[NEW] Present Perfect Continuous Tense | present perfect continuous tense – NATAVIGUIDES

Definition and Examples

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe the events that have started in the past and still continuing or have stopped just a little time back. Please note that unlike the Present Continuous Tense and the Present Perfect Tense the Present Perfect Continuous Tense also determines the exact time in the past when the event actually started or gives a time frame of the incident.

The word ‘since’ is used whenever the exact time of start has to be mentioned and ‘for’ is used if the stipulated time frame is to be mentioned. Consider the following example sentences written in Present Perfect Continuous form-

1) He has been living here since 2008.

2) He has been working on the project for past three days.

3) They have been complaining for days.

4) He has not been living here since 2008.

5) He has not been working on the project for past three days.

6) They have not been complaining for days.

7) Has he been living here since 2008?

8) Has he been working on the project for past 3 days?

9) Have they been complaining for days?

The first sentence specifies the exact year therefore ‘since’ is used while the second sentence does not provide a fixed time therefore ‘for’ is used like in the third sentence. Also, the following fourth, fifth and sixth sentences represent negative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form and the last three sentences are interrogative. We will further understand the three forms of sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Tense with the help of suitable examples and structural formula.

Formula and Rules

a) Positive Sentences

Structure/ Formula:

The formula for Positive sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form is –

(Subject + has/have been + ‘ing’ form of verb + time of occurrence)

Rule for Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form:

If the subject is – he, she, it or a singular noun then it is followed by ‘has been’ but if the subject is – they, we, I or a plural noun then it should be followed by ‘have been’. The verb used should be in the ‘ing’ form followed by the time of occurrence of the event. Go through the following example sentences written as positive sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form-

• He has been singing for an hour now.
• She has been complaining since morning.
• It has been running since last Saturday.
• Dog has been barking for five hours.
• They have been travelling since Monday.
• We have been worrying for past two hours.
• I have been correcting your mistakes for two years.
• Girls have been dancing since morning.

Practice forming new Positive sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form applying the formula and getting help from the examples.

b) Negative Sentences

Structure/Formula

The Formula for Negative Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form is –

(Subject + have not/has not been + ‘ing’ form of verb + time of occurrence)

Rule for Negative Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Form:

If the subject is – he, she, it or a singular noun then ‘has not been’ is used and if the subject is- we, they, I or a plural noun then ‘have not been’ is used. The form of the verb remains same as in positive sentences i.e. ‘ing form’ followed by the time frame. Carefully go through the following negative sentences written in Present Perfect Continuous form-

• He has not been playing since last year.
• She has not been attending the lectures for a month.
• It has not been moving since yesterday.
• Vendor has not been coming since yesterday.
• We have not been visiting our parents since last Christmas.
• They have not been eating since morning.
• I have not been complaining about the food for two weeks.
• Ships have not been sailing since last year.

Practice forming more Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous form taking guidance from the formula and example sentences.

c) Interrogative – Negative Sentences

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Form can be easily transformed into Interrogative – Negative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Form by suffixing with ‘why’. For Example-

• Why he has not been playing since last year?
• Why she has not been attending the lectures for a month?
• Why it has not been moving since yesterday?
• Why they have not been eating since morning?
• Why we have not been visiting our parents since last year?
• Why ships have not been sailing since last year?

The above sentences are a different from their counterparts in Negative form in a way that they are Interrogative. Adding ‘Why’ has changed the Negative-Sentences into Interrogative – Negative sentences with no change in their Present Perfect Continuous Form.

d) Interrogative Sentences

Structure/Formula

The formula for Interrogative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous from is-

(Has/Have + subject + been + ‘ing’ form of verb + time frame)

Rule for Interrogative Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Form:

If the subject is – he, she, it or a singular noun then the sentence starts with ‘Has’ followed by the ‘subject + been’ and ‘ing’ form of the verb and time frame. If the subject is – we, they, I or a plural noun, then the subject starts with ‘Have’ followed by the ‘subject + been’ and ‘ing’ form of the verb and at last by time frame. Examples of Interrogative Sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form are given below-

• Has he been working here since last year?
• Has she been writing for three hours?
• Has it been weaving for five hours?
• Has pigeon been flying nonstop for six months?
• Have we been wandering since yesterday?
• Have they been revolting since 1978?
• Have I been sleeping for six hours?
• Have children being playing since morning?

