Present Perfect Continuous: Use & Formation

The present perfect continuous

a. Use
The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to express continuous, ongoing actions which have already been completed at the time of speaking or writing.

In the following example, the verb in the Present Perfect Continuous tense is underlined.
e.g. The bus has been waiting for one hour.

The use of the Present Perfect Continuous tense in this example indicates that, at the time of speaking or writing, the bus has completed one hour of continuous waiting.

b. Formation
The Present Perfect Continuous tense of any English verb is formed from the Present Perfect of to be, followed by the present participle of the verb. For instance, the Present Perfect Continuous tense of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:

I have been working

you have been working

he has been working

she has been working

it has been working

we have been working

they have been working

Thus, it can be seen that the Present Perfect Continuous tense has two auxiliaries. The first auxiliary is have or has, and the second auxiliary is been.


Exercise:
Paying attention to the spelling of the present participles, fill in the blanks using the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. 

For example:
      I ________________ all night. (to work)
      I have been working all night.

      She ___________________ the trumpet. (to practise)
      She has been practising the trumpet.

Answers:
1. have been waiting    2. have been running    3. has been reading    4. have been writing    5. have been setting    6. has been raining    7. have been living    8. has been speaking    9. have been buying 10. have been planning