Understanding and Using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Welcome to your B1 English grammar lesson on the Present Perfect Continuous tense! Are you ready to improve your spoken English and understand this sometimes tricky tense? You’ve come to the right place. This lesson will break down exactly what the Present Perfect Continuous is, how to use it correctly, and most importantly, how to use it in your everyday conversations. Let’s get started and boost your English grammar skills!

What is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing in the present, or have just recently finished but have a connection to the present moment. The key focus is often on the duration or the process of the action, rather than just the completed action itself. It helps to express that something has been happening for a period of time and is still relevant now.

Think of it as a way to say “I started doing this in the past, and I am still doing it, or I just finished doing it and you can see the results now.”

Example:

“I have been learning English for five years.” (This means I started learning English five years ago, and I am still learning it now.)

How to Form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Forming the Present Perfect Continuous is quite straightforward. You need three parts:

Have / Has (auxiliary verbs – ‘have’ with I, you, we, they; ‘has’ with he, she, it)
Been (past participle of ‘be’)
Present Participle (verb + -ing)

Affirmative Form (+)

Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing

I have been working.
You have been studying.
He has been playing football.
She has been cooking dinner.
It has been raining all day.
We have been waiting for you.
They have been living here for years.

Negative Form (-)

Subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ing

I have not been working (I haven’t been working).
You have not been studying (You haven’t been studying).
He has not been playing football (He hasn’t been playing football).
She has not been cooking dinner (She hasn’t been cooking dinner).
It has not been raining all day (It hasn’t been raining all day).
We have not been waiting for you (We haven’t been waiting for you).
They have not been living here for years (They haven’t been living here for years).

Question Form (?)

Have/Has + Subject + been + verb-ing?

Have I been working?
Have you been studying?
Has he been playing football?
Has she been cooking dinner?
Has it been raining all day?
Have we been waiting for you?
Have they been living here for years?

Short Answers

When answering questions in the Present Perfect Continuous, we use short answers similar to the Present Perfect Simple:

Have you been studying? Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
Has she been cooking? Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.

When to Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Now, let’s look at the most common situations where you will use the Present Perfect Continuous. Understanding these uses will significantly improve your spoken English and help you use this tense naturally.

1. Actions Continuing Until Now (Emphasis on Duration)

This is the most common use. We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about actions that started in the past and are still happening now. We often use time expressions like ‘for’ and ‘since’ to specify the duration.

“I have been living in London for three years.” (I started living in London three years ago and I still live here.)
“She has been working at that company since 2018.” (She started working there in 2018 and still works there.)
“They have been playing video games all afternoon.” (They started playing in the afternoon and are still playing now.)
“We have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes!” (We started waiting 20 minutes ago and we are still waiting.)

Notice how these sentences emphasize the length of time the action has been happening. This duration is a key element of the Present Perfect Continuous.

2. Recent Actions with Present Results

We also use the Present Perfect Continuous to describe actions that have just stopped, but we can see the results or effects of these actions in the present. It explains why something is the way it is now.

“Why are you so tired?” “Because I have been running.” (The result is tiredness, which is visible now because of the recent action of running.)
“The ground is wet.” “Yes, it has been raining.” (The wet ground is the present result of the recent rain.)
“Your eyes are red.” “I have been crying.” (Red eyes are the result of recently crying.)
“Why is your shirt so dirty?” “I have been gardening.” (The dirty shirt is the result of gardening.)

In these examples, the action may have finished, but the consequence of the action is still evident in the present.

3. Annoying Habits (with ‘always’, ‘constantly’, ‘forever’)

Sometimes, we use the Present Perfect Continuous with adverbs like ‘always’, ‘constantly’, or ‘forever’ to express annoyance or criticism about a repeated action.

“He has been constantly complaining about the noise.” (This expresses annoyance at his repeated complaining.)
“She has been always leaving her things everywhere.” (This is critical of her habit of leaving things around.)
“They have been forever asking for money.” (This shows frustration with their repeated requests for money.)

This use adds an emotional tone to the sentence, expressing irritation about a recurring action.

Present Perfect Continuous vs. Present Perfect Simple

Learners sometimes confuse the Present Perfect Continuous with the Present Perfect Simple. While both tenses connect the past with the present, they have different focuses.

Present Perfect Continuous: Focuses on the process or duration of an action up to the present. It emphasizes that the action has been ongoing.

Present Perfect Simple: Focuses on the completed action or the result of an action in the present. It emphasizes that the action is finished and has a present relevance.

Compare these examples:

Present Perfect Continuous: “I have been reading a book.” (Focus is on the activity of reading; maybe you are still reading or just stopped. It could imply you haven’t finished the book.)
Present Perfect Simple: “I have read a book.” (Focus is on the completion of reading the book. The book is finished.)

Present Perfect Continuous: “She has been working on the project all day.” (Focus on the activity and duration of working.)
Present Perfect Simple: “She has finished the project.” (Focus is on the completed project, the result.)

Think about what you want to emphasize: the ongoing action (Continuous) or the completed action/result (Simple). This will help you choose the correct tense.

Let’s Practice!

Time to test your understanding of the Present Perfect Continuous tense! Complete the following exercises to practice forming and using this tense in different contexts. This spoken English practice will help you use it more confidently.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences below using the Present Perfect Continuous form of the verb in brackets.

I ________ (wait) for you for half an hour! Where have you been?
She ________ (study) English since she was a child.
They ________ (build) a new house next door for months. It’s very noisy!
He ________ (play) computer games all morning, that’s why he’s tired.
We ________ (try) to call you all day, but your phone is always busy.
It ________ (snow) all night, look how much snow there is!

Transformation Exercises

Rewrite the following sentences using the Present Perfect Continuous tense. Focus on expressing the duration or recent action with present results.

She started learning Spanish two years ago and she is still learning.
She ____________________________________.
He is tired because he ran a lot.
He ____________________________________.
They are still watching that movie which started an hour ago.
They ____________________________________.
I started writing this email this morning and I am still writing it.
I ____________________________________.
The children are dirty because they played in the mud.
The children ____________________________________.

Answers

Fill in the Blanks Answers

I have been waiting for you for half an hour! Where have you been?
She has been studying English since she was a child.
They have been building a new house next door for months. It’s very noisy!
He has been playing computer games all morning, that’s why he’s tired.
We have been trying to call you all day, but your phone is always busy.
It has been snowing all night, look how much snow there is!

Transformation Exercises Answers

She started learning Spanish two years ago and she is still learning.
She has been learning Spanish for two years.
He is tired because he ran a lot.
He has been running.
They are still watching that movie which started an hour ago.
They have been watching that movie for an hour.
I started writing this email this morning and I am still writing it.
I have been writing this email since this morning.
The children are dirty because they played in the mud.
The children have been playing in the mud.

Speak with Confidence!

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the Present Perfect Continuous tense! You now have a better understanding of how to form and use this important tense in English. Remember, practice is key to mastering any grammar point. Try to use the Present Perfect Continuous in your daily conversations. Think about actions that started in the past and are still ongoing, or actions that recently finished and have present results. The more you use it, the more natural it will become!

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