Time
in
Motion:
Understanding
the
Present
Perfect
Continuous
Language
is
not
just
about
actions.
It
is
also
about
duration
.
The
Present
Perfect
Continuous
(also
called
Present
Perfect
Progressive)
is
the
verb
tense
we
use
when
we
want
to
emphasize
that
an
action
started
in
the
past
and
is
still
continuing
,
or
just
stopped
,
but
its
efects
remain.
While
the
Present
Perfect
Simple
tells
us
what
has
happened
,
the
Present
Perfect
Continuous
shows
us
how
long
it’s
been
happening
.
It
is
a
tense
of
process,
persistence,
and
presence
in
time
.
Definition
The
Present
Perfect
Continuous
describes:
●
An
action
that
started
in
the
past
and
is
still
happening
now
●
An
action
that
recently
stopped
,
but
its
efects
are
still
visible
or
felt
●
Ongoing
actions
where
duration
or
repetition
matters
It
focuses
on
the
activity
and
its
duration
,
not
simply
on
the
result.
Structure
Formula:
Subject
+
have/has
+
been
+
verb(-ing)
Subject
Auxiliar
y
Verb
(present
participle)
I
/
You
/
We
/
They
have
been
working,
studying,
raining
He
/
She
/
It
has
been
reading,
sleeping,
waiting
Examples:
●
I
have
been
studying
all
morning.
●
She
has
been
working
here
since
January.
●
They
have
been
waiting
for
over
an
hour.
●
It
has
been
raining
all
day.
When
to
Use
the
Present
Perfect
Continuous
A.
Action
started
in
the
past
and
is
still
happening
Emphasizes
duration
and
continuity.
●
I
have
been
living
here
for
five
years
.
●
He
has
been
teaching
since
2010
.
Think
of
a
line
from
the
past
to
now:
the
action
stretches
across
time.
B.
Action
just
stopped,
but
its
result
is
visible
now
Focuses
on
recent
efort
or
activity.
●
She’s
tired
because
she
has
been
working
all
day.
●
Look
at
the
mess!
What
have
you
been
doing
?
C.
Repeated
or
temporary
actions
Used
for
short-term
habits
or
repeated
processes.
●
They
have
been
going
to
the
gym
lately.
●
I
have
been
meeting
a
lot
of
new
people
at
work.
Time
Expressions
Commonly
Used
Expression
Use
for
+
duration
for
two
hours,
for
a
long
time
since
+
point
since
Monday,
since
2019
lately
/
recently
for
actions
that
just
stopped
or
are
new
all
day
/
week
/
month
emphasizes
continuity
or
efort
Examples:
●
We
have
been
studying
for
three
hours
.
●
She
has
been
reading
since
this
morning
.
●
They
have
been
traveling
recently
.
●
I’ve
been
feeling
tired
lately
.
Present
Perfect
Continuous
vs.
Present
Perfect
Simple
Present
Perfect
Simple
Present
Perfect
Continuous
Focus
on
the
result
Focus
on
the
action
and
its
duration
I
have
written
the
report.
(It’s
done.)
I
have
been
writing
the
report.
(Still
working
or
tired
from
it.)
He
has
eaten
lunch.
(Finished)
He
has
been
eating
lunch.
(Maybe
still
eating)
Tip:
If
you
want
to
show
how
long
something
has
been
happening
—
use
the
Present
Perfect
Continuous
.
Verbs
Not
Commonly
Used
in
Continuous
Forms
Some
verbs
(called
stative
verbs
)
are
not
usually
used
in
continuous
tenses:
●
know
,
believe
,
understand
,
like
,
love
,
hate
,
have
(possession)
Use
Present
Perfect
Simple
with
these:
●
I
have
known
her
for
years.
(Not:
I
have
been
knowing
her.)
●
They
have
had
this
car
since
2010.
(Not:
been
having)
Common
Mistakes
to
Avoid
Incorrect
Correct
Explanation
I
have
been
know
her
for
years.
I
have
known
her
for
years.
"Know"
is
a
stative
verb.
He
has
being
working
hard.
He
has
been
working
hard.
Wrong
form
of
"been".
They
has
been
playing
all
day.
They
have
been
playing
all
day.
Use
"have"
with
plural
subjects.
She
has
been
study
for
the
test.
She
has
been
studying
for
the
test.
Use
present
participle
(verb
+
-ing).
We
have
been
lived
here
for
a
decade.
We
have
been
living
here
for
a
decade.
Use
continuous
form:
"been
living."
Practice
Exercises
A.
Complete
the
sentences
using
the
Present
Perfect
Continuous:
1.
I
__________________
(work)
on
this
project
since
Monday.
2.
She
__________________
(wait)
for
you
for
over
an
hour.
3.
They
__________________
(study)
English
for
three
years.
4.
We
__________________
(not/sleep)
well
lately.
5.
He
__________________
(run)
and
now
he’s
out
of
breath.
B.
Choose
the
correct
form:
1.
It
___
raining
all
day.
a)
has
been
b)
have
been
c)
is
been
d)
has
2.
I
___
living
here
since
I
was
a
child.
a)
have
been
b)
am
c)
have
d)
has
been
3.
She
___
working
on
the
same
book
for
months.
a)
has
b)
have
c)
has
been
d)
is
Answer
Key
A.
1.
have
been
working
2.
has
been
waiting
3.
have
been
studying
4.
have
not
been
sleeping
5.
has
been
running
B.
1.
a)
has
been
2.
a)
have
been
3.
c)
has
been
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