Try forming new Interrogative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form with the help of the formula and taking guidance from the examples.

Interesting to note that the interrogative sentences given above can easily be transformed into positive sentences by simply exchanging the places of has/have with the subject.  E.g. consider the first two sentences-

• Has he been working here since last year? – Interrogative
• He has been working here since last year. – Positive
• Has she been writing for three hours? – Interrogative
• She has been writing for three hours. – Positive

Likewise form sentences in interrogative form and change them into positive form by simply interchanging the places of has/have with the subject.

e) Interrogative – Negative Sentences

Interrogative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form can changed into Interrogative-Negative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous form by adding ‘not’ in between the subject and ‘been’. For Example-

• Has he not been working here since last year?
• Has she not been writing for three hours?
• Has it not been weaving for five hours?
• Have we not been wandering since yesterday?
• Have they not been revolting since 1978?

Please note that The above Interrogative- Negative sentences may also be started with ‘why’ without changing their tenses form.  For Example:

• Why has he not been working here since last year?

Or

• Why he has not been working here since last year?

Both the above sentences are – interrogative, negative and structurally correct. Only the change that the addition of ‘why’ has made is that the questions now demands an explanation/reason rather than simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as an answer.

Exercises/Worksheet/Activities

Fill in the Blank Exercises/Worksheets/Activities on Positive/Negative/Interrogative form of Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Complete the following sentences by filling in with appropriate verbs, auxiliary verbs (has, have), been wherever necessary so as to form sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Take the help of hints wherever provided.

1) He has ________ looking for you since yesterday.

2) She ________ not been cleaning the floor for three days.

3) They _________ been wandering in the forest for a week.

4) We _________not been going to the lectures since last week.

5) Has ________ not been coming to the school for two days?

6) Have ________ been complaining about the mess food since last year.

7) I have been working in the same company ________ 2015.

8) She has been foraging through the remains _________ over five hours.

9) Have the children been __________ since morning?

10) It has been raining ________ midnight.

11) They have _______ been studying well for the exam since last week.

12) We _______ been looking for him for last five days.

13) Dogs _______ been barking _______ morning.

14) I ________ not been ________ to my parents since last year.

15) ________ they been going to the college since last month?

16) ________ he been missing the calls for an hour?

17) She ________ not been answering the calls _________ morning.

18) He has been worrying about results ________ morning.

19) Have we been __________ to the charity?

20) _______ she been travelling since last night?

Answers- 1)been, 2)has, 3)have, 4)have, 5)he/she, 6)we/they, 7)since, 8)for, 9)playing, 10)since, 11)not, 12)have, 13)have, since, 14)have, going, 15)have, 16)has, 17)has, since, 18)since, 19)contributing, 20) has

MCQ Exercises/Worksheets/Activities on Positive/Negative/Interrogative Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Complete the following sentences by choosing the appropriate verbs, auxiliary verbs (has, have), been from the choices provided so as to form sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

1) He ________ been looking at you for an hour.

a) has

b) have

c) not

2) She has ________ writing to the management for six months.

a) be

b) been

c) being

3) _________ have been searching for the clues since morning.

a) he

b) she

c) they

4) The minister _________ been roaming in his constituency since last week.

a) has

b) have

c) had

5) I have been looking for you _________ morning.

a) for

b) this

c) since

6) He _________ not been working here since last year.

a) has

b) have

c) had

7) ________ have not been coming to play since last week.

a) they

b) them

c) he

8) He has not been ________ for two days.

a) eat

b) eating

c) ate

9) Teachers have not been teaching ________ morning.

a) since

b) for

c) from

10) It _______ not been working for three days.

a) have

b) had

c) has

11) She has not been __________ for six months.

a) listening

b) listened

c) listen

12) She _______ not been meeting her parents ______ last Saturday.

a) have, for

b) has, since

c) had, for

13) ________ you been going to the gym for two months?

a) had

b) have

c) has

14) Have ________ been playing since morning?

a) them

b) they

c) she

15) ________ he been working on the project since yesterday?

a) has

b) have

c) had

16) Have they been asking for food ________ morning?

a) for

b) since

c) hence

17) ________ she been practicing for the contest since yesterday?

a) has

b) have

c) had

18) Has she been cooking ________ one hour?

a) since

b) for

c) by

19) _______ we been playing well since yesterday?

a) has

b) have

c) had

20) He has been talking on phone _______ an hour.

a) for

b) since

c) from

Answers- 1)a, 2)b, 3)c, 4)a, 5)c, 6)a, 7)a, 8)b, 9)a, 10)c, 11)a, 12)b, 13)b, 14)b, 15)a, 16)b, 17)a, 18)b, 19)b, 20)a

True or False Exercises/Worksheets/Activities on Positive/Negative/Interrogative Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Determine whether the following sentences are correct or not i.e. they represent the correct Present Perfect continuous Tense or not?  You can cross check your progress with the answers/corrections provided at the end.

