[Update] How to Use it & Examples from an Expert [2021] | perfect continuous – NATAVIGUIDES

Have you ever heard someone say, “I have been waiting here for hours!” or “It’s been raining all day!”? If so, you have heard someone speaking in the present perfect continuous tense, also known as the present perfect progressive tense. 

If this tense has been difficult for you to grasp in the past, the following guidelines, explanations, and examples are sure to help you out.

How to use the present perfect continuous tense 

What is the present perfect continuous tense? 

The present perfect continuous tense is generally used to describe actions or conditions that began in the past but are still going on or have recently stopped. 

In particular, there are several situations in which we must use the present perfect continuous tense to communicate specific meanings:

Situation
Example
Explanation

Emphasizing length of time

“He has been sleeping

!”

The speaker wants to highlight that the person has been sleeping for a long time.

Conveying unfinished actions

“I’ve been watching the series you suggested.”

The speaker wants to share that they are currently watching the series and have not finished it yet.

Explaining the evidence of the result of an action

“We have been cooking, so the kitchen is a wreck!”

The speaker wants to explain what the listener is seeing in the kitchen (the result) by sharing what they have been doing (the action). The evidence of a result is often something we can feel, smell, hear, or see.

Stressing that something Is temporary

“She’s been eating a lot recently.”

The speaker wants to communicate that the person doesn’t usually eat a lot but currently is.

Sharing length of time in an ongoing process

“They have been building that house for five months now.”

The speaker wants to convey how long the people have been building and that they are not done yet.

How to form present perfect continuous statements and questions

To construct positive and negative present perfect continuous statements and questions, you simply need to follow a specific word order. Below are details about how to structure each type of sentence or question in this tense:

Positive & negative statements
Subject
Have/Has
(Not)
Been
Verb(ing)

I

You

We

They

have

(not)

been

waiting.

eating.

playing.

studying.

Positive statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with the subject and : , , , (e.g., “I’ve been running every morning”).

Negative statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with and : (e.g., “You haven’t been going to class”).

He

She

It

has

(not)

been

watching TV.

sleeping.

cooking.

Positive statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with the subject and : , , (e.g., “It’s been snowing since yesterday”).

Negative statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with the and : (e.g., “She hasn’t been sleeping well”).

 

Positive & negative questions
Have/Has
Subject
(Not)
Been
Verb(ing)

Have

I

you

we

they

(not)

been

waiting?

eating?

playing?

studying?

Positive statements: Contractions cannot be formed.

Negative statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with and : (e.g., “Haven’t we been resting long enough?”).

Has

he

she

it

(not)

been

watching TV?

sleeping?

cooking?

Positive statements: Contractions cannot be formed.

Negative statements: More informally, you can use a contraction with the and : “Hasn’t he been working for hours?”

Spelling exceptions for -ing verbs

Most verbs can easily be converted to fit the present perfect continuous simply by adding an “-ing” onto the end of the word (e.g., play = playing). But there are several exceptions to this spelling formula you need to be aware of as outlined below:

• When a verb ends with ONE final “E”, remove it and add “ing”

  • Give = giving

  • Live = living

  • Save = saving

• When a verb ends with a consonant + a stressed vowel + a consonant, repeat the final consonant and add “ing” (except if it ends in X, Y, or Z

  • Stop = stopping (

  • Chat = chatting (

    )

  • Swim = swimming (

    )

• When a verb ends with “IE”, change it to “Y” and add “ing”
  • Lie = lying

  • Die = dying

  • Tie = tying

• When a verb ends with “IC”, add a “K” and then add “ing”
  • Panic = panicking
  • Frolic = frolicking
  • Traffic = trafficking
• British English only: When a verb ends with a consonant + a vowel + an “L”, add another “L” and then add “ing”

  • Travel = travelling

  • Cancel = cancelling

  • Control = controlling

Verb exceptions in the continuous form

Some verbs cannot be used with the present perfect continuous tense because they describe conditions that last for an extended period of time. These are called stative verbs. 

For example, the verb “know” typically refers to being permanently aware of specific information. Therefore, it does not make sense to say “I have been knowing that Paris is the capital of France.” This is because it is not an ongoing process or action but a permanent state. 

