Grammar Glow

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense describes an action that began in the past and has continued up to the present or was recently completed. It emphasizes both the duration of the action and its relevance to the current moment.

When to Use Present Perfect Continuous

Ongoing Actions:

To describe actions that started in the past and are still happening now.
Example: "She has been working here since 2018."

Duration of an Action:

To emphasize how long an action has been happening.
Example: "They have been running for an hour."

Recently Completed Actions:

To describe actions that were happening recently, with the result affecting the present.
Example: "I have been cleaning the house. That’s why it’s so tidy now."

Actions with a Focus on Process:

Use this tense when the process or activity itself is important, not just the result.
Example: "We have been trying to solve this problem for days."

Forming Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Affirmative Form

The affirmative form of the present perfect continuous tense is used to express actions that started in the past and are still happening or have recently ended.

Structure:

Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb-ing

Examples

I have been studying for two hours.
She has been working at this company since 2020.
They have been traveling around the world for a year.

2. Negative Form

The negative form of the present perfect continuous tense is used to express that an action has not been happening.

Structure:

Subject + Have/Has + Not + Been + Verb-ing

Examples

I have not been sleeping well lately.
He has not been exercising regularly.
We have not been waiting here for long.

3. Question Form

The question form of the present perfect continuous tense is used to ask whether an action has been happening.

Structure:

Have/Has + Subject + Been + Verb-ing?

Examples

Have you been reading this book?
Has he been working on the project all day?
Have they been studying for the test?
What have you been doing all morning?
How long has she been living here?
Why have they been arguing for hours?

Common Time Expressions

For
Since
How long
Lately
Recently
All day
All morning/afternoon/evening
For hours/days/weeks
For a long time

Present Perfect Continuous When to Use Present Perfect Continuous Forming Present Perfect Continuous Tense Common Time Expressions