The present perfect continuous

A Introduction

Read this conversation

Alex: We have been waiting here for twenty minutes.

Cindy: We're going to be late for the movie.

We use the present perfect continuous for an action (waiting). The action happens over a period of time (for twenty minutes). Here the period lasts up to the present, they are still waiting now.

B Form

The present perfect continuous is the present tense of have + been + an -ing form.

I/you/we/they have been waiting OR I/you/we/they've been waiting

he/she/it has been waiting OR he/she/it's been waiting

NEGATIVE

I/you/we/they haven't been waiting

he/she/it hasn't been waiting

QUESTION

have I/you/we/they been waiting?

has he/she/it been waiting?

Here some more examples

We've been standing here for ages.

It has been raining all day.

Have you been waiting long?

Our team hasn't been doing very well lately.

C Use

We use the present perfect continuous for an action over a period of time leading up to the present (see A). In these examples the action is still going on.

We've been waiting here for twenty minutes. (We're waiting now.)

Listen. That burglar alarm has been ringing since eight o'clock this morning. (the alarm is ringing now)

We must use the perfect in these situations. NOT We wait here for twenty minutes OR We're waiting-here for twenty-minutes.

We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about repeated actions up to now.

Natasha has been playing the piano since she was four.

We can also use it to talk about an action which ends just before the present.

I've been swimming. That's why my hair is wet.

D For, since, how long and recently

We can use the present perfect continuous with for and since.

My sister has been staying with me for three weeks now.

You've been playing on that computer since seven o'clock.

We use how long in questions.

How long have you been waiting?

Note also recently and lately. These both mean 'in the last few days or weeks'.

I haven't been feeling very well recently.

What have you been doing lately?