Here are some more examples of verbs that are not usually used with the present perfect continuous tense:

• Belong

  • Incorrect

    = He has been belonging to the country club since 2005.

  • Correct

    = He has belonged to the country club since 2005.

• Own

  • Incorrect

    = I have been owning this house for years.

  • Correct

    = I have owned this house for years.

• Exist

  • Incorrect

    = It’s been existing for a century.

  • Correct

    = It’s existed for a century.

• Be

  • Incorrect

    = They’ve been being mean lately.

  • Correct

    = They’ve been mean lately.

There are stative verbs that can function in both continuous tenses as well as non-continuous tenses. So, one trick to figure out if a verb can be used in the present perfect continuous tense is to put the verb in a common sentence structure, such as “I have been ______ing (it) lately.”

 If it makes sense to communicate this action as an ongoing activity (e.g, “I have been cleaning a lot recently”), then you can use it in the present perfect continuous tense.

However, if you fill the sentence with a verb that doesn’t make sense (e.g., “I have been possessing it lately”), it is most likely a stative verb that should not be used in the present perfect continuous.

Signal words and phrases to use with the present perfect continuous

There are several words and expressions that often accompany the present perfect continuous tense. These phrases are helpful for communicating the length of time an action has taken place, how long ago an action has happened, whether an action is temporary or repeated, and asking questions. Use these phrases to speak and write in the present perfect continuous tense with clarity:

Signal Word/Phrase
Explanation
Example

for

a period of time in the past

“I have been reading for 30 minutes.”

since

a point in the past

“You have been exercising daily since March.”

recently / lately

temporary habits or situations

“Has he been running recently?”

all day / all night / etc.

one period of time in the past

“Hasn’t she been working all day?”

every day / every morning / etc.

repeated action in the past

“We’ve been waking up early every day.”

how long

begin questions

“How long have they been standing there?”

The difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous

Knowing when to use the present perfect tense versus the present perfect continuous tense can be confusing. 

Why? Because there are a few situations where there is no difference in meaning when expressing the same sentence in both tenses. Here are some examples:

• Study

  • Present Perfect

    : We’ve studied math all day.

  • Present Perfect Continuous

    : We’ve been studying math all day.

• Work

  • Present Perfect

    : You have worked in advertising since 2002.

  • Present Perfect Continuous

    : You have been working in advertising since 2002.

• Live

  • Present Perfect

    : I’ve lived in India for three years.

  • Present Perfect Continuous

    : I’ve been living in India for three years.

Nevertheless, in most cases, each tense is used to communicate a different meaning than the other. The following chart is a breakdown of the various uses of each tense:

Present Perfect Situations
Present Perfect Continuous Situations

Emphasize the results of an action

“They have baked a cake.”

Emphasize the length of time of an action

“They have been baking a cake .”

Convey finished actions

“He’s fixed the sink.”

Convey unfinished actions

“He’s been fixing the sink since 2 PM.”

Explain the result of finished actions

“She has eaten her vegetables, so she can have dessert now.”

Explain evidence of the result of actions

“She has been eating her vegetables, which is why she’s still sitting at the table. It takes her forever to eat them!”

Stress something is permanent

“My gym shut down, so I’ve joined a new one.”

Stress something is temporary

“My gym is closed this month, so I’ve been attending a new one.”

Share how much/how many

“We have consumed 20 donuts and a gallon of milk this morning.”

Share length of time in an ongoing process

“We have been consuming a lot of donuts and milk every morning.”

Resources for practicing the present continuous tense 

The following exercises can help you practice your use of the present perfect continuous tense:

These exercises will allow you to practice determining whether to use the present perfect or present perfect continuous tense:

A brief afterword

Whether you are trying to understand how to use the simple past, the present continuous, or the present perfect continuous tense, you are faced with learning many rules, meanings, and exceptions. 

However, breaking down the various aspects of each tense makes it easier to understand and helps ensure you are able to master it. This is why the next time someone asks you “How long have you been learning English?”, you’ll be able to answer them in a flash!

Once you feel confident using the present perfect simple form, it’s very useful to learn how to use the present perfect continuous. As you’ve seen, the present perfect simple is quite challenging, and this is also true of the continuous form. But once you’ve learnt how to use it naturally when you speak, you will stand out as someone with a good command of the language. So what is the present perfect continuous and how does it differ to the simple form?

