I have been singing
How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
The structure of the present perfect continuous tense i s:
subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb
have
has
been base + ing
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb
+
I have been waiting for one hour.
+ You have been talking too much.
-It has not been raining.
- We have not been playing football .
? Have you been seeing her?
? Have they been doing their homework?
Contractions
When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we of ten contract the subject and the
first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.
I have been I've been
You have been You've been
He has been
She has been
It has been
John has been
The car has been
He's been
She' s been
It' s been
John's been
The car's been
We have been We've been
They have been They've been
Here are some examples:
· I've been reading.
· The car's been giving trouble.
· We've been playing tennis for two hours.
How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There i s usually a connect i on with the
present or now.There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped
We use the present perfect continuous tense to ta k about an action that started in the past and stopped
recently. There i s usually a result now.
I'm tired because I've been running.
past present future
!!!
Recent action. Result now.
· I'm t i red
[now]
because I've been running.
· Why is the grass wet
[now]
? Has i t been raining?
· You don't understand
[now]
because you haven' t been listening.
2. An action continuing up to now
We use the present perfect continuous tense to tal k about an action that started in the past and i s
continuing now. This is of ten used with for or since.
I have been reading for 2 hours.
past present future
Act i on started in past. Act i on is continuing now.
· I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am st ill reading now.]
· We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We' re st ill studying now.]
· How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]
· We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]
For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense
We of ten use for and since with the present perfect tense.
· We use for to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.
· We use since to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
for since
a period of time a point in past time
20 minutes 6.15pm
three days Monday
6 months January
4 years 1994
2 centuries 1800
a long time I left school
ever the beginning of time
etc etc
Here are some examples:
· I have been studying for 3 hours.
· I have been watching TV since 7pm.
· Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.
· Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.
· He has been playing football for a long time.
· He has been living in Bangkok since he lef
For can be used wit h all tenses. Since is
usually used with perfect tenses only.
t school.
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