Present Perfect Continuous

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Today's lesson is...

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Alex: Is it raining? Carol: No, but the ground is wet. Alex: then it has been raining.

Have/has + been + -ing is the present perfect continuous:

doingwaiting playing raining

havehas

I/they/we/youShe/he/it

been

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has stopped or just stopped. There is a connection with now:

• Donna is out of breath. Has she been running? (= she’s out of breath now).
• I am very tired. I’ve been working very hard. (= I’m tired now).
• Why are they late? What have they been doing?
• I’ve been talking to my family about our next Holiday and I think we’re going to Greece.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

It has been snowing for two days…

It began snowing two days ago and it is still snowing. How long has it been snowing? It has been snowing for two days. We use the present perfect continuous in this way with how long, for and since. The activity is still happening (as in this example) or has just stopped.

• How long has Steve been learning French?
• You have been watching television all day long.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

You can use the present perfect continuous for actions repeated over and over for a period of time:

• Fred is a very good football player. He’s been playing since he was five.
• Every weekend we have brunch at the same place. We have been going there for over a year now.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Compare the present continuous with the present perfect continuous:

I am doingpresent continuous Don’t disturb her now, she is studying.

I have been doing present perfect continuous She has been studying hard, she has many tests this week.

VS

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS