Present-Perfect-Continuous-Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

It is used to express a continued or going action that started in past and is continued until now. There will be a time reference, such as “since 1980, for three hours etc.” from which the action has been started.

Uses of present perfect continuous tense:
1.  Actions that started in past and continue in present.
2.  Action that have recently stopped.

Note: We used ‘since’ with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, indicated with the past simple (e.g. since I was at school etc.)
Examples.
I have known Yuri since 1992.
I have liked chocolate since I was a child.

We use ‘for’ with a period of time (2 hours, three hours, six months).
Examples.
I have known Hamid for ten years.
I have been hungry for hours.

Sentence Structure of Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Structure of Simple/Positive Sentence:
He/She/Singular noun + has been + (ing form of verb) + Object + time reference.
I/We/You/They/Plural noun + have been (ing form of verb) 
+ Object + time
reference.

Note: with ‘he, she, it, singular noun’ helping verb ‘has been’ is used and with ‘I, we, you, they, plural noun’ helping verb ‘have been’ is used.

Simple Sentences:
          Subject + Helping Verb + Verb-ing + Object    +   Time.
       (He                has been       playing     in the hall    for 1 hour.)
He has been playing in the hall for 1 hour.
She has been taking care of her health since 1990.
It has been Sleeping on the sofa for three hours.
I have been watching T.V. for two hours.
We have been speaking good English for two years.
You have been telling a story for 4 hours.

Structure of Negative Sentence:
He/She/Singular noun + has not been + (ing form of verb) + Object + time reference.
I/We/You/They/Plural noun + have not been + (ing form of verb) + Object + time reference.

Note: with ‘he, she, it, singular noun’ helping verb ‘has been’ is used and with ‘I, we, you, they, plural noun’ helping verb ‘have been’ is used.

Negative Sentences:
       Subject + Not+ Helping Verb + Verb-ing + Object    +   Time.
       (He           not        has been     playing   in the hall   for 1 hour.)
He has not been playing in the hall for 1 hour.
She has not been taking care of her health since 1990.
It has been not Sleeping on the sofa for three hours.
I have not been watching T.V. for two hours
We have not been speaking good English for two years.
You have not been telling a story for 4 hours.

Structure of Interrogative Sentence:
Has + He/She/Singular noun + been + (ing form of verb) + Object + time reference?
Have + I/We/You/They/Plural noun + been + (ing form of verb) 
+ Object + time reference?

Note: with ‘he, she, it, singular noun’ helping verb ‘has been’ is used and with ‘I, we, you, they, plural noun’ helping verb ‘have been’ is used.

Interrogative Sentences:
     Has/have + Subject + Been +Verb-ing + Object    +   Time?
      (Has             he          been   playing    in the hall    for 1 hour?)
Has he been playing in the hall for 1 hour?
Has she been taking care of her health since 1990?
Has it been Sleeping on the sofa for three hours?
Have I been watching T.V. for two hours?
Have we been speaking good English for two years?
Have you been telling a story for 4 hours?

Previous Lesson | Next Lesson