Introduction. Tense is an English grammar concept. It represents the form taken by the verb to comprehend the situation referred to in time. For example, in the sentence, Yash walked for 2 hours and then he went to sleep, the past tense verb form, walk (+ed) signals the time of the walk in the past. Tense is used to assign a time factor to the The following cases demonstrate the use of the present perfect simple: The present perfect simple stands for processes and particularly states that started in the past and are still true in the present (some signal words for indication are: ‘ since, for, lately ’, etc.): “Julia has lived in Spain for 17 years.” I HAVE PAINTED THE. We use the present perfect continuous when the focus is on an activity that is unfinished. NOW PAST. I’VE READ THAT. SHE’S BEEN WRITING EMAILS. 8. I’VE WORKED HERE FOR. PRESENT PERFECT vs PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS - Download as a PDF or view online for free. More Examples of the Present Perfect Tense. Here are some more examples of the present perfect tense: The board has decided to uphold the appeal. (This sentence carries the connotation that the board continues to uphold the appeal.) I have taken the wrong path. (Connotation: I am still on the wrong path.) The present perfect continuous refers to an action that started before now, but is still ongoing – e.g. I have been playing guitar all morning (and I’m still playing now). The formula is: subject + has/have + been + present participle (root verb + ing). We often use lately, recently, all day, for years with this tense. The Past Perfect Continuous tense is like the Past Perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past. For example: Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours. Ram starts waiting in past at 9am. I arrive in past at 11am. At this time next week - (You will be traveling to Delhi at this time next week.) During July / any month / any day in the future – (It will be raining during July.) By 3o’clock tomorrow – (They will be walking by 3o’clock tomorrow.) Related Links : Future Continuous Tense. Keywords to indicate the presence of Future Continuous Tense. 1: The present perfect continuous can be used to emphasise the length of time that has passed. The present perfect simple is generally neutral: They've been waiting for hours! (This emphasises the length of time). They've waited for hours. (This doesn't emphasise the length of time). 2: On the other hand, the present perfect simple is often Complete the sentences using the simple past and the present perfect simple. He (tell/already) you his answer. signal: already → present perfect. The children (go/not) to school on Monday. specific past time marker (on Monday) → simple past. I (give) you his phone number last month. Revised on September 25, 2023. The simple present tense is a verb form used to talk about habits, unchanging situations, facts, and planned events in the near future. The simple present tense of most verbs is the infinitive form (e.g., “sing”). However, the third person singular (e.g., “he,” “she,” and “it”) takes an “s” at tpJU8p8. Home Grammar Verbs Present Perfect Continuous The present perfect continuous also called the present perfect progressive is a verb form that we use to describe an action that started in the past and either recently finished or is still continuing. Although only about .7% of verbs in speech are in the past perfect, this verb tense can be very useful in certain reading to learn how to form the present perfect continuous and when to use it, including tons of examples and charts!Just to avoid confusion, continuous and progressive are just different names for this same thing. In some countries, one term is more common than the other, but continuous is more common overall, so we use that term. Chart for Present Perfect Continuous in English The present perfect continuous is a little bit tricky. If you find a website that claims to explain it in just a few sentences, you should be suspicious. We use this tense in a number of different situations, and it can have different meanings in those different situations. We can look at three common ways that the present perfect progressive is used to describe new routines, to describe recently completed actions, and for actions that are still Routines and HabitsIn general, we use the simple present to talk about routines and habits If I go jogging every day or a couple of times a week, I can simply say, I jog, right?But what if this is a new habit? Maybe I have gone jogging every day for the past two weeks, so it is a routine, but it might feel funny to just say I jog. I am a jogger. In situations like this, where we want to demonstrate that a habit or routine is somewhat new, the present perfect continuous is the form that we want to use. Here are a few more examples This has been a difficult month. She has been working long hours. I’ve been going to the gym lately. We’ve been cooking at home more recently Recently Completed ActionsWe also use the present perfect continuous to talk about actions that have just recently ended, especially when there is still evidence of that action. For example, after you paint, you may still have paint on your hands. To explain this, you would use the present perfect progressive Sorry, my hands are dirty. I've just been painting. Take a look at these other examples The house is a mess because we've just been redecorating. Sorry, I'm