Present perfect continuous

tense
Repeated actions that started in the past and
have continued till now.
• A: what have you been doing lately?
• B: I’ve been playing a lot of tennis.

• My friends have been coming round a lot recently.

• My back hurts, so I have been sleeping on the floor lately. The bed is
too soft.
Continuous actions which have present side
effects.
• A: you look tired.
• B: I’ve been working in the garden.

• A: you’re covered in paint.

• B: yes, I’ve been decorating the kitchen all day.
Situations which started in the past and are
still happening now.
• How long have you been looking for a new house?

• I’ve been living here since last year.

• It’s been raining all day.

• You have been studying for five straight hours. Why don’t you take a
break?
Which verbs in these sentences should be
present perfect progressive?
• The boys are playing soccer right now. They are playing for almost two
hours. They must be getting very tired.

• Alex is talking on the phone. He talked on the phone for more than
half an hour. He should hang up soon. Long distance is expensive.

• I’m trying to study. I try to study for the last hour, but something
always seems to interrupt me. I think I’d better go to the library.
 To talk about past experiences when you don’t say when something happened
&
with just, yet already

Present perfect simple or continuous?

1. _____you ever _____ a blog?

2. We _____just _____ (land) but we _____ (not/ get) the plane yet.
3. I _____ already _____ (tell) you three times.
With non-action verbs

• I _____ (know) Miriam since I was a child.

• My sister _____ (have) flu for ten days now.
When you say or ask how much/many we have done
or how often we have done something up to now.

• How many Agatha Christie novels _____ you _____? (read)

• They _____ twice this week.(meet)

• She ______ (have) piano lessons since she was a child.

• They _____ (have) that car for at least ten years.

1. how long _____ you _____ your phone? (have)
2. _____ you ever _____ in an accident? (be injured)
3. How long _____ you _____ to this school? (come)
4. How many classes _____ you _____ this year? (miss)
5. How long _____ you _____ in your current home? (live)
6. _____ you ever _____ abroad?(study)