Present Perfect Continuous Tense With Examples, Rules, Usage

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The present perfect continuous tense is used to express the duration of an action that started in the past, is still ongoing, and may continue into the present or have just recently stopped. It is formed using the present perfect of the auxiliary verb have (have/has), the past participle of the main verb been, and the present participle (verb + -ing) of the action verb.

Examples:

I have been studying for three hours.
They have been working on the project since morning.
She has not been sleeping well lately.
We haven’t been watching TV for a long time.
Have you been waiting for a long time?
Has he been playing the guitar all evening?

Usages of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Describing an action that started in the past and is still ongoing

“Describing an action that started in the past and is still ongoing” is a key usage of the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

Examples:

I have been reading this book for hours.
They have been working on the project since morning.
She has been learning Spanish for a month.
I haven’t been watching TV lately.
They haven’t been studying for the exam.
He hasn’t been playing video games all day.
Have you been reading this book for hours?
Have we been practicing the piano together?
Has it been raining much this week?

Describing an action that has recently stopped or just ended

“Describing an action that has recently stopped or just ended” is another usage of the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

Examples:

I have been cooking, but now dinner is ready.
They have been playing outside, but it’s getting dark.
She has been painting a picture, and it’s finished.
She hasn’t been sleeping well, but she’s trying to rest.
They haven’t been studying all day; they took a break.
We haven’t been waiting for long; the bus arrived quickly.
Have you been waiting for a while, or did you just arrive?
How long have they been playing? Did they have fun?
Has she been reading that book, or did she finish it?

Emphasizing the duration or continuous nature of an action

“Emphasizing the duration or continuous nature of an action” is a feature of the Present Perfect Continuous tense. This tense is used when you want to highlight that an action started in the past, is ongoing in the present, and may continue into the future.

Examples:

I have been studying for two hours.
They have been working on the project all day.
She has been gardening in the backyard for a while.
I haven’t been sleeping well lately.
They haven’t been practicing the guitar recently.
He hasn’t been working on the assignment for long.
Have you been studying for two hours?
Have they been working on the project all day?
Has she been gardening in the backyard for a while?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Chart

Signal Words

Signal words in the Present Perfect Continuous tense can help identify when this tense is appropriate.

Examples:

I have been playing video games for hours, since this morning.
They have been studying for the exam all day.
She has been cooking dinner since 6 o’clock.
She hasn’t been sleeping well lately.
They haven’t been watching TV for a long time.
We haven’t been using the car since last week.
Have you been waiting for a long time, or did the bus just arrive now?
How long have they been shopping? Did they find what they needed yet?
Has she been reading that book since yesterday, or did she finish it just now?

Time Expressions

Time expressions play a crucial role in identifying the use of Present Perfect Continuous tense.

Examples:

I have been playing basketball for hours, since this morning.
They have been studying for the exam all day.
She has been cooking dinner since 6 o’clock.
We have been waiting for the bus for half an hour.
He has been practicing the guitar recently.
She hasn’t been sleeping well lately.
They haven’t been watching TV for a long time.
We haven’t been using the car since last week.
Have you been waiting for a long time, or did the bus just arrive now?
How long have they been shopping? Did they find what they needed yet?
Has she been reading that book since yesterday, or did she finish it just now?

Forming the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Affirmative Sentences

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is a verb tense used to express actions or situations that began in the past, are still ongoing in the present, and may continue into the future. It emphasizes the duration or the continuous nature of an action.

Subject + (has/have)been + verb(1st form) ing + object + since/for.

Examples:

I have been studying for hours.
She has been working on the project all day.
We have been waiting for the bus for a long time.
They have been playing video games since morning.
He has been practicing the guitar for weeks.
The children have been watching TV for hours.
Mary has been cooking dinner for the family.
John and Sarah have been traveling around the world.
The team has been practicing hard for the upcoming match.

