The present perfect continuous tense connects our past to our present situation, it is similar to the present perfect tense with the main difference being that the present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the action and its duration rather than its result. Actions in the present perfect continuous begin at some point in the past and continue in the present or happened in the past and are relevant to our present situation. This tense however, should not be used to describe completed actions in the past, the simple past or simple past continuous should be used instead. The present perfect continuous tense requires the auxiliary verb -be in its past participle form (-been) to be combined with the present participle of a dynamic verb. The present participle form of all verbs (regular and irregular) are formed by adding -ing to their infinitive form. This tense should only be used with dynamic verbs (actions that have a clear beginning and end) not stative verbs (actions that describe states).

Note: Some stative verbs have both a stative form and a dynamic form. 

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This tense is used: 

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1) To describe ongoing actions that started in the past and continue in the present.

2) To describe actions that recently ended and are relevant to a present situation. 

3) To talk about repeated actions.

4) To talk about temporary situations. 

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Time Expressions  

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The present perfect continuous tense cannot be used with finished time, finished time refers to time expressions of the past which have ended i.e. (yesterday, last month, 2024, when I was a kid, etc.) . Unfinished time refers to time expressions that have not ended i.e. (today, this month, current year, since I was a kid), these time expressions either continuously reset, will not end until some point in the future (at which point they may no longer be used with the present perfect tense), or they continue permanently. 

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​Formation - Affirmative Statements & Questions

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Affirmative statements in the present perfect continuous are formed using the verb -have in the simple present tense conjugated to match the subject (-have / -has) followed by the verb -be in it's past participle form (-been) and the present participle of a dynamic verb. Questions begin with the verb -have in the simple present tense (-have / -has) placed before the subject followed by the verb -be in it's past participle form (-been), and the present participle of a dynamic verb.

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Structure used to form affirmative statements in the present perfect continuous​

​Subject + have / has + present participle of a dynamic verb

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Structure used to form affirmative questions in the present perfect continuous​

Have / Has + ​subject + been + present participle of a dynamic verb?

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Examples:

Ex: I've been creating templates since 10am. 

Ex: She has been making phone calls for the past several hours. 

Ex: Has Mark been arguing with you a lot lately? 

Ex: Recently, my neighbors have been throwing a lot of parties. 

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Formation - Negative Statements and Questions

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Negative statements in the perfect continuous are formed using the verb -have in the simple present tense conjugated to match the subject (-have / -has) followed by the adverb -not, the verb -be in it's past participle form (-been), and the present participle of a dynamic verb. Questions begin with the verb -have in the simple present tense (-have / -has) placed before the subject followed by the adverb -not, the verb -be in it's past participle form (-been), and the present participle of a dynamic verb. Negative questions are meant to express surprise, confirm information, or encourage agreement.

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Structure used to form negative statements in the past perfect continuous​

​Subject + have / has not been + present participle of a dynamic verb

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Structure used to form negative questions in the past perfect continuous​

​Have / Has + ​Subject + not been + present participle of a dynamic verb?

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Examples:

Ex: I haven't been jogging in 2 weeks, I hurt my right knee. 

Ex: Charles hasn't been riding motorcycles since he got into an accident. 

Ex: Hasn't he been recovering from an injury? 

Ex: They're short on cash, they haven't been selling much inventory this month.

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Present Perfect Continuous - Uses 

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To describe ongoing actions that started in the past and continue in the present

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Examples

Ex: I've been doing household chores until now, I'll take a break in a little while.  

Ex: He's been fixing his car for 3 hours now. 

Ex: They have been playing volleyball since it stopped raining. 

Ex: Has she been shopping this whole time? 

Ex: We haven't been studying today, we need to start. 

Ex: Hasn't Mark been visiting his mom in the hospital since this morning?  

Ex: He has not been taking any calls today. 

Ex: It hasn't been snowing this month. 

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​To describe actions that recently ended and are relevant to a present situation ​

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Examples

Ex: I am a little frustrated, I have been arguing with my brother. 

Ex: Charles has been painting the walls, that's why it smells like paint. 

Ex: I think she's upset, has she been yelling at her son again? 

Ex: They've been remodeling the kitchen, it's a little bit of a mess right now. 

Ex: Hasn't Katherine been helping you?  

Ex: I'm exhausted, I haven't been taking enough breaks between excercises. 

Ex: Mark hasn't been making much progress with the roof, it still leaks. 

Ex: I feel great, I've been doing a lot of exercise. 

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To talk about repeated actions

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Examples

Ex: I've been working out with a personal trainer for a month. 

Ex: They have been going to court constantly this year to settle an important case.

Ex: We've been attending several church meetings lately. 

Ex: Haven't you been taking medication to get rid of the infection? 

Ex: John has not been taking the train to work every day like he usually does. 

Ex: They haven't been going to school this week, I wonder what happened. 

Ex: Has he been going out with the new girl? 

Ex: She's been making a lot of new friends in college.​​

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To talk about temporary situations

​Note: The present continuous tense can be used to express this context as well. ​

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Examples

Ex: I've been doing exercise at home while the gym is closed for renovations. 

Ex: He's been recovering at the hospital, they'll let him go home a week from now. 

Ex: John has been staying with his aunt while his parents are away. 

Ex: Hasn't he been preparing to run a marathon? 

Ex: The company has been hosting a convention this weekend. 

Ex: Has the MTA been repairing the station at 110th street? 

Ex: She hasn't been hanging out with her friends since her mom came to visit her for a few days. 

Ex: They haven't been eating meat because of lent. 

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Present Perfect Continuous - When not to use 

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The present perfect continuous tense should not be used with actions that are sudden and have short durations. Actions that start and finish quickly sound strange in the present perfect continuous because it seems as if we did them repeatedly or that they were ongoing actions when we describe them with this tense. In these cases we should use the present perfect tense or the simple past tense instead.  

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Examples​

Ex: I have been making a phone call to my internet provider. - incorrect 

I made a phone call to my internet provider. 

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Ex: He has been watering his plant today. - incorrect 

He watered his plant today.  

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Ex: My friend has been taking a shot of whiskey. - incorrect 

My friend took a shot of whiskey. 

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Ex: I have already been turning on my air conditioner. - incorrect 

I have already turned on my air conditioner. 

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