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Present Perfect Continuous Tense: The Present perfect continuous tense is often considered to be a complex form of tense, as it seems to be confusing for students, and they end up mixing it up with the present continuous tense. Students should understand the present perfect continuous tense formula and read present perfect continuous tense sentences to retain the concept in their minds. Students need to improve their grammar skills and excel in the present perfect continuous tense to score high in English language exams.
The present perfect continuous tense is used to talk about an action that started in the past but is still going on at the time of speaking.
The present perfect continuous tense describes an action that began in the past and is still ongoing.
Example: She has been playing badminton for three hours.
They have been constructing metro lines for three years now.
Some of the characteristics of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense are as follows:
It has a sentence structure: subject + has/have been + present participle verb + ing.
It includes time expression words such as for, since, recently, and lately.
It highlights the time duration of an action.
Present Perfect Tense is important for students to understand and use the present perfect continuous tense accurately. It is important in the following ways:
It describes the ongoing action.
It helps in giving detailed information about an action.
It helps in explaining the reason for an action.
It helps explain time in an action and adds more clarity to the communication.
The present perfect continuous tense is used in three types of sentences in the following ways.
Type of Sentence | Form | Examples |
Affirmative | has/have been + ing form of the verb |
|
Type of Sentence | Form | Examples |
Negative | has/have not + been + ing form of the verb |
|
Type of Sentence | Form | Examples |
Interrogative | has/have + subject +been + ing form of the verb |
|
Understanding the Present perfect continuous tense becomes easier if the students acquire the present perfect continuous tense rules. These rules will make the language users perfect and confident in their speaking and writing skills.
As described above, the present perfect continuous tense is formed with the help of helping verbs (auxiliary verbs), has/have + been + verb+ing. It is used to express the duration of an action that started in the past and is continuing.
The present perfect tense has simple subject-verb agreement to understand and apply in the sentences:
Has been added with singular subjects (He/She/It)
Have is added with plural subjects (They)
The present perfect continuous tense has to be used appropriately and should be well understood before starting to use it. Students need to understand the rules and must not confuse them with the present continuous tense. Check out the details of when to use the present perfect continuous tense, along with the present perfect continuous tense example sentence.
Example: She has been reading for two hours.
They have been practising badminton for a month.
Example: They have been living in Australia for ten years.
She has been reading the book for a month.
Example: He has been reading about animation and is now ready to animate.
They have been practising the art, and now they are ready to showcase.
The present perfect continuous tense should be practised and the understanding of using time expressions such as since, for, lately, and recently will help students be more confident in using the present perfect continuous tense.
Since (point in time), She has been working here since 2015.
For (duration): They have been teaching for five years.
Lately, she has been feeling tired lately.
Recently, they have been enjoying themselves a lot recently.
The choice of time expressions can change the meaning of the sentence:
"Since" indicates a specific starting point: when the action began.
"For" focuses on the duration of the action.
"Lately" and "Recently" indicate that the action occurred over a short, undefined period.
Let us read some Present perfect continuous tense sentences to understand and analyse the present perfect continuous tense rules.
I have been waiting for the train for 30 minutes.
He has been studying hard since morning.
We have been sharing the project lately.
She has been managing the team for five years.
They have been preparing for their exams for months.
He has been exercising regularly since last year.
Some of the common mistakes that should be avoided while using the present perfect continuous tense are as follows:
Incorrect: He has studied for two hours. (This shows the action is completed.)
Correct: He has been studying for two hours. (This highlights the ongoing nature of the action.)
Incorrect: They have been working here since five years.
Correct: They have been working here for five years.
As we have studied the entire concept of the present perfect continuous tense, it's time to check and evaluate our knowledge. Make sure you are able to check the answers given for the questions and analyse the mistakes made, if any. Revise the entire concept once again to gain expertise.
The company __________ (hire) new employees lately.
He __________ (paint) his house since last weekend.
She __________ (write) emails all day.
They __________ (exercise) at the gym for an hour.
You __________ (learn) Spanish for six months.
Answers:
has been hiring
has been painting
has been writing
have been exercising
have been learning
She started working here in 2015 and still works here.
