Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Many languages have one past tense, one present tense, and one future tense, but not English. English has several tenses that are devoted just to the present. The present perfect continuous is one of these tenses. The present perfect continuous tense is not often used in English. This makes it difficult for ESL learners to recognize and use it properly. An outline of the structure of the present perfect continuous and when to use it will help editors identify the right and wrong uses.

Present Perfect Continuous Structure

The structure of a sentence written in the present perfect continuous tense is as follows:

subject + have + been + present continuous verb form

Here are a few sentences making use of the present perfect continuous tense.

Question Structure

The structure of a present perfect continuous question uses the same components of a sentence but rearranges them slightly.

Negative Sentence Structure

The structure of a negative sentence written in the present perfect continuous tense is almost identical to a positive sentence written in the present perfect continuous tense. The only difference between a positive and negative sentence is that the negative sentence adds not between the two auxiliary verbs.

Contractions

The present perfect tense has the auxiliary verb have in its structure, like the present perfect continuous. The present perfect allows the contraction of have with the subject. The present perfect continuous permits the contraction of have with the subject in a positive sentence and the contraction of have with not in a negative sentence.

• I've been looking for a new apartment.

• She's been looking for a new apartment.

• I haven't been looking for a new apartment.

When Do We Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

There are two specific situations when the present perfect continuous tense is used: when an action has recently stopped and when an action started in the past and is still continuing now.

The following are examples of actions that have recently stopped (usually in response to a question or statement):

• Why are you late? I have been arguing with the valet for the past 20 minutes.

• Not: I am arguing with the valet for the past 20 minutes. Or: I argue with the valet for the past 20 minutes.

• You don't know what's going on in the movie because you haven't been watching.

• Not: You don't know what's going on in the movie because you aren't watching. Or: You don't know what's going on in the movie because you don't watch.

The Second Situation

Here are examples of an action that started in the past and is still continuing now:

• They have been playing soccer for two hours. (They are still playing soccer.)

• Not: They are playing soccer for two hours.

• Since yesterday, he hasn't been giving me all the information. (He did not give me all the information, and he continues not to give me all the information.)

• Not: Since yesterday, he isn't giving me all the information.

For and Since

For and since are commonly used in the present perfect continuous tense. Since indicates a point in time from the past, while for is used when the sentence is indicating a period of time.

• You have been watching TV for five hours.

• Not: You have been watching TV since five hours.

• She hasn't been feeling well since Monday.

• Not: She hasn't been feeling well for Monday.

• They have been dating for six years.

• Not: They have been dating since six years.

• We have been travelling since last year.

• Not: We have been travelling for last year.

• I have been daydreaming for the past twenty minutes.

• Not: I have been daydreaming since the past twenty minutes.

Stative Verbs

There are some verbs that cannot be used in the present perfect continuous tense. These verbs are known as stative verbs because they describe a state or condition that is unchanging. Because stative verbs are not action verbs, they are always written in the simple form and cannot be used in the present perfect continuous tense.

• I have hated her ever since I met her.

• Not: I have been hating her ever since I met her.

• He has owned his car since 1945.

• Not: He has been owning his car since 1945.

• They have loved the theatre their whole lives.

• Not: They have been loving the theatre their whole lives.

• Have you seen this movie before?

• Not: Have you been seeing this movie before?

Summary

We said this in the present continuous tense unit as well, but it bears repeating because of its importance. Continuous tenses offer us something we don't often see in grammar: consistency. Every time a continuous tense is used, you'll see an -ing ending. Not all -ing endings indicate the continuous tense (in some cases, an -ing word can be a participle), but all continuous tenses make use of the -ing ending. The other thing that continuous tenses offer us is an action that occurs over time. No matter what time period these actions occur in (past, present, or future), they happen for a duration of time. Once you've identified these qualities in a verb, it's only a matter of determining whether it occurs in the past, present, or future, and whether there is an auxiliary verb indicating a perfect tense.

Last Updated: 09/29/2022