The present perfect continous is a tense that expresses an unbroken action continuing at the present time, started in the recent past. In English it is formed by using have been with a present continuous (present participle)

Synonym

• present perfect progressive

 

The present perfect continous is formed from the present tense of      the verb to have  ,

 

the   past participle             of the verb to be and the     present continou    of a verb.

 

Present Perfect Continuous

FORM

[has/have + been + present participle]

 

Examples:

• You have been waiting here for two hours.

• Have you been waiting here for two hours?

• You have not been waiting here for two hours.

 

When should we use the present perfect continuous tense?

 

• We can use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about events with a connection to the present.

 

I have been decorating the house this summer.

The focus is on the action – decorating – and the action is unfinished.

I have been cooking all day

She has been studying for the next course

 

• We use the present perfect continuous when the focus is on an activity that is unfinished.

 

I have been reading that book you lent me. I have got another 50 pages to read

We have been studying since 9 o'clock. [We are still studying now.]

How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]

We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

 

• We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

 

I am tired [now] because I have been running.

Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?

You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening

 

• We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

1. We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

2. We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

 

I have been studying for 3 hours.

I have been watching TV since 7pm.

Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.

Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.

He has been playing football for a long time.

He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.

 

 

 

Contractions

When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

 

I have been	I've been
You have been	You've been
He has been She has been It has been                                                                          John has beenThe car has been	He's been She's been It's been  John's beenThe car's been
We have been	We've been
They have been I have not been	They've been I haven't been

Here are some examples:

• I've been reading.

• The car's been giving trouble.

• We've been playing tennis for two hours.

• We haven't been walking