Present Perfect Continuous FORM Have has been VERBing

Present Perfect Continuous

FORM Have / has been + VERB-ing I/we/they/you have (= I’ve, etc. ) he/she/it has (= he’s, etc. ) been doing, waiting, writing, etc.

Present perfect continuous It talks about an action that started in the past and continues in the present. The action is not yet complete. It tells how long the action has been in progress. He has been washing writing since 8: 00. They have been waiting for their boss for twenty minutes.

Present perfect continuous I You have We since 8: 00. They been working for two hours. He She has It

Since & For You can use the present perfect continuous for actions that are repeated over a period of time: Debbie is a very good tennis player. She’s been playing since she was eight. Every morning they meet in the same café. They’ve been going there for years.

For and since For shows an amount of time: for a few minutes for three weeks Since tells when an action started: since 2 pm since 1998 for two years since Sunday for a decde since she began her new job

Present continuous vs. Present perfect continuous The present continuous describes what a person is doing. The present perfect continuous tells how long a person has been doing that action. Example: Katie is writing an email. She has been writing an email for two hours.

Present perfect vs. Present perfect continuous Both used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning. We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasize the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action. Result: I have written 5 letters. Duration (how long): I have been writing for an hour.

REMEMBER: In most situations with how long, since, and for, the continuous is more usual: Examples: I’ve been studying English for six months. (more usual than I’ve studied) It’s been raining since lunchtime. Richard has been doing the same job for 20 years.

some verbs (for example, know / like / believe) are not normally used in the continuous: Example: How long have you known Jane? (not have you been knowing) either the present perfect continuous or present perfect simple with live and work: Example: John has been living / has lived in London for a long time. How long have you been working / have you worked here? with always the simple is used (I’ve done / I’ve lived, etc. ): Example: John has always lived in London. (not has always been living) we use the present perfect simple in negative sentences like these: Example: I haven’t seen Tom since Monday. Jane hasn’t called me for two weeks.