Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive)

Introduction

Students often find the present perfect continuous tense (also known as present perfect progressive) challenging to grasp. This article aims to clarify this tense by providing a definition and examining its form and usage.

You may also be interested in the present perfect simple.

What Is The Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The present perfect continuous, also called present perfect progressive, is a verb tense for describing something that began in the past and is still happening now.

For example, consider this sentence: “I have been gardening for the past three hours.” This means that the person started gardening three hours ago and is still doing it now.

The present perfect continuous helps express ongoing actions that started in the past and are continuing into the present.

How To Form The Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The present perfect continuous tense is formed by using:

has/have	been	verb + ing (present participle)

Note: The present participle is formed by adding “-ing” to the main verb. For spelling rules associated with “-ing” forms, please refer to our guide here.

Words like lately and recently frequently are used with verbs in the present perfect continuous tense.

For instance:

• Jane has been participating in flute competitions lately (and she will keep doing so).
• I have not been feeling well recently.

Here’s a table for the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms of the present perfect continuous tense with the verb “work.”

Form	Example
Affirmative	I have been working He/She has been working We/You/They have been working
Negative	I have not been working He/She has not been working We/You/They have not been working
Interrogative	Have I been working? Has he/she been working? Have we/you/they been working?

Examples:

• I have been studying English for two years.
• Have you been studying English for two years?
• She“s been revising her lessons.
• She hasn’t been hanging around with her friends.

The Use Of The Present Perfect Continuous

1. Actions Starting In The Past And Continuing Until Now:

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now indicating a duration.

“For an hour”, for two weeks”, etc. are used to indicate duration.

Examples:

• They have been watching TV for the last three hours.
• She has been studying at that institution for three years.
• What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes

2. Actions Happening Lately Without Indication Of Duration:

The present perfect continuous is also used without indication of duration. This use indicates an action that has occurred “lately” or “recently”.

Examples:

• I have been feeling really tired recently.
• She has been suffering because of her son’s addiction.
• She has been smoking too much lately.
• He has been working extremely hard.
• They have been arguing a lot.
• I have been doubting my decisions lately.
• She has been complaining about her job lately.
• We have been dealing with a lot of stress.

Stative vs. Action Verbs and the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Understanding the distinction between stative and action verbs is crucial when using the present perfect continuous tense.

• Stative verbs describe states or conditions, often conveying emotions, thoughts, or senses.
• Action verbs, on the other hand, represent dynamic actions and activities.

The present perfect continuous tense is generally well-suited for action verbs. It is generally not compatible with stative verbs.

Let’s look at some examples:

Appropriate Use:

• Action Verbs: The present perfect continuous is particularly effective when expressing ongoing actions or activities. For example:
  • I have been studying for my exams. (Action: studying)
• Stative Verbs: However, when dealing with stative verbs, which denote static conditions, feelings, or states that typically do not involve a continuous action, the present perfect continuous is inappropriate. Stative verbs are better paired with the present perfect simple or other tenses. For example:
  • I have understood the concept.
  • She has known him for years.

Inappropriate Use:

• It would be incorrect to say:
  • I have been understanding the concept. (Incorrect use of present perfect continuous with a stative verb)
• In such cases, the present perfect simple would be more appropriate:
  • I have understood the concept. (Correct use with a stative verb)

Example Sentences

Here are 20 examples of sentences in the present perfect continuous tense with the tense highlighted in bold:

1. I have been studying for my exams all day.
2. They have been working on the project since last month.
3. She has been practicing the piano for hours.
4. We have been waiting for the bus for over an hour.
5. The team has been training hard for the upcoming competition.
6. Have you been learning Spanish recently?
7. He has been renovating his house for the past few weeks.
8. The students have been participating in the science fair preparations.
9. She has been traveling around Europe for the past two months.
10. I have been working in the garden all morning.
11. They have been rehearsing for the school play.
12. Has he been practicing his presentation for the conference?
13. We have been discussing the new project in our meetings.
14. She has been experiencing difficulties with her computer lately.
15. The company has been implementing new policies to improve efficiency.
16. Have you been attending the yoga classes regularly?
17. The kids have been playing in the park since noon.
18. I have been writing my novel for the past year.
19. They have been developing new software for the company.
20. We have been enjoying the beautiful weather this week.

Summary

Aspect	Content
Defining the Tense	Describes ongoing actions that began in the past and continue into the present.
Use	Expresses duration of an action, emphasizing the activity’s continuity.
Form	has/have + been + [present participle (base form of the verb + -ing)]
Examples	1. I have been studying for my exams all day.
	2. They have been working on the project since last month.
	3. She has been practicing the piano for hours.
	4. We have been waiting for the bus for over an hour.
	5. The team has been training hard for the upcoming competition.
	… (and so on for additional examples)

More about the present perfect continuous here.

Related Materials:

• Present perfect simple
• Exercise on the present perfect simple and continuous