LECCIÓN 158: PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS – AFFIRMATIVE

Also called the present perfect progressive

Subject Auxiliary Been Verb (ing)

I
living
You have
working
We ‘ve
studying
They
been learning
eating
He
has traveling
She
‘s running
It

Unfinished actions
1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the
present.
We often use this with 'for' and 'since'.

I've been living in London for three years.

She's been working here since 2008.
We've been waiting for the bus for hours.
I’ve been reading your book – it’s great. (I’m still reading it.)
He’s been living in this town since 1995. (He is still living in the village.)
She has been writing her autobiography since 2021.

2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the
present in the same way as with use number 1, but we don't answer the questions
about 'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like 'recently'.

I've been going to the gym a lot recently.

They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
I've been reading a lot lately.
I’ve been going to Spain on holiday every year.
I haven’t been eating much lunch lately. I’ve been going to the gym at lunchtimes.

EETV - 2023 1
 She’s been playing tennis on and off for three years.

Finished actions
3: Actions which have recently stopped and have a result, which we can often see, hear,
or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word here.

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

I've been running, so I'm really hot.
It's been raining so the pavement is wet.
I’ve just been cleaning the car.
It’s been snowing.

EXERCISE
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS.
1.- I _______________________ lunch for hours. (COOK)

2.- We _______________________ for a house. (LOOK)

3.- She _______________________ very hard. (TRAIN)

4.- Paul _______________________ since 9pm. (SLEEP)

5.- He _______________________ the car. (WASH)

6.- The cat _______________________ at the door. (KNOCK)

7.- She _______________________ Japanese. (LEARN)

8. We _______________________ all morning. (STUDY)

9. She _______________________ for hours (DANCE)

10. The dogs _______________________ a lot (BARK)

EETV - 2023 2