1) He has working since morning.

2) She has been cooking since evening.

3) They have been providing all the information since three months.

4) I have been sleeping since afternoon.

5) We has been looking for him for morning.

6) Dog has been waging its tail for an hour.

7) She have not been singing for six months.

8) They have not been coming here for three years.

9) He has not performing well for last year.

10) Tourists have not been visiting for last summer.

11) Authorities have not been responding to the complaints for seven days.

12) Animals has not been eating since yesterday.

13) Has he been going to the classes since yesterday?

14) Have she been complaining for six months?

15) Have you been attending the conference since Monday?

16) Has the kids been eating the same food since two days?

17) Have the lawyers been striking for a week?

18) Have he been using same pen for ten months?

19) Have the stars been glowing bright since evening?

20) Has the birds flying for midnight?

Answers- 1)False, 2)True, 3)False, 4)True, 5)False,6)True, 7)False, 8)True, 9)False, 10)False, 11)True, 12)False, 13)True, 14)False, 15)True, 16)False, 17)True, 18)False, 19)True, 20)False

Check your answers with the correct sentences given below.

1) He has been working since morning.

3) They have been providing all the information for three months.

5) We have been looking for him since morning.

7) She has not been singing for six months.

9) He has not been performing well since last year.

10) Tourists have not been visiting since last summer.

12) Animals have not been eating since yesterday.

14) Has she been complaining for six months?

16) Have the kids been eating the same food for two days?

18) Has he been using same pen for ten months?

20) Have the birds been flying since midnight?

Related  Link:

Simple Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense

What is the present perfect continuous tense?

The present perfect continuous tense (sometimes called the present perfect progressive tense) is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb (or , if used with third-person singular pronouns) along with (the of the auxiliary verb ) and the present participle ( form) of the “main” verb. For example:

• “I have been living in New York City.”

The present perfect continuous is very close in meaning to how we use the present perfect tense . However, there are some key differences that distinguish when and how the present perfect continuous is preferable.

Generally, we use the present perfect continuous to talk about that which began in the past and is still happening in the present; the focus is on something that continues to happen, as opposed to something which happened (finished) sometime in the past. We can also use the present perfect continuous to emphasize the length of time that has passed while something is happening, or that something is only temporary. We can also use it to talk about something that has been happening lately or only finished very recently.

That which began in the past and continues in the present

The present perfect continuous is often used to talk about something that began happening in the past (anytime “before now”) and which is still happening (unfinished) in the present. We usually specify the duration of time involved, especially using the prepositions “for” or “since.” Sometimes we can use different adverbials; sometimes we don’t have to specify the duration at all. For example:

• “I have been living in New York City.”
• “I have been living in New York City .”
• “I have been living in New York City .”
• “I have been living in New York City .”

In each of the above examples, it is understood implicitly that the speaker lives in New York City; the only thing that changes is the duration of time. In this usage, the present perfect continuous is nearly identical in meaning to the present perfect tense, and, indeed, most of these examples would make perfect sense either way:

• “I in New York City for three years.”
• “I in New York City since I was 18.”
• “I in New York City all my life.”

The only sentence that changes in meaning is the very first example: to say “I have lived in New York City” without any further elaboration gives the impression that the speaker used to live there, but no longer does.

This distinction between something being completed as opposed to still happening is important, because it highlights when you might choose to use the present perfect continuous instead of the present perfect simple in certain instances.

Let’s look at the very first example again, but this time using a different adverbial:

• “I have been living in New York City ” (correct)

• “I in New York City ” (incorrect)

We can see that this sentence does not make sense at all in the present perfect simple tense, because the adverbial “while I finish my Ph.D.” requires the action to still be taking place. In cases like this, we must use the present perfect continuous tense to get across the meaning correctly.

