PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

Michela Giordano
[email protected]

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

FORM
The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + -ing
have
has been base+ ing

 has/have + been + present participle

+ You have been waiting here for two hours.

? Have you been waiting here for two hours?
- You have not been waiting here for two hours. 2

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USE: DURATION FROM THE PAST UNTIL NOW
The Present Perfect Continuous is used to show that
something started in the past and has continued up
until now or has some connection to now.
a) They have been talking for the last hour.
b) She has been working at that company for three
years.
c) What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
d) James has been teaching at the university since
June.
e) We have been waiting here for over two hours!
f) Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for
the last three days?
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An action that started in the past and is continuing

up to now:

a) I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still

reading now.]
b) We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still
studying now.]
c) How long have you been learning English? [You
are still learning now.]
d) We have not been smoking. [And we are not
smoking now.]

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An action which has just stopped (though the
whole action can be unfinished) and has a result,
which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present (the
focus is on the action).

a) I'm so tired, I've been studying.

b) I've been running, so I'm really hot.
c) It's been raining, the pavement is wet.
d) I've been reading your book, it's very good.
e) I'm tired because I've been running.
f) Why is the grass wet? Has it been raining?
g) You don't understand because you haven't been
listening.
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RECENTLY, LATELY
The Present Perfect Continuous can be also used
WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without
the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of
"lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to
emphasize this meaning.

a) Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

b) She has been watching too much television lately.
c) Have you been exercising lately?
d) Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
e) Lisa has not been practicing her English.
f) What have you been doing?
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 OTHER USAGES
1) to emphasise how long something has taken
a) I’ve been trying to start my own business for ages.
b) I’ve been waiting here for ages.

2) to indicate that an activity is temporary or incomplete

c) I’ve been staying here while I try to buy a flat.
d) I’ve been living here for a few months now.
( ≠ I’ve lived here all my life!)

3) to emphasise the repetition of an activity

e) I’ve been going jogging every night. 7
f) I’ve been ringing and ringing you!

WITH FOR AND SINCE

We often use for and since with the present perfect
continuous tense.
1) We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes,
2 weeks, 5 years.
2) We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9
o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
a) I have been studying for 3 hours.
b) I have been watching TV since 7pm.
c) Maria hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.
d) Maria hasn't been visiting us since March.
e) John has been playing football for a long time.
f) John has been living in London since he left school. 8

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 NON-CONTINUOUS VERBS-STATIVE VERBS
It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs
or stative verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses.
Instead of using Present Perfect Continuous with these
verbs, we must use Present Perfect.

a) Sam has been having his car for two years. Not
Correct
b) Sam has had his car for two years. Correct
c) How long have you been knowing Sally? Not correct
d) How long have you known Sally? Correct

The following verbs (stative verbs) are usually not used in

in the progressive/continuous form. They show a state and
not an action.
oExisting state/state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit, seem,
appear, depend, include, consist of, exist, contain
oPossession: belong, have, own, need
oSensory perception/senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste,
touch
oFeelings/emotional states: hate, hope, like, love, prefer,
regret, want, wish, detest, envy, dislike, mind, fear
oBrain work/thought/mental states: believe, know,
think, understand, assume, consider, suppose, expect, agree,
know, remember, forget, doubt, imagine
oIntroductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask,
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reply, say

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PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE OR
CONTINUOUS?
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in
the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many
cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a
difference in meaning:
We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that
an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We
use the Present Perfect Progressive or Continuous to
emphasise the duration or continuous course of an
action.

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1) Result or duration?
Result (what / how much / how often)
a) I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.
Duration (how long)
b) I have been writing for an hour.

2) Emphasis on completion or duration?

Emphasis on completion
c) I have done my homework. (My homework is completed
now.)
Emphasis on duration
d) I have been doing my homework. (That's how I have
spent my time.)
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3) Result or side effect?
desired result
a) I have washed the car. (The car is clean now.)
unwanted side effect
b) Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (I
became wet when I was washing the car.)

4) Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

since the last time
c) I haven't played that game for years. (It's years ago that I
last played that game.)
since the beginning
d) I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10
minutes. (It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that
game.)
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5) Permanent or temporary?
If an action is still going on and we want to express that
it is a permanent situation, we use the Present Perfect
Simple. For temporary situations, we prefer the Present
Perfect Progressive or Continuous. This is not a rule,
however, only a tendency.

permanent
a) James has lived in this town for 10 years. (He is a
permanent resident of this town.)
Temporary
b) James has been living here for a year. (This situation
is only temporary.)

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 Add the missing words.
1 It has ________________ snowing a lot this week.

2 ________________ your brother and sister been getting along?

