Form
Have or Has + Been + (Verb)-ing
For the present perfect continuous, you need two auxiliary verbs, “have” and “been,” and the continuous form of a verb, “verb+ing.”
| Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I have been partying. | I have not been partying. | Have I been partying? |
| You have been sleeping. | You have not been sleeping. | Have you been sleeping? |
| He has been singing. | He has not been singing. | Has he been singing? |
| She has been running. | She has not been running. | Has she been running? |
| It has been raining. | It has not been raining. | Has it been raining? |
| We have been studying. | We have not been studying. | Have we been studying? |
| They have been fighting. | They have not been fighting. | Have they been fighting? |
Present Perfect Continuous Use
The present perfect continuous can be easily confused with the present perfect simple. Both deal with actions that started in the past and continue now, but the present perfect continuous has a different focus.
Explaining the Present
Present perfect tense is used to explain the present, but instead of focusing on a finished action (present perfect simple), present perfect continuous focuses on the duration of the action leading to the present.
Susan is covered in sweat because she has run five miles.
Susan is covered in sweat because she has been running five miles.
My laptop battery is dying because I have left it on all day.
My laptop battery is dying because I have been leaving it on all day.
Mark is crying because he has chopped onions for dinner.
Mark is crying because he has been chopping onions for dinner.
All these sentences explain the present from a past action, but the present perfect continuous sentences focus on the duration of the action. Those actions could or could not be finished; that does not matter. What’s important is that the action led to the present!
It has been snowing so the roads are covered in snow and ice.
Uncompleted actions that started in the past and continue now
Like with the present perfect simple, present perfect continuous can be used to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. Adverbs like “recently” and “lately” can be used for recently started actions.
- Fatima has been studying English for six months.
- We’ve been studying since 6 o’clock.
- How long has he been living in Spokane?
- Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
- Yelena has been watching too much TV lately.
The meaning is very similar to present perfect simple, but present perfect continuous can have a feeling that the action is a temporary situation.
Present Perfect Simple VS Present Perfect Continuous
- Present perfect simple is always used with stative verbs
- Present perfect simple is often used to emphasize the result of a completed action
- Emphasizing result - I have called the cable company three times, but nothing has happened. They still haven’t fixed my cable!
- Present perfect continuous is often used to emphasize the action or the length of the action.
- Emphasizing action - She has been ignoring me all day! I want her to stop!