all sweaty. I've been exercising. Why are you two crying? Have you been fighting? Notice that in each of these examples, there is sensory evidence the mess, sweating, crying of the recently completed actions painting, exercising, fighting. This is almost always the case when using the present perfect continuous in this Still Happening with For and SinceThis is probably the most common way that this verb form is used. This is very important When we see the present perfect continuous with for or since, the action started at a specific time in the past and is still happening. Here are some examples Michele has been living in Boston since June. Juana's been writing her thesis for 6 months. In the first example, Michele still lives in Boston. In the second example, Juana still works at Apple. Again, when you see for or since with this verb tense, the action or situation described by the main verb is still continuing. See Signal Words, below, for more information about how we use for and are more examples with for and since Cara's been working at FedEx for 3 years now. I've been thinking about changing jobs for a long time. We've been developing a new strategic plan since late last year. You have been traveling back and forth to California since you got married, right? Forming the Present Perfect continuousFormulaForming the present perfect continuous isn’t difficult. You will always use the same formula have/has + been + VERBingYou could also think of it as simple steps, tooFirst, choose either have if the subject is plural or the pronouns I, you, we, or they or has if the subject is a singular noun, he, she, or it. Then use been. Then use your main verb with is the verb work conjugated into the present perfect continuous. Present Perfect Continuous Tense Verb Conjugation Singular Plural 1st person I have been working. we have been working. 2nd person you have been working. you have been working. 3rd person he has been working. they have been working. she has been working. it has been working. Notice that we can see both the perfect and the continuous aspect in this form. Have been is the perfect aspect. Been verb-ing is continuous Forms of the Present Perfect continuousNegative SentencesYou always have two helping verbs in the present perfect continuous have/has and been. To make a negative, simply put not in between them! She has not been living here for a long time. I have not been reading much recently. They have not been working late. Because the present perfect continuous uses so many words, we often use contractions with not to make it a little shorter She hasn't been living here for a long time. I haven't been reading much recently. QuestionsTo make a question, simply put has/have before the subject. Has she been living here for a long time? Have you been working out lately? You look great! What have you been reading? When have you been going to bed lately? Passive VoiceMaking passive sentences with more complex verb forms like the present perfect continuous is extremely uncommon and almost always awkward in English. We really recommend that you rephrase a sentence to avoid creating such an awkward sentence. We have been being observed a lot at work. See the awkwardness in the sentence above? If you really need to make a passive sentence in this verb form, we often use the get passive to avoid the unnatural combination of been get in the present perfect progressive has been getting, have been getting and then the perfect form of the main verb. We have been getting observed a lot at work lately. I've been getting kicked off the internet every 5 minutes. Signal WordsRecently or LatelyWhen we are talking about new routines and habits, it’s common to use the word recently or lately, which both have the same meaning in this sense. There is some flexibility in where we can put these words in a sentence, but the beginning or end of the clause is a safe a look at these examples Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Aunt Maude. We've been having second thoughts about moving recently. JustWe can use the adverb just to emphasize that an action was completed in the immediate past, right before now. Because the present perfect continuous can talk about actions that stopped right before now, it is common to use just with it. Have a look at these examples Don't mind these ridiculous old clothes. I've just been gardening. Hey Paul! I can't believe you're here. We've just been talking about you! For We already said, the most important signal words with the present perfect progressive are for and since. They are important because they change the meaning. Whenever you see for and since with this verb form, you know the action is still we use for, we specify the duration of the action. This could be the number of minutes or weeks or years. It could also be a more general phrase like a really long time or a little while. People have been living on this land for thousands of years. It's been raining for hours I've been studying English for half my life! SinceWhile for is used with a duration, since is used to specify the point in time when the action began. That could be a time or date. It can also be another event described with a clause, like since I was a child. People have been living on this land since about 800 It's been raining since noon. I've been studying English since I was a child. check out these other free grammar resources Related Content For the present perfect continuous, we have extra information about spelling exceptions for verbs and time expressions that you can use. Spelling exceptions for verbs Sometimes we need to remove a letter, and other times we need to add another letter. Here are the exceptions 1 One 'e' at the end of a verb Remove the final 'e' and add 'ing'. Examples [live] I've been living in Germany. [save] I've been saving money for a new car. * Verbs ending in 'ee' These follow the normal rules. Examples [see] He's been seeing his friends. 