Present Perfect Continuous Tense With Examples, Rules, Usage

What is the present perfect continuous tense? 

The present perfect continuous tense is used to represent an action that started in the past and is either ongoing in the present or has just been completed. The present participle of the primary verb (verb + ing) comes after the auxiliary verbs "has" and "have been," which indicate how long the action lasted

For example:

I have been studying for three hours.

This sentence means that the action of studying started in the past and is still happening now.

Structures of present perfect continuous tense

Affirmative Sentence Structure

Structure:

Subject + has/have been + verb(ing).

Examples:

1. Prof. Sah has been teaching this chapter since Monday.
2. I have been writing this post for half an hour.
3. He has been working at this company for ten years.
4. They have been playing football since this morning.

Negative Sentence Structure

Structure:

Subject + has/have not been + verb(ing)

Examples:

1. Prof. Sah has not been teaching this chapter since Monday.
2. I have not been writing this post for half an hour.
3. He has not been working at this company for ten years.
4. They have not been playing football since this morning.
5. I haven’t been eating well lately.
6. She hasn’t been feeling well for a few days.

Interrogative Sentence Structure

Structure:

Has/Have + subject + been + verb(ing)?

Examples:

1. Has Prof. Sah been teaching this chapter since Monday?
2. Have you been writing this post for half an hour?
3. Has he been working at this company for ten years?
4. Have they been playing football since this morning?
5. Have you been studying all day?
6. Has she been practicing the piano for hours?

Interrogative Sentence Structure (with WH words)

Structure:

Wh-word (what, when, why, who, whom, whose, which, where) + has/have + subject + been + verb (-ing)? 

Examples:

What have you been doing all morning?

How long has he been living in this city?

Subject-Verb Agreement

In the present perfect continuous tense, the verb form changes based on the subject. Here’s how to use has/have with different subjects:

Subject Helping Verb

He, she, or It Has

I, you, we, and they        Have.

Father, Teacher Has

Dogs,Children Have

Time Expressions in Present Perfect Continuous (uses of since and for)

Time expressions are essential for the present perfect continuous tense, as they indicate the duration of the action. Here are some common time expressions used with this tense.

Use of "for" in time expressions:

The preposition "for" is used in English to indicate a duration or a length of time.

Use of "since" in time expressions:-

The word "since" is used for time to indicate the exact starting point of an action or state, which continues up to the present moment.

Time Expression Example Sentences:

• For two hours I have been reading.
• Since morning, she has been cleaning the house.
• All day-- They have been working all day.
• For a while—he has been practicing for a while.
• Lately—I haven’t been sleeping well lately.