Present Perfect Continuous

Form

The present perfect continuous is formed with have or has plus 'been' plus the -ing form of the main verb. Use 'have' with I, you, we, and they, and 'has' with he, she, and it (I have been working, she has been studying). It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of an action that started in the past. Negatives use haven't / hasn't been, and questions invert the auxiliary (Have you been waiting?).

When to Use It

• For actions that started in the past and are still continuing, such as 'I have been reading for two hours.'
• To emphasize how long an activity has lasted, such as 'They have been building the house since January.'
• For recently finished actions with a visible result, such as 'Her eyes are red because she has been crying.'
• To describe a repeated or ongoing temporary activity, such as 'He has been going to the gym a lot lately.'

Signal Words

Common Mistakes

• Using it with stative verbs: write 'I have known him for years', not 'I have been knowing him for years'.
• Forgetting 'been': write 'She has been waiting', not 'She has waiting'.
• Confusing 'since' and 'for': use 'since' with a starting point (since noon) and 'for' with a duration (for three hours).