Present perfect continuous tense

The present perfect continuous tense (also known as the present perfect progressive tense) connects a past activity with the present. It is formed with have/has + been + the -ing form of the main verb. We use it for actions that started in the past and continue now, activities that have been happening recently or repeatedly, and recent activities with a result in the present.

The present perfect continuous often focuses on the activity itself or its duration, rather than on a completed result or quantity.

How to form the present perfect continuous

Form the present perfect continuous with have or has + been + the -ing form of the main verb. Use have with I, you, we and they, and has with he, she and it:

Contractions in present perfect continuous sentences

We often use contractions with the present perfect continuous tense. In affirmative sentences, we contract the subject and have or has as follows:

• I + have = I’ve
• You + have = You’ve
• He + has = He’s
• She + has = She’s
• It + has = It’s
• We + have = We’ve
• They + have = They’ve

For example:

• I’ve been working all day.
• She’s been running this morning.
• They’ve been making a lot of noise recently.

In negative sentences, we can contract the subject and have or had as above, or we can contract have and not to make haven’t, or had and not to make hasn’t. For example:

• They’ve not been speaking as much recently.
• I haven’t been working today.
• She hasn’t been feeling well.

When do we use the present perfect continuous?

We use the present perfect continuous when an activity connects the past with the present and the focus is on the activity, its duration or its recent effect. There are three main uses.

1. Actions that started in the past and continue now

Use the present perfect continuous for an action or activity that started in the past and is still continuing now. For example:

• My baby has been sleeping for three hours.
• I’ve been living in this city for five years.
• They have been playing that game for weeks.

2. Recent and repeated activities

Use the present perfect continuous for activities that have been happening recently or repeatedly around the present, even if they are not happening at the exact moment of speaking. Common time expressions include recently, lately and these days.

• I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz recently.
• She’s been visiting her mother a lot lately.
• John’s been eating more salads these days.

3. Recent activities with a present result

Use the present perfect continuous when an activity happened recently, or has just stopped, but there is evidence or a result of the activity now. The focus is on the activity that produced the result:

• It has been raining. The ground is wet.
• Have you been painting? There’s paint on your shirt.
• Your hands are filthy! What have you been doing? – I’ve been gardening.

For, since, all and how long with the present perfect continuous

Time expressions are common with the present perfect continuous because the tense often emphasises duration. Use for with a period of time, since with a starting point, all with a whole period, and how long to ask about duration.

Since can also introduce a clause describing the starting point:

• I’ve been drinking more water since I spoke to my nutritionist.
• Daniel has been working at the weekends since his boss offered him overtime pay.
• Helen and Sarah have been chatting since they arrived at the office.

Present perfect continuous vs present perfect simple

The present perfect continuous and present perfect simple both connect the past with the present, but they usually focus on different things. The present perfect continuous often emphasises the activity or its duration, while the present perfect simple often emphasises a completed result or quantity.

When the focus is on how many or how much has been completed, we normally use the present perfect simple:

• She’s sent five emails this morning. (NOT: She’s been sending…)
• We’ve visited Rome twice in the last year. (NOT: We’ve been visiting…)
• They have won the cup seven times in the last ten years. (NOT: They have been winning…)

When the focus is on a completed result rather than on the activity itself, we usually use the present perfect simple:

• I’ve been reading Lord of the Rings. (but I still have a few chapters to go)
• I’ve read Lord of the Rings. (I’ve finished reading the book)
• He’s been fixing his car. (focus on the activity)
• He’s fixed his car. (focus on the completed result)

With verbs such as live, work, study and teach, both forms are often possible when talking about duration:

• I have lived here for three years. / I have been living here for three years.
• I have studied English for over a decade. / I have been studying English for over a decade.
• I have taught maths all my life. / I have been teaching maths all my life.
• They have worked here since 1990. / They have been working here since 1990.

While the meaning may be very similar, the continuous form can place more emphasis on the duration, ongoing activity or temporary nature of the situation, while the simple form is often more neutral.

Common mistakes with the present perfect continuous

Using stative verbs

We normally use the present perfect simple, not the present perfect continuous, with stative verbs when they describe states. This is still true even when we are talking about the duration of a state:

• ❌ I’ve been knowing John for six years.
• ✅ I’ve known John for six years.
• ❌ She’s been owning that house since 2018.
• ✅ She’s owned that house since 2018.

Using the present perfect continuous for completed quantities

When the focus is on how many times something has happened or how many things have been completed, use the present perfect simple:

• ❌ She’s been calling me six times today.
• ✅ She’s called me six times today.
• ❌ I’ve been eating three pancakes this morning.
• ✅ I’ve eaten three pancakes this morning.

Confusing the present continuous with the present perfect continuous

Use the present continuous for an activity happening now or around the present time. Use the present perfect continuous when the activity started in the past and continues to the present, or when a recent activity has a result now:

Free present perfect continuous worksheets