How to form the present perfect continuous

Understanding the Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous describes actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment. It emphasises the duration or ongoing nature of an activity. To form this tense, you need three key components: the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'has', the past participle 'been', and the present participle (verb + -ing). This structure allows you to express how long something has been happening without specifying exactly when it started.

Where the Present Perfect Continuous sits on the English tense timeline

Present Perfect Continuous Conjugation by Subject

Subject	Affirmative	Negative	Question
I	I have been working	I have not been working I haven't been working	Have I been working?
you (singular)	you have been working	you have not been working you haven't been working	Have you been working?
he	he has been working	he has not been working he hasn't been working	Has he been working?
she	she has been working	she has not been working she hasn't been working	Has she been working?
it	it has been working	it has not been working it hasn't been working	Has it been working?
we	we have been working	we have not been working we haven't been working	Have we been working?
you (plural)	you have been working	you have not been working you haven't been working	Have you been working?
they	they have been working	they have not been working they haven't been working	Have they been working?
Notes & Special Rules: Use has with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it); use have with all other subjects (I, you, we, they). The auxiliary been never changes form regardless of the subject. The main verb always takes the -ing form (present participle). For verbs ending in a silent -e, drop the e before adding -ing (e.g., make → making). For short verbs with a consonant–vowel–consonant pattern, double the final consonant before adding -ing (e.g., run → running, sit → sitting). Common contractions: I've been, you've been, he's been, she's been, it's been, we've been, they've been. Stative verbs (e.g., know, believe, love, belong) are not normally used in any continuous tense, including the present perfect continuous. Negative contractions: haven't been (I/you/we/they) and hasn't been (he/she/it).

Formula

✔ Positive

Subject + have/has + been + verb + -ing

I have been studying English for three years.

✖ Negative

Subject + have/has not + been + verb + -ing

She has not been working on this project since Monday.

? Question

Have/Has + Subject + been + verb + -ing

Have you been feeling better lately?

Examples

They have been planning this trip for months.

Positive form · Duration emphasis

①they started planning the trip → ②now, months later

He hasn't been attending the meetings regularly.

Negative form · Ongoing absence

①meetings started happening regularly → ②now he is not attending them

Has she been learning to drive?

Question form · Present state inquiry

①she started learning to drive → ②now (still learning)

We have been waiting here since 10 o'clock.

Duration specification · Time marker

①Started waiting at 10 o'clock → ②Still waiting now

The weather hasn't been improving this week.

Negative form · Recent period

①this week started → ②now (weather still not improving)

How long have they been living in Berlin?

Question form · Duration inquiry

①they started living in Berlin → ②now (and still living)

When to use it

Expressing Duration

Use present perfect continuous to show how long an action has been happening from the past until now.

"I have been working here for five years."

Recent Activity

Describe actions that have been happening recently and may still continue, emphasising the process rather than completion.

"The team has been developing new features all week."

Inquiring About Progress

Ask questions about ongoing situations or activities, particularly useful for checking how things are progressing.

"How long have you been waiting for the results?"

Negating Ongoing Actions

Express what someone has not been doing over a period, useful for explaining absences or lack of progress.

"He hasn't been answering his emails all morning."

Signal words

for since all day all week recently lately how long the whole time this morning this afternoon

Common Mistakes

Wrong

I am studying here since 2020.

✓

Correct

I have been studying here since 2020.

Use present perfect continuous, not present continuous, to show duration from past to present.

Wrong

She has been work on the report.

✓

Correct

She has been working on the report.

The verb after 'been' must be in the -ing form (present participle), not the base form.

Wrong

Have you been gone to the gym recently?

✓

Correct

Have you been going to the gym recently?

Use 'going' (verb-ing), not 'gone' (past participle). The structure requires been + -ing, not been + past participle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

What to Remember

Use 'have/has' + 'been' + present participle (-ing form) to form present perfect continuous.
The tense emphasises duration and describes actions that started in the past and continue now.
Use 'has' with third person singular subjects and 'have' with all other subjects.
Don't confuse with present perfect simple, which doesn't emphasise the ongoing duration of activity.
Present perfect continuous works without stating exact start time, only the continuous duration matters.

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What is the present perfect continuous?

Present perfect continuous — examples and uses