Present Perfect Continuous Tense: Definition, Rules and Useful Examples • 7ESL

Contents

This reference explores important aspects of the present perfect continuous tense, also known as the present perfect progressive tense. You’ll learn what this tense is, how to structure it, and see examples to help clarify its use.

You will also find a chart and exercises to practice forming sentences. By following the rules and guidelines, you can create grammatically correct and understandable sentences.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

What Is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The present perfect continuous, or present perfect progressive, describes an action that started in the past and is still happening or relevant now.

This tense is used in two main cases:

An action starting in the past and continuing until now, often with an adverb showing duration.
A recent past action with ongoing effects.

These verbs typically use dynamic verbs:

Activities (e.g., learn, listen, read)
Processes (e.g., change, grow, shrink)
Bodily sensations (e.g., ache, feel, hurt)
Transitional events (e.g., arrive, leave)
Momentary occurrences (e.g., hit, jump, kick)

Stative verbs like see, smell, or astonish are rarely used in this tense because they don’t describe ongoing actions.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

have/has + been + V-ing (present participle)

Examples:

They have been learning English.
I have been waiting for one hour.

Present Perfect Progressive Contractions

In spoken and informal writing, contractions are common.

Have becomes ‘ve
Has becomes ‘s

Examples:

I*’ve** been writing.*
The car*’s** been giving trouble.*

Formation and Examples of Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

The present perfect continuous tense describes actions that started in the past and continue into the present. It uses the present perfect form of “have” plus “been” and the -ing form of the main verb.

Positive Sentences

Positive sentences in present perfect continuous show that an action has been happening over a period of time up to now. To form these sentences, use has/have been followed by the -ing form of the verb.

Formula:

Subject + has/have been + verb-ing

Examples:

He has been studying for three hours.
They have been playing soccer since this morning.
She has been working on her project all week.

Using time markers like “for” and “since” can help indicate the duration of the activity.

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences show that an action has not been happening over a period of time. To form these, add not between has/have and been.

Formula:

Subject + has/have not been + verb-ing

Examples:

He has not been studying for three hours.
They have not been playing soccer since this morning.
She has not been working on her project all week.

Contractions like “hasn’t” and “haven’t” are often used in casual speech.

Questions

Questions in present perfect continuous ask about actions that have been happening over a period of time. To form these, invert has/have and the subject, followed by been and the verb in the -ing form.

Formula:

Has/Have + subject + been + verb-ing?

Examples:

Has he been studying for three hours?
Have they been playing soccer since this morning?
Has she been working on her project all week?

Using “for” and “since” can clarify the time period in questions.

How to 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:

Express long actions that started in the past and continue until now

Examples:

I‘ve been living in Ireland for almost 4 years.
I‘ve been studying all day and I’m absolutely exhausted now.

Express recent actions that have clear evidence or results now

Examples:

You’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you been going to the gym?
Her eyes are red because she‘s been crying all evening.

Typically used for shorter, more temporary situations

Example:

Have they been learning English this week?

Note:

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

Examples:

We‘ve known each other since we were kids.
I‘ve never understood math very well.
He‘s always liked sports.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Exercises

Fill in the Blanks

In this exercise, you will fill in the blanks with the correct form of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense. This helps practice recognizing and using the tense in various contexts.

Example Sentences:

She ________ (work) at the same company for five years.
They ________ (study) for their exams all week.
I ________ (learn) English since last year.

Use the subject + “have/has been” + verb + “ing” to complete each sentence.

Sentence Correction

Correct the sentences by changing them to the Present Perfect Continuous Tense. This practice ensures familiarity with proper sentence structure and verb forms.

Example Sentences:

He is running for an hour.
- He has been running for an hour.
She sleeps for a long time.
- She has been sleeping for a long time.
They eat lunch together every day.
- They have been eating lunch together every day.

Check verbs and time expressions to ensure proper usage.

Sentence Formation

Form sentences using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense based on given prompts. This exercise helps in creating new sentences accurately using this tense.

Example Prompts:

(John / play / guitar / morning)
- John has been playing the guitar since morning.
(We / wait / bus / 30 minutes)
- We have been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes.
(She / read / book / two hours)
- She has been reading the book for two hours.

Focus on placing the verb in the correct form with “have/has been” and the “ing” ending.