How to Form the Present Perfect Continuous
The structure — have / has been + verb-ing
The Present Perfect Continuous is formed with have or has + been + the -ing form (present participle) of the main verb. This three-part structure combines the Present Perfect of be (have/has been) with the continuous element (-ing).
I / You / We / They + have been + verb-ing → I have been waiting. · They have been working.
He / She / It + has been + verb-ing → She has been studying. · It has been raining.
Contracted forms: I 've been working · She 's been studying · They 've been waiting
Forming the -ing participle
The rules for forming the -ing participle are the same as for any continuous tense:
Most verbs: add -ing → work → working · wait → waiting · study → studying
Verbs ending in silent -e: drop the e, add -ing → make → making · live → living
Short CVC verbs: double the final consonant → run → running · sit → sitting · swim → swimming
Negative sentences
Subject + have not (haven't) been + verb-ing
Subject + has not (hasn't) been + verb-ing
I haven't been sleeping well. · She hasn't been working here long. · They haven't been waiting long.
Questions
Have + subject + been + verb-ing + ?
Has + subject + been + verb-ing + ?
Wh- questions: How long / What + have/has + subject + been + verb-ing?
Have you been waiting long? · Has she been working here long? · How long have you been learning English?
The key idea — focus on duration and activity
While the Present Perfect focuses on a completed action and its result, the Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the activity itself — the process, the duration, how long something has been happening. It emphasises that an action has been in progress over a period of time, and that this activity has a connection to the present moment.
Present Perfect: She has painted the bedroom. (focus on the completed result — it's done)
Present Perfect Continuous: She has been painting the bedroom. (focus on the activity — she has been busy doing it, may still be doing it)
State verbs — cannot be used in the continuous
Just as with other continuous tenses, state verbs cannot be used in the Present Perfect Continuous. These verbs describe states rather than actions and do not take the -ing form in this context.
State verbs: know, believe, want, need, love, hate, like, understand, own, contain, seem, appear, prefer
✗ I have been knowing her for years.
✓ I have known her for years. (Present Perfect — correct for state verbs)
Key signal words for the Present Perfect Continuous
for
since
how long
all day / all morning / all week
recently / lately
just
still
Present Perfect Continuous Exercises
The Present Perfect Continuous is used in three main situations. Each exercise page focuses on one use, with a full explanation and five exercise sets to build your confidence.
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1
Present Perfect Continuous: With FOR and SINCE
Use the Present Perfect Continuous with for (a duration) and since (a starting point) to describe an action that has been in progress from a point in the past up to now — and may still be ongoing. Example: I have been learning Spanish for two years. She has been working here since January.
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2
Present Perfect Continuous: For Continuous Events That Have Just Finished
Use the Present Perfect Continuous when an action was in progress until very recently and its effects or signs are still visible in the present. The focus is on the activity that produced the current situation. Example: She has been crying — her eyes are red. I've been running — I'm out of breath.
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3
Present Perfect Continuous: For Habitual Actions
Use the Present Perfect Continuous to describe a repeated action or habit that has been happening over a period of time up to now. Example: She has been going to the gym every morning. He has been taking the bus to work lately.