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- Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises
Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises
Published on July 11, 2023 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on September 25, 2023.
The present perfect continuous is a verb tense used to refer to an action that started sometime in the past and is still ongoing. It also sometimes describes an action that was just completed, as long as it’s still relevant to the present (e.g., “I’ve been working hard all day, and now I’m getting some rest”).
The present perfect continuous consists of “have been” or “has been” (depending on the subject) followed by the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.
Table of contents
How to use the present perfect continuous, present perfect continuous vs. present perfect, present perfect continuous vs. present continuous, how to form negatives, how to form questions, how to form the passive voice, exercises: present perfect continuous, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about the present perfect continuous.
The present perfect continuous begins with either has (for the third-person singular) or have (for all other persons). It always continues with been (the past participle of “be”) followed by the present participle of the main verb . The subject may be contracted with “have” or “has” (e.g., “I’ve,” “she’s”).
This tense is used to refer to actions that:
- Started in the past and are still ongoing
- Were recently completed and have results that are still relevant to the present
She has been dancing all night and feels exhausted this morning.
I have been searching for a new apartment recently, but I haven’t had any luck so far.
Finally, you’re here! We’ve been waiting for your arrival. Note As with other continuous tenses, the present perfect continuous requires a dynamic verb —one that describes an action—and not a stative verb —one that describes a fixed state (e.g., “know,” “appear”). Use the present perfect instead with these verbs:
- The United States of America has been existing as an independent nation since 1776.
- The United States of America has existed as an independent nation since 1776.
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The present perfect and present perfect continuous can often be used interchangeably with little difference in meaning (e.g., “I have worked here for a long time” or “I have been working here for a long time”).
But there are situations where one is more appropriate than the other:
- The present perfect continuous must refer to an action that is either still ongoing or only very recently completed.
- The present perfect may refer to an action that’s still ongoing, but it may also describe an action that was completed a long time ago. Unlike the continuous, it may also be used with stative verbs (e.g., “I have known”).
The present continuous should not be used interchangeably with the present perfect continuous. Both tenses usually describe an ongoing action, but the present continuous differs in a few ways:
- It never refers to a completed action (“I am walking” never means that I’ve recently stopped walking).
- It doesn’t place emphasis on the past and shouldn’t be used with adverbial phrases that do (i.e., “I am walking since 2 o’clock” is incorrect).
- It can also refer to the future (e.g., “I am going to Rome in September”).
To create a negative statement in the present perfect continuous, just add the adverb not between “have”/”has” and “been.” It may also be contracted as “haven’t” or “hasn’t” in informal contexts.
Yes–no questions can be formed in the present perfect continuous by changing the word order: use “has”/”have,” followed by the subject , and then “been” and the present participle of the main verb .
You can form other types of questions with wh-words ( interrogative pronouns like “ whom ” and interrogative adverbs like “when”). Add the appropriate wh-word at the start, and then use the same word order as above.
It’s possible to use the present perfect continuous in the passive voice , but it’s quite rare to do so and often reads awkwardly. The awkwardness results from how long-winded this phrasing is and from the repetitive sound of “been being.”
If you do want to use the passive voice, the phrasing is “has/have been being” followed by the past participle of the main verb. But it’s almost always better to use the active voice instead or rephrase in some other way:
- John is convinced that he has been being followed for the last three miles.
- John is convinced that someone has been following him for the last three miles.
- Faisal has been being trained for his new position since June.
- Faisal has been in training for his new position since June.
Practice using the present perfect continuous correctly with the exercises below. In the blank space in each sentence, fill in the correct present perfect continuous form based on the subject and verb specified (e.g., “[she / ask]” becomes “she has been asking”). Some answers may also be negative statements or questions.
- Practice questions
- Answers and explanations
- __________ [I / think] a lot about my future.
- __________ [she / work] for the company for a long time.
- __________ [my dog / not / behave] herself lately.
- __________ [researchers / investigate] this phenomenon since the 1980s.
- __________ [we / look forward] to meeting you!
- Where __________ [you / stay] while you’re in town?
- The auxiliary verb “Have” is used with the first-person subject “I,” and the present participle of “think” is “thinking.” It would also be fine to write the contraction “I’ve” in place of “I have.”
- “Has” is used with the third-person singular subject “she.” It would also be fine to write the contraction “she’s” in place of “she has.”
- “Has” is again used for the third person singular. Here, it’s contracted with “not” to create a negative statement. It would also be fine to write “has not” instead.
- The third-person plural subject “researchers” requires “have.”
- The contraction “we’ve” is used here to combine the subject with the auxiliary verb “have.” It would also be fine to write “we have.”
- To creature a question (interrogative), the word order is changed so that the subject (“you”) appears after the auxiliary verb (“have”).
If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.
Nouns & pronouns
- Common nouns
- Possessive nouns
- Indefinite pronouns
- Relative pronouns
- Interrogative pronouns
- Present perfect tense
- Modal verbs
- Conditional sentences
- Subjunctive mood
- Imperative mood
- Interjections
- Determiners
- Prepositions
The present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous can both be used to refer to the present consequences of a past action or situation:
- The present perfect can be used to refer to a past action that may continue in the present (e.g., “I have lived here for six months”).
- The present perfect continuous refers to actions or situations that began in the past and are definitely continuing in the present (e.g., “I have been arguing with him constantly”).
The “-ing” form of a verb is called the present participle . Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., “a thrilling story”) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., the present continuous : “We are partying ”).
Gerunds also use the “-ing” form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., “I don’t enjoy studying ”).
