

For example:”I have been studying for three hours.” (ongoing action)”She has been cooking all morning.” (recently stopped action)

2. FormationThe Present Perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” or “has,” followed by the past participle form of the main verb.

For example:”I have studied for three hours.” (present perfect tense of “study”)

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” or “has,” followed by “been” and the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.
For example:”I have been studying for three hours.” (present perfect continuous tense of “study”)

3. EmphasisThe Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes the duration of the action or situation, while the Present Perfect tense emphasizes the completion of the action or the result of the action.

For example:”I have been studying for three hours.” (emphasis on the duration of the action)”I have studied for three hours and now I understand the material.” (emphasis on the result of the action)

5. Time expressionsThe Present Perfect tense is often used with time expressions such as “ever,” “never,” “already,” “yet,” and “just.”

For example:”Have you ever been to Paris?” (present perfect tense with “ever”)

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is often used with time expressions such as “since,” “for,” and “all day/week/month/year.”

For example:”I have been studying since 9 am.” (present perfect continuous tense with “since”)

Present Perfect Continuous Examples

She has been studying Spanish for six months.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been studying” to show that the action is in progress and “for six months” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been working on this project since last year.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been working” to show that the action is in progress and “since last year” to indicate when it started.
I have been living in this city for ten years.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing state or condition that started in the past and is still true now. The speaker uses “have been living” to show that the state is ongoing and “for ten years” to indicate how long it has been true.
He has been playing basketball for two hours.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been playing” to show that the action is in progress and “for two hours” to indicate how long it has been happening.
We have been waiting for the bus since noon.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been waiting” to show that the action is in progress and “since noon” to indicate when it started.
She has been cooking dinner all afternoon.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been cooking” to show that the action is in progress and “all afternoon” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been renovating their house for months.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been renovating” to show that the action is in progress and “for months” to indicate how long it has been happening.
He has been feeling sick all week.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing state or condition that started in the past and is still true now. The speaker uses “has been feeling” to show that the state is ongoing and “all week” to indicate how long it has been true.
They have been playing video games since yesterday.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been playing” to show that the action is in progress and “since yesterday” to indicate when it started.
She has been running a marathon for three hours.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been running” to show that the action is in progress and “for three hours” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been arguing for hours.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been arguing” to show that the action is in progress and “for hours” to indicate how long it has been happening.
He has been practicing his guitar every day for a year.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been practicing” to show that the action is in progress and “every day for a year” to indicate how long it has been happening.
She has been writing her thesis for months.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been writing” to show that the action is in progress and “for months” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been hiking in the mountains since dawn.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been hiking” to show that the action is in progress and “since dawn” to indicate when it started.
He has been studying for his exam all week.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been studying” to show that the action is in progress and “all week” to indicate how long it has been happening.
She has been practicing yoga for years.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been practicing” to show that the action is in progress and “for years” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been volunteering at the animal shelter since last month.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “have been volunteering” to show that the action is in progress and “since last month” to indicate when it started.
He has been trying to quit smoking for a long time.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been trying” to show that the action is in progress and “for a long time” to indicate how long it has been happening.
She has been waiting for her friend for hours.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening now. The speaker uses “has been waiting” to show that the action is in progress and “for hours” to indicate how long it has been happening.
They have been living abroad for three years.
Explanation: This sentence describes an ongoing state or condition that started in the past and is still true now. The speaker uses “have been living” to show that the state is ongoing and “for three years” to indicate how long it has been true.
Have you been studying for your exam all week?
Explanation: This question asks about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. The use of “have been studying” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the action is still in progress.
How long have you been waiting for the bus?
Explanation: This question asks about an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening in the present. The use of “have been waiting” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the action is still in progress.
Has she been practicing yoga for years?
Explanation: This question asks about a state that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. The use of “has been practicing” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the state is still true.
What have you been doing all day?
Explanation: This question asks about a series of actions or activities that have been ongoing throughout the day. The use of “have been doing” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the actions are ongoing.
Have they been hiking in the mountains since dawn?
Explanation: This question asks about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. The use of “have been hiking” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the action is still in progress.
How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?
Explanation: This question asks about a state or condition that has been ongoing for a period of time. The use of “have been experiencing” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the state or condition is still true.
Has he been playing the guitar for hours?
Explanation: This question asks about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. The use of “has been playing” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the action is still in progress.
What have you been cooking in the kitchen all morning?
Explanation: This question asks about a series of actions or activities that have been ongoing throughout the morning. The use of “have been cooking” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the actions are ongoing.
How long have they been living abroad?
Explanation: This question asks about a state or condition that has been ongoing for a period of time. The use of “have been living” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the state or condition is still true.
Have you been practicing your English every day for a year?
Explanation: This question asks about an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. The use of “have been practicing” in the Present Perfect Continuous tense indicates that the action is still in progress.

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