subject + have/has + been + verb-ingUse have with I, you, we, they and has with he, she, it. Keep been before the -ing form.
Present Perfect Continuous
B1Present Perfect Continuous shows an activity that started before now and continued up to now. Use have/has been + verb-ing, often with for or since.
What you'll learn
- Build have/has been + verb-ing sentences.
- Choose has been after he, she, it.
- Make negatives with have not / has not been + verb-ing.
- Ask questions with Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing.
- Choose since or for based on the time expression.
- Recognize markers like all day, lately, for, and since.
Structure
subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ingPut not after have or has. Do not remove been.
Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing + ?Move Have or Has to the front. Keep been before the -ing form.
Build a sentence
Subject
Verb
Shehasbeenworking
She has been working lately.
With she, use has been, not have been.
When to use
Still happening now
An activity started before now and is still in progress now. Maria has been studying since 7 a.m.
Just stopped, result now
The activity has just finished, but you see its present result now. Tom is tired because he has been running.
Duration matters
Use it when the length of the activity is the key idea. Lisa has been waiting for forty minutes.
Markers
forsinceall dayall morninglatelyrecentlyfor weeks
In contrast
vs present-perfect-simple
Present Perfect Continuous highlights the activity and its duration. Present Perfect Simple highlights the result or completed amount.
vs present-continuous
Present Continuous focuses on now only. Present Perfect Continuous connects the activity to an earlier starting point before now.
Common mistakes
Wrong
I have working here since May.
Correct
I have been working here since May.
This tense needs three parts: have/has + been + verb-ing.
Wrong
He have been waiting for an hour.
Correct
He has been waiting for an hour.
With he, she, it use has, not have.
Wrong
She has been not sleeping well.
Correct
She has not been sleeping well.
Put not after have or has, before been.
Wrong
You have been studying all morning?
Correct
Have you been studying all morning?
Yes/no questions start with Have or Has, not with the subject.
Wrong
I have been reading since two hours.
Correct
I have been reading for two hours.
Use for with a length of time. Use since with a starting point.
Common misconceptions
❝ I can use this tense only when I can see a result right now. ❞
You can use it for any activity continuing up to now when duration matters, even without a visible result.
❝ Since and for both mean time, so I can choose either one. ❞
Use since for the starting point and for for the length of the activity.
Skills in this rule (7)
HAVE_BEEN_INGw5Build sentences with have/has been + verb-ing
Use have been with I, you, we, they and has been with he, she, it. The main verb takes -ing to show an activity over time up to now.
HAS_FOR_HE_SHE_ITw5Choose has been after he, she, it
With he, she, it use has been, not have been. The rest of the sentence stays the same.
NEGATIVE_WITH_NOTw5Make negatives with have not / has not been + verb-ing
Put not after have or has to say the activity has not continued up to now. Keep been and the -ing form.
QUESTION_HAVE_HASw5Ask questions with Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing
Start the question with Have or Has, then the subject, then been and the -ing form. Use this to ask about an activity continuing until now.
SINCE_FOR_DURATIONw4Choose since for a starting point and for for a length of time
Use since with a moment or date like since Monday or since 9:00. Use for with a period like for two hours or for a week.
USE_FOR_ACTIVITY_UP_TO_NOWw5Use Present Perfect Continuous for an activity continuing up to now
Choose this form when the activity started before now and is still happening now or has just stopped with a present result. It highlights duration and ongoing activity.
MARKERS_DURATION_NOWw3Recognize duration markers that fit this tense
Markers like for, since, all day, and lately often point to an activity over time connected to now.