subject + have/has + been + verb-ing (+ for/since ... )Use this form for duration up to now. Have goes with I/you/we/they; has goes with he/she/it.
Perfect Continuous Aspect
B2Perfect Continuous shows an activity in progress over time up to now, a past moment, or a future moment. It connects duration to a reference point.
What you'll learn
- Recognize duration linked to now, then, or a future point.
- Build have/has been + verb-ing for duration up to now.
- Build had been + verb-ing for duration before a past point.
- Build will have been + verb-ing for duration up to a future point.
- Choose for for a period and since for a starting point.
- Choose the continuous form when the activity itself matters.
Structure
subject + had + been + verb-ing (+ for/since ... )Use this form for duration before a past point. The reference point often appears with by, before, or when.
subject + will have been + verb-ing (+ for/since ... )Use this form for duration measured up to a future point. The future point is often introduced by by or next + time word.
Build a sentence
Subject
Verb
Shehasbeen working
She has been working all morning.
With she, use has been + verb-ing.
When to use
Up to now
The activity started earlier and continues now, or has just stopped and left a visible present result. Anna has been cooking since 6.
Before then
Look back from a past moment and measure the duration before it. By noon, Tom had been driving for four hours.
By a future time
Look ahead to a future point and measure the duration before it. Next May, Lisa will have been teaching here for ten years.
Markers
forsinceall morninglatelyrecentlyby noonby next May
In contrast
vs perfect-aspect
Perfect Simple often focuses on result or completed amount. Perfect Continuous focuses on the ongoing activity or how long it lasted.
vs continuous-aspect
Continuous shows an action in progress at a time. Perfect Continuous adds a starting point behind it and measures duration up to a reference point.
Common mistakes
Wrong
She has working here since June.
Correct
She has been working here since June.
Perfect Continuous needs been between have/has and the -ing form.
Wrong
I am waiting for two hours.
Correct
I have been waiting for two hours.
The waiting started earlier and continues up to now, so use have been waiting.
Wrong
By 8 p.m., Tom was driving for five hours.
Correct
By 8 p.m., Tom had been driving for five hours.
By 8 p.m. sets a past reference point, and the sentence measures duration before it.
Wrong
By July, Maria will be working here for ten years.
Correct
By July, Maria will have been working here for ten years.
The sentence measures duration up to a future point, so use will have been working.
Wrong
She has been studying since two hours.
Correct
She has been studying for two hours.
Two hours is a length of time, so use for, not since.
Wrong
They had been waiting for 9 a.m.
Correct
They had been waiting since 9 a.m.
9 a.m. is a starting point, so use since.
Common misconceptions
❝ Perfect Continuous only talks about now. ❞
It can point to now, a past moment, or a future moment. The reference point changes with have been, had been, or will have been.
❝ Perfect Simple and Perfect Continuous mean the same thing. ❞
They can be close, but the focus changes. Perfect Continuous highlights the activity or duration; Perfect Simple often highlights the result or completed amount.
Skills in this rule (6)
LINK_DURATION_TO_REFERENCE_POINTw5Link an action's duration to now, then, or a future point
Use a perfect continuous form when you want to show that an activity continued over a period up to a reference point. The reference point can be the present, a past moment, or a future moment.
CHOOSE_HAVE_BEEN_ING_FOR_NOWw5Use have/has been + verb-ing to show duration up to now
Choose Present Perfect Continuous for an activity that started earlier and continued up to now or has just stopped with a present result.
CHOOSE_HAD_BEEN_ING_FOR_THENw5Use had been + verb-ing to show duration before a past point
Choose Past Perfect Continuous when an activity was already in progress before a past moment or event and you want to show how long it had lasted by then.
CHOOSE_WILL_HAVE_BEEN_ING_FOR_FUTURE_POINTw4Use will have been + verb-ing to show duration up to a future point
Choose Future Perfect Continuous when you look ahead to a future moment and measure how long an activity will have continued by then.
USE_FOR_AND_SINCE_WITH_DURATIONw5Use for with a length of time and since with a starting point
Use for before a period such as two hours or six months. Use since before a starting point such as Monday, 2021, or 8 a.m.
PREFER_PERFECT_CONTINUOUS_FOR_ACTIVITYw4Choose the continuous form to focus on the ongoing activity
Use the perfect continuous form when the duration or process matters more than the finished result. Compare it with the perfect form when you want the result or completed amount.