3 Rick ______________ been studying hard this semester.

4 I'm tired because I _______________ been working out.

5 Julie ________________ living in Italy since May.

6 How long have you been ________________ German?

7 We have been watching TV ____________ 3 hours.

8 You have _____________________ too hard today.

9 Has it ______________ raining since you arrived?

My brother has been travelling ______________ he finished 15

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school.

Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous.

1) She (work) here for five years.

2) I (study) all day.
3) You (eat) a lot recently.
4) We (live) in London for six months.
5) He (play) football, so he's tired.
6) They (learn) English for two years.
7) I (cook) so I'm really hot.
8) She (go) to the cinema every weekend for years.
9) It (rain). The pavement is wet.
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10) You (sleep) for twelve hours.

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Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous.

11) I (not/work) today.

12) You (not/eat) well recently.
13) We (not/exercise) enough.
14) She (not/study).
15) They (not/live) here for very long.
16) It (not/snow).
17) He (not/play) football for five years.
18) We (not/drink) enough water - that's why we
feel tired.
19) I (not/sleep) I was reading.
20) They (not/watch) TV much recently. 17

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present

Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive)

1) I (play) football for five years.

2) My team (win / only) two matches so far.
3) The others (be / always) better.
4) Are we not there yet? We (walk) for hours.
5) But we (cover / only) an area of five miles so
far.
6) I (finish/just) my homework.
7) I (work) on this essay since two o'clock.
8) Jane (go out) with Bob for seven years.
9) Martin (date) three girls this week.
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10)How long (wait / you) for us?

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Use the verbs in Present Perfect Progressive, if
possible. If it is not possible, use the Present
Perfect Simple.

1) We (know) them for 15 years.

2) They (watch) TV for 3 hours.
3) He (have) this car for 20 years.
4) We (work) for 7 hours without a break.
5) How long (you / learn) English?
6) Mr Smith (be) in hospital for 5 days.
7) Steven (hear) a mouse squeak all night.
8) (you / see) Brona?
9) She (prepare) dinner for two hours.
10)Don't worry, they (touch / not) your gameboy.19

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present

Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).

1) Why are you out of breath? - I (run).

2) The toaster is okay again. Dad (repair) it.
3) I am so tired, I (work) all day.
4) Your shirt is clean now. Maggie (wash) it.
5) I'm afraid, I'm getting a cold. I (walk) home in the
rain.
6) Your clothes smell awful! (you / smoke) ?
7) Peggy is ready for her exam now. I (help) her
preparing for it.
8) It is dark in here because we (close) the curtains. We
want to watch a film and that's better in the dark.
9) His voice is gone now because he (shout) all morning.
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Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for
over half an hour and nobody (take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) by us at least

twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) here
for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not) yet! We (sit) here

for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from

table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction 21

once.

1. Judy: How long (be) in Canada?

Claude: I (study) here for more than three years.

2. I (have) the same car for more than ten years.

I'm thinking about buying a new one.

3. I (love) chocolate since I was a child. You

might even call me a "chocoholic."

4. Matt and Sarah (have) some difficulties in

their relationship lately, so they (go) to a
marriage counselor. I hope they work everything
out.
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5. John (work) for the government since he
graduated from Harvard University. Until
recently, he (enjoy) his work, but now he is
talking about retiring.

6. Lately, I (think) about changing my career

because I (become) dissatisfied with the
conditions at my company.

7. I (see) Judy for more than five years and

during that time I (see) many changes in her
personality.
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1. I'm very hungry. I_________ all day.
a) didn't eat
b) haven't ate
c) haven’t eaten
d) have been eating
2. Their new kitchen looks fantastic. They _______ completely
_____ it.
a) have _____ been redecorating
b) have _____ redecorated
c) already _____ redecorated
d) didn't _____ redecorated
3. Our kitchen’s a mess. We____________ any cleaning for weeks.
a) didn't do
b) haven't been doing
c) have done 25
d) haven't done

4. I think they are dating. They_________ a lot of each other recently.

a) had seen
b) haven't been seeing
c) have been seeing
d) have seen
5. We've discovered this great café and we_________ there a lot.
a) have been going
b) have gone
c) are going
d) have went
6. How's your Mum? I _____________ her for ages.
a) had seen
b) haven't seen
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c) haven't been seeing
d) didn't see

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7. You're covered in paint! What __________ you __________?
a) have _____ done
b) were _____ doing
c) did _____ do
d) have _____ been doing
8. She’s gone to the doctor's. She ______________ too well lately.
a) hasn't felt
b) hasn't been feeling
c) has felt
d) doesn't feel
9. Where have you been? I____________ for ages.
a) have waited
b) waited
c) was waiting
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d) have been waiting

Sources

•http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html
•http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect-
continuous.htm
•http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-perfect-
continuous_quiz.htm
•http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-continuous-
exercise-1.html
•http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro
•http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises
•http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentperfectsimpleorcontinuous/ex
ercise5.swf
•http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/presentpcont_exc.htm

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