Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Forms of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

💡 There are three main forms: affirmative, negative, and interrogative.

A. Affirmative Form

Structure: Subject + has/have been + base verb + -ing

• 🚶 I have been walking to the park every morning.
• 🎮 You have been playing that game for hours.
• 📖 He has been studying for his exams since this morning.
• 📞 She has been talking on the phone for a while.
• 🌧️ It has been raining all day.
• ✈️ We have been planning this trip for months.
• 🎶 You have been listening to music for hours.
• 📚 They have been reading that book all afternoon.

B. Negative Form

Structure: Subject + has/have not (hasn’t/haven’t) been + base verb + -ing

• 🚶 I haven’t been walking to the park lately.
• 🎮 You haven’t been playing that game for hours.
• 📖 He hasn’t been studying much this week.
• 📞 She hasn’t been talking to her friend recently.
• 🌧️ It hasn’t been raining all day.
• ✈️ We haven’t been planning the trip for long.
• 🎶 You haven’t been listening to music today.
• 📚 They haven’t been reading that book recently.

C. Interrogative Form

Structure: Has/Have + subject + been + base verb + -ing?

• 🚶 Have I been walking too much lately?
• 🎮 Have you been playing that game for hours?
• 📖 Has he been studying for his exams?
• 📞 Has she been talking on the phone all day?
• 🌧️ Has it been raining since this morning?
• ✈️ Have we been planning this trip long enough?
• 🎶 Have they been listening to music for hours?
• 📚 Have you been reading that book for too long?
• 🎨 Has she been painting since early morning?
• 🍽️ Have they been preparing dinner for an hour?

2. Usages of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

A. Actions Continuing from the Past to the Present

This tense emphasizes actions that started in the past and are still ongoing.

• 🌄 I have been jogging every morning since last month.
• 📖 He has been studying for his exams all week.
• 🎶 They have been rehearsing for the concert for hours.
• 🎮 You have been playing that game nonstop.
• 🍲 We have been cooking dinner since 5 p.m.
• 💬 She has been chatting with her friend since the afternoon.
• 🚶 I have been walking to work every day this month.
• 📚 They have been reading that novel for days.
• 🎨 He has been painting the wall since morning.
• 🎉 We have been organizing this event for weeks.

B. Emphasizing Duration

Use this tense to highlight how long an action has been taking place.

• 📖 I have been studying for hours.
• 📞 She has been talking on the phone for 30 minutes.
• 🚶 They have been walking around the park since 8 a.m.
• 🏆 He has been training hard for the competition all year.
• 🎶 We have been listening to the same album all day.
• 🌧️ It has been raining non-stop since last night.
• 🍽️ She has been cooking for the party for hours.
• 📚 They have been reading for the entire weekend.
• 💻 You have been working on that project for days.
• 🎬 I have been watching the series since last week.

C. Showing Recent Results or Evidence

This usage indicates that ongoing actions have produced visible results.

• 💧 I have been watering the plants; the soil is still wet.
• 📖 She has been reading all night; her eyes look tired.
• 🚶 He has been jogging; he looks exhausted.
• 🎨 They have been painting; there is paint on their clothes.
• 🍲 She has been cooking; the kitchen smells amazing.
• 💼 He has been working hard; his desk is piled with papers.
• 💬 We have been talking for hours; my voice feels hoarse.
• 🎉 She has been organizing; the room looks decorated.
• 📚 They have been studying; the desk is covered with notes.
• 💻 You have been coding; your computer screen shows lines of code.

3. Time Indicators

A. Using “Since”

“Since” refers to the specific point in the past when an action began.

• 📅 I have been working here since 2018.
• 🏡 She has been living in this city since childhood.
• 🎶 They have been practicing since 9 a.m.
• 🌧️ It has been raining since yesterday.
• 🍽️ We have been preparing for the event since last week.
• 📚 He has been studying since the start of the semester.
• ✈️ I have been traveling since my vacation started.
• 🎨 She has been painting since sunrise.
• 🎓 He has been attending classes since last year.
• 💻 You have been working on this project since Monday.

B. Using “For”

“For” tells us the duration of the ongoing action.

• 📖 I have been reading for three hours.
• 🎶 She has been listening to music for the last hour.
• 🚶 He has been running for 30 minutes.
• 📚 They have been studying for weeks.
• 🎨 We have been painting the house for two days.
• 💼 He has been working at his job for a decade.
• 💬 She has been talking on the phone for an hour.
• 🎉 We have been organizing this event for days.
• 🏆 They have been training for the race for six months.
• 📞 You have been making calls for the last hour.

C. Using “All Day/All Morning/All Week”

This indicator emphasizes that an action has continued throughout a specific period.

• 📖 I have been reading all morning.
• 📞 She has been talking on the phone all afternoon.
• 🌧️ It has been raining all day.
• 🎶 They have been playing music all evening.
• 💻 He has been working all week.
• 🍲 She has been cooking all morning for the party.
• 🚶 I have been walking around the city all day.
• 🎉 We have been planning for the event all month.
• 🏋️ They have been training for the competition all year.
• 🎬 I have been watching movies all weekend.