PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

Taken from macmillanopenmind.com

 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

1. Who is using the present perfect continuous?

2. Which tense is the other speaker using?
3. Can you notice an error?

A: How long have you been working here?

B: I am working here for about five

years.
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1. Who is using the present perfect continuous? A

2. Which tense is the other speaker using? present
continuous
3. Can you notice an error? I’ve been working

A: How long have you been working here?

B: I am working here for about five

years.
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1. Which answer uses the same tense as the question?

2. Which part of the grammar structure tells you it is an
activity that is still in progress now?

We've been studying a lot

What have you a
of grammar recently.
been doing at
college? We studied a lot of
b
grammar recently.

TIP: When speaking, we usually use the

contracted form for the auxiliary verb have
(e.g. I've, you've, he's, we've).
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1. Which answer uses the same tense as the question? a

2. Which part of the grammar structure tells you it is an
activity that is still in progress now?

We've been studying a lot

What have you a
of grammar recently.
been doing at
college? We studied a lot of
b
grammar recently.

TIP: When speaking, we usually use the

contracted form for the auxiliary verb have
(e.g. I've, you've, he's, we've).
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Other examples using the present perfect continuous:

• How long have you been learning English?

• I've been studying really hard, but some of the

other students haven't been concentrating much in
class.

• What have you been doing recently?

• I've been exercising more regularly. I've been

working with a personal trainer for a few weeks.
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We're really busy. We've

What have you been developing a new app!
been doing? I've been working on the
project for three months now.

The present perfect continuous uses three verbs.

The first verb (auxiliary) is the verb _ _ _ _.
The second verb is _ _ _ _, the past participle of be.
The third verb ends in -_ _ _.
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We're really busy. We've

What have you been developing a new app!
been doing? I've been working on the
project for three months now.

The present perfect continuous uses three verbs.

The first verb (auxiliary) is the verb _
h_a _v _.
e
The second verb is b_e __e _,
n the past participle of be.
The third verb ends in -_i n_g_.
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affirmative negative

have/has + been
+ -ing form of the verb
I haven't been studying
very hard.
I ________
have ________
been
________
studying very hard.
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questions short answers

Have you been studying Yes, I have.

very hard? No, I haven't.

have
How long ________ you
been ________
________ studying there?
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How long have

you been living We've been living here for
here? about five years.

We use the present perfect continuous to talk about

started in the past and is still in
an activity that ________
progress now.

We use the present perfect continuous with

questions starting ________
How ________.
long
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1. Which sentence is correct?

a) I've been living here since January.
b) I'm living here since January.

2. What's wrong in each sentence?

a) I've being working for the company for six years.
b) I've been knowing my fiancé since 2002.
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1. Which sentence is correct? a

a) I've been living here since January.
b) I'm living here since January.

2. What's wrong in each sentence?

a) I've being working for the company for six years.
b) I've been knowing my fiancé since 2002.

a) I’ve been working for the company for six

years.
b) I’ve known my fiancé since 2002.
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What have you been doing recently?

Well, I've been … but I haven't been …

I've already … so I have/haven't been …
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Grammar wrap-up

1. How do you form the present perfect

continuous?
2. How would you use the present perfect
continuous in real-life contexts?
3. How could the present perfect continuous be
confused with other verb forms?