Present Perfect Continuous Tense – Rules, Uses & Examples

What is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to talk about actions that started in the past, continued for some time, and are still continuing now or have just stopped, but their effect is visible in the present.

This tense focuses on the duration of the action, not just the result.

It is very useful in daily conversations, interviews, and professional English when explaining ongoing efforts or activities.

Structure of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The basic structure is:

Subject + has / have + been + verb-ing

Examples:

• I have been studying English.

• She has been working here since 2021.

• They have been waiting for an hour.

Helping Verbs Used

Uses of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Actions That Started in the Past and Are Still Continuing

Use this tense when an action began in the past and is still happening now.

Examples:

• I have been learning English for six months.

• She has been preparing for the exam since morning.

• We have been living in Mumbai for ten years.

Common time words:

since, for

2. Actions That Recently Stopped but Have Present Results

Use this tense when the action has just stopped, but its effect is visible.

Examples:

• He is tired because he has been working all day.

• Her eyes are red because she has been crying.

• The ground is wet because it has been raining.

3. To Emphasize Duration of an Action

This tense highlights how long an action has been happening.

Examples:

• I have been waiting for you for two hours.

• She has been teaching English for many years.

• They have been discussing the project all morning.

Sentence Forms

Affirmative Sentences

Subject + has / have + been + verb-ing

Examples:

• I have been practicing grammar daily.

• He has been working from home.

• They have been watching English videos.

Negative Sentences

Subject + has / have + not + been + verb-ing

Examples:

• I have not been feeling well.

• She has not been attending classes regularly.

• We have not been using this method.

Short forms:

• have not → haven’t

• has not → hasn’t

Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

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

Examples:

• Have you been studying English?

• Has she been working late?

• Have they been waiting long?

Wh-Questions

Wh-word + has / have + subject + been + verb-ing?

Examples:

• How long have you been learning English?

• Why has he been shouting?

• What have they been doing?

Time Expressions Commonly Used

• since

• for

• all day

• all week

• recently

• lately

Examples:

• I have been working since morning.

• She has been studying for three hours.

• They have been practicing lately.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ I have been know English.
✅ I have been learning English.

❌ She has been worked here since 2020.
✅ She has been working here since 2020.

❌ I am studying English since two years.
✅ I have been studying English for two years.

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

More Examples for Practice

• I have been improving my pronunciation.

• She has been attending online classes.

• We have been practicing spoken English daily.

• They have been preparing for the interview.

Quick Summary

• Used for actions that started in the past

• Emphasizes duration

• Uses has / have + been + verb-ing

• Common with since and for

✅ Tip for Learners

If you want to explain how long you have been doing something, this is the best tense to use.