The Best Guide to the Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe events that started in the past and continue to the present.^[1]https://7esl.com/present-perfect-continuous-tense/

Usage of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Actions that started in the past and continue to the present

You can use the verb tense to talk about actions that you started in the past and continue to do until the present.

For example:

I have
been living in France for about 4 years.
Susie has
been studying English for 2 years.
We have
been driving for 10 hours!

Recent actions in the past that have results now

You can use the verb tense to talk about actions that you recently did that clearly have results in the present.

For example:

I am tired because I have been studying all night for the final exam.
She is sick because she has not been looking after her health.
Frank can’t come because he has not been paying attention to the time.

Short temporary situations

You can use the the verb tense to describe shorter situations.

For example:

Have
you been studying for the English
exam this week?
We have
been cooking all day.
He has
been studying for the exam all week.

Example Exercises

Complete each sentence with the present perfect continuous verb tense.

13%

Question 1 of 8

1. Frank and Susie ____________ (play) basketball for hours.

Question 1 of 8

Question 2 of 8

2. It ____________ (snow) all week.

Question 2 of 8

Question 3 of 8

3. We ____________ (eat) the same breakfast every day this week.

Question 3 of 8

Question 4 of 8

4. My dog ____________ (sleep) all day.

Question 4 of 8

Question 5 of 8

5. ____________ (study) English for a long time?

Question 5 of 8

Question 6 of 8

6. Elisabeth told me that she ____________ (think) of quitting her job.

Question 6 of 8

Question 7 of 8

7. Who ____________ (drink) all of my milk in the refrigerator?

Question 7 of 8

Question 8 of 8

8. I didn’t do well on the test because I ____________ (study) a lot.

Question 8 of 8

How did you do?

If some of these questions were tricky don’t worry — this is one of the topics that confuses English learners the most.

Sometimes reading alone isn’t enough. A private one on one lesson can clear up any confusion quickly and help you use this grammar naturally and confidently.

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