What’s the Present Perfect Continuous?

As you probably remember, generally speaking we use the present perfect to connect something in the past to the present. For example,

I’ve lost my purse. Can you help me find it?

The action of losing the purse is recent and has a consequence now.

The present perfect continuous also has a strong connection to the present and is used in two situations:

• to describe the length of an ongoing action

She’s been working hard all day.

• to describe the effect of a recent action or situation

She’s tired because she’s been working hard.

How to make sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous

We create the present perfect continuous by using ‘have/has been’ and the main verb in the -ing form. For example,

You’ve been studying English for a few minutes.

Here is a table with a complete set of examples:

The Two Main Uses

Let’s look at the main uses of the form in more detail.

1) Ongoing actions

The present perfect continuous describes an action or situation that started in the past (usually in the recent past) and continues in the present. The actions are normally temporary situations. For example,

He’s been running since 3:30.

They’ve been talking all afternoon.

We’ve been waiting for an hour.

How long has it been raining?

I’ve been staying with Tim while my flat’s being renovated.

As you can see, it’s common to use for and since with this tense to express the time.

A good way to help understand this tense is to match it with the present continuous. For example,

He’s running. (present continuous to describe an action happening now.)

He’s been running for 45 minutes. (present perfect continuous to describe the duration of the action.)

2) Recent actions that have an effect on the present

This use of the tense focuses on the action and the effect it creates. Strangely, the action may or may not have finished, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is the action itself and the consequence. For example,

The kids have been playing in the garden all afternoon and they’re covered in mud.

This means that the children started playing at the beginning of the afternoon. It’s probably late in the afternoon now. They might still be playing or they might have recently stopped. And the consequence of the action is that they’re dirty.

Here are some other examples:

Tom has been repairing my car. He’s got oil on his hands.

She’s red because she’s been lying in the sun all day.

They’ve got blisters on their feet because they’ve been walking since 9 a.m.

My eyes are tired because I’ve been working on my computer for a long time.

The ground is wet because it’s been raining.

Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?

Jacques has been baking a cake and he’s got flour on his clothes.

The Present Perfect Simple or Continuous?

As you know, we can also use the present perfect simple to describe both recent actions and unfinished actions. So when should you choose the continuous form instead of the simple one?

Compare these two sentences:

1. Tom has repaired my car.
2. Tom has been repairing my car.

Sentence ‘a.’, which uses the present perfect simple, means that the car is now repaired and works. The action is completed. Sentence ‘b.’, which uses the present perfect continuous, means that Tom has been occupied doing the action of repairing the car. He may have stopped or he may still be doing it. And we don’t know if the car is completely repaired or not. Our attention is on him. 

When we talk about long-term situations and we want to express its duration, it’s more common to use the present perfect simple. For example,

I live in Berlin. I’ve lived there for 20 years.

In this case, the present simple works in combination with the present perfect simple.

When we talk about short-term, temporary situations and we want to express its duration, it’s more natural to use the present perfect continuous. For example,

I’m cleaning the house. I’ve been cleaning since 3 p.m.

The first sentence in the present continuous describes an ongoing action, and the second sentence which gives the duration is in the present perfect continuous.

Verbs that can only be in the Present Perfect Simple

In order to use the present perfect continuous, the verb must be an action verb. So all state verbs need to be in the simple form. These include verbs like be, believe, cost, have (for possession), like, love, hate, know, understand, want. For example,

We’ve known each other for years.

I’ve always liked this band.

How long have you had this car?

The different focus in questions between the two forms

When you ask information using the present perfect simple, you’re normally looking for a Yes/No answer, or a result. For example,

Have you finished yet? – Yes, I have.

How many times have you been to Florida? – I’ve been twice.

When you ask questions with the present perfect continuous, you want to know either the duration of an action or simply what the action is. For example,

How long have you been waiting? – I’ve been waiting for ages.

What have they been doing? – They’ve been playing computer games.

Compare these sentences:

A: What have you been doing this afternoon? 

B: I’ve been reading ‘Animal Farm’. Have you ever read it?

A: No, I haven’t. How much of it have you read?

B: I’ve read about half of it. It’s very interesting.

Learning the present perfect continuous enables you to express important ideas in English and can make a huge difference to your level of communication. Start practicing it now with the fun quiz on this post.