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Subject	(has/have) been	Verb (1st form) + ing	Object	Since/For.
I	have	been studying	hours	for hours.
She	has	been working	on the project	all-day.
We	have	been waiting	for the bus	for a long time.
They	have	been playing	video games	since morning.
He	has	been practicing	the guitar	for weeks.
The children	have	been watching	TV	for hours.
Mary	has	been cooking	dinner	for the family.
John and Sarah	have	been traveling	around the world	around the world.
The team	has	been practicing	hard	for the upcoming. match
I	have	been learning	Spanish	for a few months.
She	has	been jogging	every morning	every morning.
We	have	been cleaning	the house	all day.
They	have	been discussing	the plan	for hours.
He	has	been working	in the garden	since morning.
The scientists	have	been conducting	experiments	for weeks.
I	have	been writing	a novel	for a long time.
Sarah	has	been teaching	English	to foreign students.
The kids	have	been playing	in the park	for hours.
We	have	been waiting	for the rain to stop	for the rain to stop.
He	has	been working	at the company	for years.

Negative Sentences

When you want to say that something did not happen in the past and is not still happening now, you use the negative form. Just follow this pattern:

Subject + has/have + not + been + verb(1st form)ing + object + since/for.

Examples:

The scientists haven’t been conducting experiments for weeks.
I haven’t been writing a novel for a long time.
Sarah hasn’t been teaching English to foreign students lately.
The kids haven’t been playing in the park for hours.
We haven’t been waiting for the rain to stop.
He hasn’t been working at the company for years.
You haven’t been living in this city for a long time.
It hasn’t been raining since yesterday.
You haven’t been feeling tired lately, have you?

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Subject	Has/Have + not	Been	Verb(1st form) ing	Object	Since/For.
The scientists	haven’t	been	conducting	experiments	for weeks.
I	haven’t	been	writing	a novel	for a long time.
Sarah	hasn’t	been	teaching	English	to foreign students lately.
The kids	haven’t	been	playing	in the park	for hours.
We	haven’t	been	waiting	for the rain	to stop.
He	hasn’t	been	working	at the company	for years.
You	haven’t	been	living	in this city	for a long time.
It	hasn’t	been	raining	since yesterday.
You	haven’t	been	feeling	tired	lately, have you?
The baby	hasn’t	been	sleeping	well	lately.
You	haven’t	been	attending	the classes	regularly.
The construction	hasn’t	been	causing	noise	all day.
They	haven’t	been	staying	at the hotel	downtown.
The traffic	hasn’t	been	moving	slowly	this morning.
You	haven’t	been	enjoying	your time off,	have you?
The computer	hasn’t	been	running	smoothly	lately.
You	haven’t	been	taking care of	your health,	have you?
The price of goods	hasn’t	been	increasing	recently.
You	haven’t	been	experiencing	any issues	with your car?
The team	hasn’t	been	practicing	for the big competition.
You	haven’t	been	saving	money	for a special occasion.

Interrogative Sentences

When you want to ask if something happened in the past and is still happening now, you use the interrogative form. Just follow this pattern:

Examples:

Have you been working on this project since yesterday?
Has he been studying for the test all week?
Have they been renovating their house for months?
Have you been waiting for the bus for a long time?
Has she been practicing the piano for hours?
Have we been discussing the plan for the entire meeting?
Have you been living in this city for a long time?
Has the team been preparing for the championship match?
Have you been applying for jobs recently?

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Has/have	Subject	Been	Verb(1st form)ing	Object	Since/For	Complement?
Have	you	been	working	on this project	since	yesterday?
Has	he	been	studying	for the test	all week	?
Have	they	been	renovating	their house	for	months?
Have	you	been	waiting	for the bus	for	a long time?
Has	she	been	practicing	the piano	for	hours?
Have	we	been	discussing	the plan	for	the entire meeting?
Have	you	been	living	in this city	for	a long time?
Has	the team	been	preparing	for the championship match		?
Have	you	been	applying	for jobs	recently	?
Has	she	been	volunteering	at the local shelter		?
Have	they	been	traveling	around Europe	for	the summer?
Have	you	been	experiencing	any issues	with your computer	lately?
Has	he	been	exercising	regularly	to	stay fit?
Have	you	been	learning	a new language	for	the past few months?
Has	the weather	been	changing	frequently	this week	?
Have	they	been	attending	the same school	for	years?
Have	you	been	feeling	stressed	about work	recently?
Has	she	been	writing	a book	for	a long time?
Have	you	been	living	in this apartment	since	last year?
Has	the construction	been	causing	disruptions	in your neighborhood	?

