1. Present Perfect Continuous

2. Subject + have + been + verb+ing I have been doing
Structure:
Subject + have + been + verb+ing
I have been doing

3. He/she/it has been doing
Affirmative
I have been doing
You have been doing
He/she/it has been doing
We have been doing
They have been doing

4. Has he/she/it been doing?
Interrogative
Have I been doing?
Have you been doing?
Has he/she/it been doing?
Have we been doing?
Have they been doing?

5. Negative I have not been doing You have not been doing
He/she/it has not been doing
We have not been doing
They have not been doing

6. The Diagram of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

7. Present Perfect Continuous generally describes past events which are connected to the present.

8. Common uses

9. Recent activities
What have you been doing lately
Continuing activities
How long have you been living here?
Repeated actions
I have been phoning her for days.

10. examples

11. I have been walking for two hours

12. My dog has been running for hours.

13. They have been playing basketball since ten o’clock

14. It is snowing now. It began two days ago
It is snowing now. It began two days ago. It has been snowing for two days

15. I have been writing all day.

16. Comparison of Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect Simple

17. Present Perfect Simple often emphasizes that an action is finished
Present Perfect Simple often emphasizes that an action is finished. but Present Perfect Continuous can emphasize that it is still going on.

18. Present Perfect Simple I have written five letters It stresses that the action is completed

19. Present Perfect Continuous I have been writing letters May be the writer has not finished

20. In the Present Perfect Simple the important thing is that something has been finished

21. In the Present Perfect Continuous It doesn’t matter whether something has been finished or not.

22. example

23. Present Perfect Simple I haven’t caught it yet

24. Here We are interested in the result of the activity
Here We are interested in the result of the activity. the result He hasn’t caught it yet!

25. Present Perfect Continuous I have been trying to catch it for hours

26. Here We are interested in the activity
Here We are interested in the activity. Activity He has been trying to catch it!

27. Time Expressions which are used with Present Perfect Simple: ever, never, already, yet, just, so far, for, since, etc.

28. Time Expressions which are used with Present Perfect Continuous recently, lately, all day, all week, all morning, for ages, since, for, etc.

29. Note: With certain verbs such as; live, work, teach, learn, study,etc
Note: With certain verbs such as; live, work, teach, learn, study,etc. generally there is no difference in meaning between the two tenses when since or for is used.

30. I have worked at the same place since 1969

31. ..or I have been working at the same place since 1969

32. She has lived in the same house since she was born

33. ..or She has been living in the same house since she was born

34. examples

35. Yesterday my car broke down. I have already repaired it

36. It is ready, I can drive it now

37. Why are your hands dirty. What have you been doing
Why are your hands dirty? What have you been doing? I have been repairing my car.

38. I have learned Italian for two years.

39. exercises

40. Complete the sentences using the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Continuous of the verbs in parentheses

41. ‘You look tired.’ ‘I (wash) clothes
all day’
I (clean) the car. Doesn’t it look nice?
I (do) Christmas shopping all day.
My mother (do) all her Christmas shopping.
I (learn) most of the irregular verbs.
I (learn) German for six years.

42. James (go) out every night this week.
He (see) a lot Alexandra recently.
How long (you wait)?
I (wait) long enough I’m going.
I (read) your book. I’m enjoying it.

43. The End