Present Perfect Continuous Tense – Examples & Exercises

Ever wondered how to talk about something that started in the past and is still going on? Think of situations like you’ve been studying all night or he’s been working here for years. That’s exactly what the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is for. In this guide, we’ll break it down with simple rules, real-life examples, and tips to make it stick.

What is Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Present Perfect Continuous tense, also known as the Present Perfect Progressive tense, is a verb tense used to express an action that began in the past, is still ongoing, and may continue into the future. This tense emphasizes the duration or continuous nature of an action that started in the past and is relevant to the present moment.

It is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” (in the present tense) along with the main verb’s present participle form (-ing form).

The formula for forming the Present Perfect Continuous tense is:

Here are a few examples:

In these examples, the actions (studying, working, waiting) began in the past and are still ongoing at the time of speaking, emphasizing the duration or continuity of the actions.

Breakdown of the Parts

Let’s look at each part of the structure:

Have/Has

• Use “have” with: I, you, we, they
• Use “has” with: he, she, it

Been

This part never changes. It always stays “been”.

Verb + -ing

This is the present participle form.
Examples:

• eat → eating
• read → reading
• write → writing
• go → going

Even if the verb is irregular, you still use its -ing form.

Common Time Expressions

These are words that often go with the Present Perfect Continuous:

• for (a period of time):
  → for two hours, for a week, for a long time

• since (a point in time):
  → since 6 AM, since Monday, since 2010

• lately / recently

Present Perfect Continuous Tense for Negatives

To form the negative form of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, you use the auxiliary verb “have” (has or have) with “not” and “been,” followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Here’s the formula:

Here are some examples:

In these examples, “not” is inserted between the auxiliary verb “have” and the main verb’s present participle form to create the negative form of the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense for Questions (Interrogative)

To form questions (interrogative sentences) in the Present Perfect Continuous tense, you invert the subject and the auxiliary verb “have” or “has.” Then, you add “been” after the auxiliary verb, followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Here’s the formula:

Here are some examples:

In these examples, the auxiliary verb (“have” or “has”) comes before the subject to form the question, and “been” follows the subject to indicate the Present Perfect Continuous tense. Then, the main verb’s present participle form (-ing form) follows.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense for Question words (Double Interrogative)

In the Present Perfect Continuous tense, when forming questions with question words (also known as double interrogatives), you start with the question word, followed by the auxiliary verb “have” or “has,” then “been,” the subject, and finally the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Here’s the structure:

Here are some examples using question words:

In these examples, the question words (“how long,” “since when,” “why”) come at the beginning to specify the information being sought. Then, the auxiliary verb (“have” or “has”) is used according to the subject, followed by “been,” the subject, and the present participle form of the main verb (-ing form).

When NOT to Use Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Although have/has been + verb-ing sounds natural in many cases, it’s not always correct.

Here’s when NOT to use it, and what to do instead.

With Stative Verbs (Non-Action Verbs)

Stative verbs describe states, feelings, thoughts, possessions, or senses—not actions. These verbs usually don’t take -ing forms in this tense.

Common stative verbs:

• know
• believe
• understand
• like
• love
• hate
• own
• belong
• seem
• want
• need
• remember
• prefer

Why? These verbs describe conditions, not ongoing activities. Use Present Perfect for states that began in the past and continue now.

When the Action Is Finished and Time Is Clear

If the action is completely finished and you mention a specific past time, don’t use Present Perfect Continuous.

With Short, One-Time Completed Actions

Present Perfect Continuous is for ongoing or repeated actions, not for something that happened once and is over.

Only use Present Perfect Continuous if the action is repeated or continuous:

With Passive Voice (Usually)

Present Perfect Continuous and passive voice rarely go together—it sounds awkward or incorrect in most cases.

Stick to Present Perfect Passive when you want to focus on the object.

When Talking About Permanent Truths

Don’t use Present Perfect Continuous for facts or truths that are always true or generally true.

Use Present Simple for general truths or scientific facts.

In Summary: Don’t Use Present Perfect Continuous…

20 example sentences of the present perfect continuous tense

Here are 20 examples of sentences in the present perfect continuous tense:

1. I have been studying for my exams all week.
2. She has been working at this company since 2018.
3. They have been playing football in the park for hours.
4. We have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes.
5. He has been learning Spanish for two months.
6. I have been cleaning the house all day, and I’m still not done.
7. They have been traveling around Europe since May.
8. You have been cooking dinner for an hour now.
9. She has been practicing the piano since she was a child.
10. It has been raining non-stop since last night.
11. I have been reading this book for three days, and it’s fascinating.
12. They have been discussing the project for over an hour.
13. We have been jogging every morning for the past two weeks.
14. He has been talking to his friend on the phone for an hour.
15. I have been thinking about starting a new hobby lately.
16. She has been painting her room for two days.
17. We have been planning our vacation for months.
18. He has been feeling tired ever since he started his new job.
19. I have been using this app for a few weeks, and I love it.
20. They have been watching the same TV series since the beginning of the year.

These sentences all emphasize an action that began in the past and has continued up to the present.

Test your understanding of the present perfect continuous tense

Sure! Here’s a quick quiz to test your understanding of the present perfect continuous tense. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses:

Fill in the blanks:

1. They __ (wait) for the train since 8 a.m.
2. She __ (study) French for two years now.
3. I __ (try) to reach you all morning.
4. He __ (paint) the house for the last three hours.
5. The kids __ (play) outside since school ended.
6. It __ (rain) for the last two days.
7. We __ (work) on this project for months.
8. My friends __ (look) for a new apartment lately.
9. You __ (exercise) more frequently these days.
10. The chef __ (prepare) the meal for over an hour now.
11. I __ (read) this novel for weeks, but I’m almost done.
12. She __ (drive) around the neighborhood looking for her dog.
13. They __ (argue) about the same issue for hours.
14. I __ (practice) yoga every morning for the past year.
15. We __ (wait) for the package to arrive all day.
16. He __ (train) hard for the upcoming marathon.
17. You __ (watch) a lot of TV lately, haven’t you?
18. The teacher __ (explain) the same topic over and over again.
19. We __ (prepare) for the presentation for weeks.
20. She __ (cook) dinner since 5 p.m.

Answers

1. have been waiting
2. has been studying
3. have been trying
4. has been painting
5. have been playing
6. has been raining
7. have been working
8. have been looking
9. have been exercising
10. has been preparing
11. have been reading
12. has been driving
13. have been arguing
14. have been practicing
15. have been waiting
16. has been training
17. have been watching
18. has been explaining
19. have been preparing
20. has been cooking

How did you do? Let me know if you need any clarification!