Present Perfect Continuous Tense: Rules and Useful Examples

Learn present perfect continuous tense in English with their rules and example sentences. This lesson is going to be very helpful for you because it contains the whole present perfect continuous tense in English with helpful structure, usage, and example sentences. Learn and enhance your knowledge about tenses.

Table of Contents

What is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The action in this verb tense begins in the past yet is still in progress right now. In the present, you have been and are presently taking action. The present-perfect progressive tense is another name for the present perfect continuous tense. We will examine the principles for employing the present perfect continuous tense in this section.

Read more: 12 Verb Tenses

Usage of Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is typically used for the following two general cases:

Initiating in the past, continuing up until the current, with an adverbial modifier specifying the approximate time
A recent or recent activity that had some impact persisted into the present.

This verb tense is produced by adding the present participle to the passive form of the verb to have (the verb form ending in -ing).

Present-perfect continuous verb forms are most commonly going to be found in the wild using dynamic verbs’ that describe:

An activity (e.g. learn, listen, read)
A process (e.g. change, grow, shrink)
A bodily sensation (e.g. ache, feel, hurt)
A transitional event (e.g. arrive, leave)
A momentary occurrence (e.g. hit, jump, kick).

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

The structure of the present perfect progressive tense is:

Subject + (have/has been) + verb (base form + -ing) + [object]

Examples:

They have been learning English.
I have been writing emails.
She has been studying English for two hours.
They have been working on the project since this morning.
He has been playing tennis for the past thirty minutes.
We have been waiting for the bus for ages.
The children have been playing in the garden all afternoon.

Present Perfect Progressive Contractions:

The subject and the first auxiliary are often contracted when using the present perfect continuous tense in speaking and in informal writing.

Have = ‘ve

Has = ‘s

Examples:

I‘ve been writing letters.
The Jeep‘s been giving me trouble.

Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I have been writing for the last ten years.
He had been doing their work.
We have known each other for the last five years.
I have been waiting for you for the last five hours.
Our lives are very important; we have to value them.
The world will go from here to there, but we have to do it.
A doctor has to take care of his patients.
The roof looks wet. Has it been raining?
Have they been visiting us today?
You are looking younger. Have you been using green tea?
They have been placed in the church.
He has been in the hospital.
Have you used the ATM machine before?
I have been living here for a very long time, but we never met.
You are so innocent, have you been?

How do I use the present perfect progressive tense?

Learn how and when to use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in English with useful grammar rules and example sentences.

The Present Perfect Progressive tense is used to:

1. Express long-standing actions that started in the past and continue until now

Examples:

I‘ve been living in Dubai for almost 10 years.
I‘ve been studying all day, and I’m absolutely dead tired now.
She has been working at the company for ten years.
They have been living in this neighborhood since they were children.
He has been studying medicine for most of his life.
We have been saving money for our trip around the world.
The team has been practicing for the tournament since last month.

2. Express recent actions that have clear evidence or results now

Examples:

You’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you been using green tea?
Her eyes are red because she‘s been crying all evening.
I have been cooking for the past hour, and dinner is almost ready.
She has been studying hard for the exam, and her grades have improved significantly.
They have been working on the project all morning, and they’ve made great progress.
He has been exercising regularly, and his fitness level has noticeably improved.
We have been cleaning the house all day, and now it looks spotless.

3. Typically used for shorter, more temporary situations

Examples:

Have they been learning English this month?
She has been painting her room all morning.
They have been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
He has been fixing the car since this afternoon.
We have been discussing the problem for the past hour.
The children have been playing in the garden for the last half an hour.

Note:

Always use the present perfect simple (not continuous) with the verbs belief, know, understand, like/dislike, belong, and own:

Examples:

I’ve known Henry since we were kids.
I‘ve never understood physics very well.
He‘s always liked cricket.

Read more about: Simple Present Tense in English

Adverbs Placement in Present Perfect Progressive Tense

In the present perfect progressive tense, adverbs typically follow a specific structure. Adverbs are generally placed between the auxiliary verb “have/has been” and the main verb (the present participle form). Here’s the structure:

Subject + (have/has been) + adverb + present participle

Now, let’s construct five example sentences for each type of adverb placement:

Between “have/has been” and the present participle:
- She has been patiently waiting for her friend.
- They have been eagerly working on their project.
- He has been diligently studying for his exam.
- We have been carefully planning our vacation.
- I have been enthusiastically learning to play the guitar.
Before the auxiliary verb “have/has been” (common with adverbs of frequency):
- She patiently has been waiting for her friend.
- They eagerly have been working on their project.
- He diligently has been studying for his exam.
- We carefully have been planning our vacation.
- I enthusiastically have been learning to play the guitar.
After the present participle (rare but possible for emphasis):
- She has been waiting patiently for her friend.
- They have been working eagerly on their project.
- He has been studying diligently for his exam.
- We have been planning our vacation carefully.
- I have been learning to play the guitar enthusiastically.