He started learning French two years ago and is still learning.
I started waiting for you an hour ago.
They started living in this house in 2010.
She started feeling unwell three days ago.
Answers:
She has been working here since 2015.
He has been learning French for two years.
I have been waiting for you for an hour.
They have been living in this house since 2010.
She has been feeling unwell for three days.
Which sentence is correct?
a) He has been works hard.
b) He has been working hard. ✅
Which time expression fits? She has been studying ___ morning.
a) since ✅
b) for
What is the correct form? They ___ for an hour.
a) has been waiting
b) have been waiting ✅
Choose the correct sentence:
a) I have been eating since three hours.
b) I have been eating for three hours. ✅
What is the tense of "He has been playing football"?
a) Present Perfect
b) Present Perfect Continuous ✅
Subject | Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
I | I have been writing | Have I been writing? | I have not been writing |
You | You have been writing | Have you been writing? | You have not been writing |
He | He has been writing | Has he been writing? | He has not been writing |
She | She has been writing | Has she been writing? | She has not been writing |
It | It has been writing | Has it been writing? | It has not been writing |
We | We have been writing | Have we been writing? | We have not been writing |
They | They have been writing | Have they been writing? | They have not been writing |
The present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses may both link the past to the present, but they aren’t the same. You can clearly see how they differ in focus and usage in the comparison table below.
Aspect | Present Perfect Tense | Present Perfect Continuous Tense |
Structure | Has/Have + Past Participle (V3) | Has/Have + Been + Verb+ing |
Focus | Result or completion of an action | Duration or continuity of an action |
Example | She has written three poems. | She has been writing poems for two hours. |
Time Expression | Already, just, yet, ever, never | For, since, lately, recently |
When to Use | To show what has been done or achieved | To show how long something has been happening |
Duration Highlight | Not always important | Duration is usually important |
State vs. Activity | Often used for completed actions or experiences | Often used for ongoing activities or unfinished actions |
The present perfect continuous tense can be used confidently if students practice the present perfect continuous rules and read the present perfect continuous tense sentences. A dedicated approach will help gain excellence in showcasing English language skills and scoring high in any English competitive exam demanding grammar skills.
The two main key points of the present perfect continuous tense are as follows:
The present perfect continuous tense is used for an action that began in the past and is continuing.
It is used for an action that was temporarily been closed but is continuing at the moment.
To master the present perfect continuous tense, students need to understand the usage of time expressions:
Since
For
Lately
Recently
Must Read:
Present Tense
Simple Present Tense
About the Author:
Pooja Aggarwal is an experienced trainer with over 15 years of expertise in helping students achieve their educational goals. With a degree in Education, she focuses on clear, patient, and personalised instruction. Her approach has successfully guided students from diverse backgrounds, preparing them for both Academic and General Training modules of various exams in a supportive and engaging environment.
The present perfect tense is used to talk about an action that started in the past and is still continuing. For example: She has been reading a spiritual book since morning.
The rule of the present perfect continuous tense is subject + has/have been + present participle verb + ing.
Some examples of the present perfect continuous tense are as follows:
The students have been preparing for the exam all week.
We have been watching this TV series for two weeks.
My brother has been playing video games all evening.
She has been writing a novel since last summer.
The baby has been crying for the last ten minutes.
He has been fixing his car since morning.
They have been discussing the project for several hours.
She has been painting the walls for the past few days.
The employees have been working overtime lately.
I have been exercising daily for the past year.
The present perfect continuous tense shows an action that started in the past and is continuing or has recently stopped.
Example: She has been studying since morning.
They have been working on the project all week.
Use it when you want to highlight the duration or ongoing nature of an activity that began in the past and continues into the present.
It’s often used with time expressions like for, since, lately, or recently.
Start by comparing it with the present perfect tense to highlight the difference in focus on time/duration. Use relatable examples like “I have been reading for two hours” and add time clues (since/for) with visual timelines or classroom role-plays.
Here are ten clear examples:
I have finished my homework.
She has visited Paris twice.
They have lost their keys.
We have known each other for years.
He has just arrived.
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