Spelling Rules

In the Present Perfect Continuous tense, there are some spelling rules to consider when forming the present participle (the -ing form) of verbs.

Verb Type	Example Base Form	Present Participle (Present Perfect Continuous)
Regular	play	playing
Regular	walk	walking
Regular	study	studying
Ends in -e	dance	dancing
Ends in -e	write	writing
Ends in -e	bake	baking
One-Syllable, Vowel + Consonant	run	running
One-Syllable, Vowel + Consonant	hop	hopping
One-Syllable, Vowel + Consonant	sit	sitting
Multi-syllable, Stressed Vowel + Consonant	prefer	preferring
Multi-syllable, Stressed Vowel + Consonant	regret	regretting
Multi-syllable, Stressed Vowel + Consonant	occur	occurring
Ends in -ie	lie	lying
Ends in -ie	die	dying
Irregular	go	going
Irregular	be	being

Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous tense

Aspect	Present Perfect Tense	Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Formation (Affirmative)	Subject + has/have + past participle (verb3)	Subject + has/have + been + present participle (verb-ing)
Formation (Negative)	Subject + has/have + not + past participle	Subject + has/have + not + been + present participle
Formation (Interrogative)	Has/Have + subject + past participle?	Has/Have + subject + been + present participle?
Nature of Action	Emphasizes the completion of an action.	Emphasizes the ongoing or continuous nature of an action.
Duration	Does not explicitly convey the duration of the action.	Highlights the duration of the action.
Time Expressions	Often used with just, already, yet, and never.	Often used with time expressions indicating duration, such as for and since.
Examples	I have visited Paris.	I have been studying for two hours.
	They have not finished their homework.	They have not been working on the project lately.
	Have you ever seen a shooting star?	Have you been waiting for a long time?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Example Sentences

Affirmative Sentences:

I have been waiting for you since morning.
We have been playing the match since 8’o clock.
It has been raining cats and dogs since evening.
The cook has been cooking food for the guests since noon.
She has been reciting the Holy Quran since 6’o clock.
The boys have been taking examination since 7th of April.
Sana has been reading this book for two hours.
The students have been working hard for four months.
The passengers have been waiting for the train for an hour.
He has been working here for many years.
The sun has been shining since morning.
The laborers have been working since noon.
I have been reading in this school since 2000.
She has been knitting a sweater for her niece.
They have been renovating their house for months.
I have been searching for my keys everywhere.
The chef has been cooking in the kitchen all day.
We have been planning the party for weeks.
He has been repairing the car for days.
The students have been studying for the exam.

Negative Sentences:

It has not been snowing since evening.
The police has not been patrolling in the city for two days.
He has not been flying a kite since morning.
It has not been raining in Lahore since yesterday.
The students have not been taking rest since noon.
The patient has not been taking medicine for two days.
They have not been taking exercise for a few weeks.
I have not been writing a novel for a long time.
Sarah has not been teaching English to foreign students.
The kids have not been playing in the park for hours.
We have not been waiting for the rain to stop.
He has not been working at the company for years.
She has not been attending the classes regularly.
They have not been practicing for the upcoming concert.
The scientists have not been making significant progress in recent months.
We have not been exploring new strategies for business development.
He has not been taking care of his health lately.
Mary and Tom have not been communicating well recently.
The cat has not been eating its food for a while.
We have not been visiting our relatives for a long time.

