Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Many English learners find the Present Perfect Continuous Tense confusing, especially when it comes to using it for ongoing actions. This tense is important for talking about actions that started in the past and are still continuing. But students often struggle with the correct structure and time expressions. This blog post helps learn Present Perfect Continuous Tense structure, rules, and examples to boost accuracy and fluency. Understanding this tense will improve your ability to describe ongoing experiences clearly.

What is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and are still happening or just stopped, often with a focus on the duration of the action.

How Do We Form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

Affirmative (+)

Subject + has/have + been + verb (ing) + Object

Examples:

• Fatima has been learning Arabic for three months.
• They have been building the house for a year.
• I have been reading this book since morning.

Negative (–)

Subject + has/have + not + been + verb (ing) + Object

Examples:

• Ahmed has not been attending his classes regularly.
• We have not been eating outside lately.
• She has not been working on the project.

Interrogative (?)

Has/Have + Subject + been + verb (ing) + Object?

Examples:

• Have you been studying for the exam?
• Has he been living in Lahore for long?
• Have they been waiting for the bus?

Use of “Since” and “For” in Present Perfect Continuous Tense

“Since” and “for” help express the duration of the action.

• Use “since” to indicate the starting point of the action, referring to a specific time.
  • I have been studying English since January.
    This shows that the action began in January and continues now.
• Use “for” to show the duration of the action, referring to a period of time.
  • They have been waiting for two hours.
    This highlights the length of time the action has been happening.

When to Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Ongoing Actions
   This tense emphasizes actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
   • She has been working here for five years.
     This suggests the action is still happening.
2. Duration of Actions
   It is particularly helpful when you want to emphasize the amount of time something has been happening.
   • I have been reading this book for a week.
3. Temporary Situations
   The tense can also indicate temporary actions or states.
   • He has been staying with us while his house is being repaired.
4. Recent Activities
   It can also describe actions that were recently completed but have effects in the present.
   • I am tired because I have been running.
5. Expressing Concern or Annoyance
   Sometimes, this tense is used to express concern or irritation about a continuous action.
   • You have been making a lot of noise!

Time Expressions with the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Certain words are often used with this tense to clarify the duration or timeframe of the action:

• For
• Since
• All day
• Recently
• Lately
• This week
• For a while
• Since last Monday

These time expressions help indicate how long something has been happening.

Subject-Verb Agreement in Present Perfect Continuous

Rules for Forming the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Formation:
   Use “have/has” + “been” + the present participle (verb + ing).
   • She has been reading for hours.
2. Subject-Verb Agreement:
   Use “has” for singular subjects (he, she, it) and “have” for plural subjects (I, you, we, they).
   • He has been working late.
3. Emphasis on Duration:
   The tense focuses on actions that started in the past and continue into the present.
   • We have been cleaning the house since morning.
4. Use of “Since” and “For”:
   “Since” points to the start time, while “for” indicates the duration.
   • They have been playing soccer since noon.

Examples of Present Perfect Continuous Sentences

Affirmative (+)

• She has been learning French for a year.
• They have been running every morning.
• I have been working on this task since last night.
• We have been studying for our exams.
• He has been waiting for the doctor.

Negative (–)

• She has not been sleeping well lately.
• I have not been going to the gym.
• They have not been coming on time.
• He has not been talking to anyone.
• We have not been traveling due to exams.

Interrogative (?)

• Has she been learning the Quran?
• Have they been cleaning the house?
• Have you been attending your classes?
• Has he been driving for long?
• Have we been doing it correctly?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense in Questions

When forming questions, we start with “have” or “has” before the subject, followed by “been” and the present participle.

• Have you been studying for the exam?
• Has she been working on the report all day?
• Have they been practicing for the game?

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• She has been eats lunch. ❌
• She has been eating lunch. ✅

• We have being studying English. ❌
• We have been studying English. ✅

• Has you been working all day? ❌
• Have you been working all day? ✅

• He have been waiting for you. ❌
• He has been waiting for you. ✅

• I has been reading this book.
• ❌I have been reading this book. ✅

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Exercises

Fill-in-the-Blanks Exercises

1. Zainab ______ (read) that novel for two hours.
2. We ______ (not prepare) for the meeting.
3. ______ you ______ (wait) for the bus long?
4. He ______ (work) in this office since March.
5. They ______ (play) cricket all afternoon.

Answers:

1. has been reading
2. have not been preparing
3. Have, been waiting
4. has been working
5. have been playing

 

Read More

• Simple Present Tense
• Future Perfect Tense
• Future Continuous Tense 
• Present Continuous Tense 
• 12 English Tenses in English