Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue into the present, or actions that have recently stopped but have a present impact. It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of the action.

Formation

The present perfect continuous tense is formed using the auxiliary verbs "have/has" + "been" + the -ing form of the main verb.

Subject	Auxiliary Verbs	Verb Example (to eat)
I / You / We / They	have been	eating
He / She / It	has been	eating

• Affirmative: I have been eating, He has been eating
• Negative: I have not been eating, She has not been eating (or She hasn’t been eating)
• Interrogative: Have you been eating?, Has she been eating?

Usage

1. Actions Continuing from the Past into the Present: Used to describe actions that started in the past and are still ongoing.
   • I have been studying for two hours. (The action started two hours ago and is still happening.)
2. Recently Finished Actions with Present Impact: Describes an action that may have just ended but has relevance or evidence in the present.
   • She has been running; she is out of breath now.
3. Emphasizing the Duration of an Action: Focuses on how long something has been happening.
   • They have been working here since last year.

Examples:

• Affirmative: We have been working on this project since morning.
• Negative: He hasn’t been sleeping well lately.
• Interrogative: Have you been waiting long?

Notes

• The present perfect continuous often uses time expressions like for, since, lately, and recently to indicate duration or continuity.
• This tense emphasizes the ongoing nature of an action rather than its completion.

Common Time Expressions

Expression	Example
For	I have been studying for three hours.
Since	She has been teaching since 2015.
Lately	He has been feeling tired lately.
Recently	They have been traveling a lot recently.