Interrogative Sentences:

Has the postman been delivering the letters since 11’o clock?
Has it been drizzling since evening?
Has the child been weeping for half an hour?
Have the boys been swimming in the river for two hours?
What have you been doing here since morning?
Why has he not been going to school for two days?
Have the dogs been barking since midnight?
Have you been coming to school on foot for three days?
Who has been knocking at the door for five minutes?
Has it been thundering since afternoon?
Have I been studying for hours?
Have we been waiting for the bus for a long time?
Has he been practicing the guitar for weeks?
Have the children been watching TV for hours?
Has Mary been cooking dinner for the family?
Have John and Sarah been traveling around the world?
Has the team been practicing hard for the upcoming match?
Have they been discussing the plan for hours?
Has he been working in the garden since morning?
Have the scientists been conducting experiments for weeks?

Quiz:

She __________ (study) for the exam for three hours. a) has been studying b) has studied c) had been studying
We __________ (wait) at the bus stop since 9 AM. a) have waited b) have been waiting c) were waiting
They __________ (play) tennis all morning. a) played b) have played c) have been playing
I __________ (learn) Spanish for a year. a) have learned b) have been learning c) learned
He __________ (work) on the project for two months. a) has worked b) has been working c) was working
It __________ (rain) heavily all day. a) has rained b) has been raining c) rained
You __________ (read) that book recently. a) have read b) have been reading c) read
They __________ (travel) around Europe for three weeks. a) have traveled b) have been traveling c) traveled
She __________ (paint) a beautiful picture for hours. a) has painted b) has been painting c) painted
We __________ (garden) in the backyard all afternoon. a) have gardened b) have been gardening c) gardened
I __________ (watch) a movie for the past two hours. a) have watched b) have been watching c) watched
They __________ (write) a novel since last month. a) have written b) have been writing c) wrote
It __________ (snow) since morning. a) has snowed b) has been snowing c) snowed
You __________ (help) your neighbors a lot. a) have helped b) have been helping c) helped
He __________ (attend) online classes for a month. a) has attended b) has been attending c) attended
They __________ (build) a treehouse recently. a) have built b) have been building c) built
She __________ (work out) at the gym for two hours. a) has worked out b) has been working out c) worked out
We __________ (explore) new recipes all week. a) have explored b) have been exploring c) explored
It __________ (thunder) since afternoon. a) has thundered b) has been thundering c) thundered
You __________ (practice) photography for a while. a) have practiced b) have been practicing c) practiced

Answers:

a) has been studying
b) have been waiting
c) have been playing
b) have been learning
b) has been working
b) has been raining
a) have read
b) have been traveling
b) has been painting
b) have been gardening
b) have been watching
b) have been writing
b) has been snowing
b) have been helping
b) has been attending
b) have been building
b) has been working out
b) have been exploring
b) has been thundering
b) have been practicing

FAQS:

What is the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is a verb form used to describe an action that began in the past, continues into the present, and may continue into the future. It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of an activity.

How is the Present Perfect Continuous tense formed?

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is formed using the following formula

Sub + (has/have) + been + the present participle (verb-ing)

When should I use the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

Use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to emphasize the duration of an action that started in the past, is ongoing in the present, and may continue into the future. It is often used with time expressions like “for” and “since.”

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

The Present Perfect tense emphasizes the completion of an action, while the Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes the ongoing nature or duration of an action that started in the past. For example, “I have read the book” (Present Perfect) vs. “I have been reading the book” (Present Perfect Continuous).

Can I use the Present Perfect Continuous tense for short actions?

While it is grammatically correct to use the Present Perfect Continuous tense for short actions, it is more commonly used to convey the ongoing nature of longer activities. The Present Perfect tense may be more suitable for short, completed actions.

What are some common time expressions used with the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

Common time expressions used with the Present Perfect Continuous tense include

For: indicating duration
Since: indicating the starting point of the action

For example: “I have been working for two hours” or “She has been studying since morning.”

8. Can I use the Present Perfect Continuous tense with non-continuous verbs?

No, the Present Perfect Continuous tense is generally used with continuous or dynamic verbs. Non-continuous verbs, also known as stative verbs, are not typically used in this tense. For example, “I have been understanding” is not commonly used.

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