This distinction can also be particularly useful when we are giving a response to someone:

• Person A: “Let’s take the longer trail when we’re hiking back down.”
• Person B: “But we for three hours!” ()
• Person B: “But we have been walking for three hours!” (present perfect continuous)

We can see that the response is more appropriate in the present perfect continuous, because it lays emphasis on the continuous action of walking. It also puts emphasis on the amount of time that the speaker has been doing something.

Emphasizing length of time

The present perfect continuous is especially useful for putting emphasis on the length of time that has passed while something is happening. This is particularly true when the meaning of the sentence could otherwise be expressed in the present perfect simple. Here are some examples:

• “They for three weeks for this exam.” ()
• “They have been studying for three weeks for this exam.” (present perfect continuous)

• “The girl for five hours.” ()
• “The girl has been working for five hours.” (present perfect continuous)

The difference between these is slight, but noticeable. In both sets of examples, the present perfect continuous puts the emphasis on how long the action has taken, as well as the fact that it is still happening. The present perfect is simply reporting the completed result and how long it took.

Let’s look at another example:

• “He on the phone for almost an hour.”
• “He has been talking on the phone for almost an hour.”

The first sentence is merely reporting how long the person was talking. With the present perfect continuous, the focus naturally shifts to the fact that an hour is a rather long period of time—and that he might continue talking for even longer!

That which is happening temporarily

Another subtle difference between the two tenses is that the present perfect is better at indicating that something is permanent, while the present perfect continuous is better at suggesting something is only temporary. For example:

• “I in the shop for three years.”
• “I have been working in the shop for three years.”

The first sentence simply reports the length of time the speaker has been working in the shop. It does not suggest that he or she intends to stop working there at any point. The second sentence, however, makes the situation sound much less permanent. We can see the difference more clearly if we add a bit more information:

• “I in the shop for three years, .”
• “I have been working in the shop for three years, .”

The first sentence sounds less natural than the second, because the new information specifically relates to the situation being a temporary one. In this case, the present perfect continuous is preferable.

That which has been happening lately or finished very recently

The present perfect continuous can also be used to express that which has been happening lately, but is not necessarily happening at the present moment in time. For example:

• “Bill has been coming into work late a lot.”
• “Don’t you think Mary has been spending too much time on the computer lately?”

It can also be used without an adverbial to indicate that something was happening until only recently:

• “My neighbors are angry because my dog has been barking.”
• “Sorry I’m so sweaty! I’ve been exercising.”

The action is not taking place at the exact moment of speech (in which case we would just use the present continuous tense ), but we can infer that it had been happening until very recently.

Negative sentences

Present perfect continuous sentences can be made negative by using the word . It appears after , and the two can be (and very often are) contracted.

• “I have been writing much recently.”
• “She been trying to find work since her divorce.”
• “I need to get up earlier, because I been making it to work on time lately.”

We generally do not use with the present perfect continuous.

Interrogative sentences

Like the present perfect tense, an interrogative (question) sentence in the present perfect continuous has the subject and the auxiliary verb inverted. For example:

• “Where have you been living lately?”
• “Has she been feeling OK?”
• “Why have you been lying to me?”

We can also make negative interrogative sentences in the present perfect continuous by adding between the subject and . We can also contract and :

• “ you been writing a new book?”
• “Has she been feeling well?”
• “Why they been working on their homework?”

As we see in the first example, the meaning of the question can become rhetorical, implying that the speaker expected the answer to be “yes.”

Quiz

1. The past participle of which auxiliary verb is used to form the present perfect continuous tense?

a) Have
b) Be
c) Can
d) Do

2. The main verb of the present continuous tense is in what form?

a) Present participle
b) Past participle
c) Continuous participle
d) Future participle

3. Which of the following is something the present perfect continuous tense can be used for? (Choose the answer that is most correct.)

a) Talking about something that is always the case.
b) Talking about something that finished sometime in the past.
c) Talking about something that began in the past and is still happening.
d) Talking about something that is happening right now.

4. Which of the following sentences uses the present perfect continuous tense?

a) “I am writing to my sister in New England.”
b) “She has spoken to her boss in the hopes of getting a raise.”
c) “The train usually arrives at 3 PM, but it was late yesterday.”
d) “I have been leaving earlier than usual this week.”
e) “He hasn’t seen the results of the test yet.”