2 Verb ends with consonant + one stressed vowel + one consonant Double the final consonant and add 'ing'. Examples [stop] I've been stopping work early recently. * Verbs ending with an unstressed vowel These follow the normal rules, and the last consonant is not doubled. Examples [develop] They've been developing a new idea at the company. 3 Verb ends in 'l' British English Double the final consonant and add 'ing'. Examples [travel] I've been travelling with friends. 4 Verb ends with 'ie' Change 'ie' to 'y' and add 'ing'. Examples [lie] She's been lying to the teacher. 5 Verb ends with 'ic' Add 'k' before -ing'. Examples [panic] He's been panicking about the exam. Time expressions used with present perfect continuous Here are time markers that can be used with the present perfect continuous. 1 for This gives a period of time. Examples I've been working at this company for two years. 2 since This gives a starting point. Examples I've been living in this apartment since 2015. 3 this week / month / year / today / all day These expressions can be used for periods of time that are not finished. Examples He's been studying hard this week. 3 recently This started not long ago. Examples We've been going to the gym recently. The Present Perfect Continuous uses two auxiliary verbs together with a main verb. In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quiz to check your understanding. Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Present Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Present Perfect Progressive tense. How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous tense? The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense is subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb conjugated in Present Simple past participle have, has been present participle The first auxiliary have is conjugated in the Present Simple have, has The second auxiliary be is invariable in past participle form been The main verb is invariable in present participle form -ing For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous tense subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb + I have been waiting for one hour. + You have been talking too much. - It has not been raining. - We have not been playing football. ? Have you been seeing her? ? Have they been doing their homework? Contraction with Present Perfect Continuous When we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing. I have been I've been You have been You've been He has been She has been It has been John has been The car has been He's been She's been It's been John's been The car's been We have been We've been They have been They've been I've been reading. Jenny's been helping us recently. In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and "not" I haven't been playing tennis. It hasn't been snowing. How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense? This tense is called the Present Perfect Continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about past action recently-stopped past action still-continuing Present Perfect Continuous for past action just stopped We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now. I'm tired because I've been running. past present future Recent action Result now I'm tired [now] because I've been running. Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining? You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening. Present Perfect Continuous for past action continuing now We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since. I have been reading for 2 hours. past present future Action started in past. Action is continuing now. I have been reading for 2 hours. I am still reading now. We've been studying since 9 o'clock. We're still studying now. How long have you been learning English? You are still learning now. We have not been smoking. And we are not smoking now. For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous tense We often use for and since with perfect tenses We use for to talk about a period of time three hours, two months, one decade We use since to talk about a point in past time 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday for since a period of time a point in past time - - - - - - - - - - - - - • - - - - - - - - - - 30 minutes four days Friday 3 months March 2 years 2010 3 centuries 1700 ages I left school ever the beginning of time etc etc Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present Perfect Continuous tense I have been studying for three hours. I have been watching TV since 7pm. Tara hasn't been feeling well for two weeks. Tara hasn't been visiting us since March. He has been playing football for a long time. He has been living in Bangkok since he left school. For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only. Present Perfect Continuous Quiz Back to 12 English Tenses EnglishClub Learn English Grammar Verbs Tense Tenses Present Perfect Continuous Tense