Present participles and gerunds look identical, but they have different grammatical functions:
- Present participles are used in various verb tenses (e.g., “I have been eating ”) and as adjectives (e.g., “a laughing child”).
- Gerunds function as nouns (e.g., “I enjoy jogging ”).
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Presentation on theme: "The Present Perfect Continuous"— Presentation transcript:
Present perfect continuous
The Present Perfect Tense
1 Telling the time What time is it? What’s the time? Have you got the time? It is eight o’clock. It is ten o’clock. It is three o’clock..
What time is it? Coo-Coo one o'clock a quarter to seven
The Present Perfect Tense I / we / you / they he / she/ it havehas.
General Education Office
Verb Tense Six Tenses. Verb Tense: Present Tense Shows action that is happening NOW. –I sing in the shower. –I walk the dog. –She cuts the cake. –He drives.
The Present Perfect Tense They have played tennis.
The Present Perfect or The Past Simple USING THE CORRECT TENSE.
Present Perfect (For or Since). Present Perfect Present Perfect describes an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past or that began.
Tenses (Past Simple & Present Perfect)
Compare: I lived in Rome. (but not anymore) I’ve lived in Rome, Paris and New York. (and I know all these cities now)
The past and perfect tenses. the simple past tense USE for actions completed in the past at a definite time I met him yesterdayyesterday When the action.
Thursday, January 21 st, 2016 I. Uses - To express the action or event that has just happened. THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE Thursday, 21 st January, 2016.
Form Present Perfect Positive X have/has V 3 Negative X haven’t/hasn’t V 3 Questions Have/has X V 3 ….? Present Perfect Continuous Positive X have/has.
English 306 English III Lecture (01) Passive Voice By Munira M. Ismail English III Lecture (01) Passive Voice By Munira M. Ismail.
Present Perfect.
Present perfect with for and since. Simple past I lived You lived He/she/it lived We lived You lived They lived Present perfect I have lived You have.
TENSES PAST SIMPLE CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT: -SIMPLE -CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT: -SIMPLE -CONTINUOUS PRESENT SIMPLE CONTINUOUS FUTURE WILL GOING TO.
1 General Education Office LA.121 / LA1301 English 1 Introduction to the Present Perfect Tense.
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How To Teach The Present Perfect Continuous | Step By Step
Once students have mastered the present perfect tense , learning the present perfect continuous tense is relatively easy. In fact, in many instances, either of these two tenses can be used. The main goal when teaching the present perfect continuous tense is to get learners to understand that it is used to emphasize how long a current activity has been going on for. In this guide, we will walk you through step by step how to teach the present perfect continuous .
How To Teach The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Step 1: review the present perfect, step 2: introduce the present perfect continuous.
Next, explain to students that the present perfect continuous tense is similar to the 2nd usage of the present perfect tense (to talk about an action that started in the past and continued to the present .). Explain that the present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the length of a current action and often describes an activity that will likely continue.
To help students understand, ask them how long they have been studying English and if they are still studying English. Point out that they will likely continue to study English in the future. Then write on the board “I have been studying English for 3 years.”. Next, elicit some more examples from students and write them on the board, also. For example, you can ask them how long they have been playing the piano, how long they have been listening to the teacher in the current lesson, etc.
Step 3: The Present Perfect Continuous Structure
Next, it’s time to show students the present perfect continuous structure. Write the following on the board:
subject + have/has + been + verb(ing) + objects
Step 4: Present Perfect Continuous Activity
Now that students have an understanding of the present perfect continuous usage and structure, it’s time for students to make their own sentences. A super fun way to do this is with the following activity.
Put students into pairs or small groups. Tell them that they must draw a picture of a person doing something and write how long they have been doing the action using a present perfect continuous tense sentence. Once students have finished, have them share their pictures and sentences with the class.
Step 5: Present Perfect Continuous Exercise
Finally, it’s time to practice more with some present perfect continuous exercises. Download and print this worksheet and give one to each student. To complete the worksheet, students must fill in the blank to complete the present perfect continuous sentence. You can find more present perfect continuous exercises here .
Using the present perfect continuous
Perfect english grammar.
Also called the present perfect progressive
Read about how to make the present perfect continuous tense here. Download this explanation in PDF here.
- I've been living in London for two years.
- She's been working here since 2004.
- We've been waiting for the bus for hours.
- I've been here for hours.
- NOT: I've been being here for hours .
- I've been going to the gym a lot recently.
- They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
- I've been reading a lot recently.
- I'm so tired, I've been studying.
- I've been running, so I'm really hot.
- It's been raining so the pavement is wet.
Here's a list of all the present perfect and present perfect continuous exercises.
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Present Perfect Continuous Tense – Free ESL Lesson Plan
Jun 30, 2023
270 likes | 322 Views
When should you teach the present perfect continuous tense?<br><br>The lesson suits intermediate-level students and can be taught to children, teenagers, and adults. Before using this lesson, review the present perfect simple tense with your students.<br><br>If you want additional lesson plans and support, including teachersu2019 notes, be sure to register for a free Off2Class account.
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VC3.1 - Present perfect continuous (I have been playing)Lesson 1/2 ESL Lesson Plan
Thank you for downloading your free Off2Class lesson plan! This teacher-led lesson plan is designed using the communicative approach - perfect for teaching students online or in any screen-enabled classroom. To access the Teacher Notes and Answer Key, or to assign homework, click here to set up your free Off2class account. Don’t forget to join the discussion on Facebook to get access to other great tools for online ESL instruction.
Describe the picture
What can you say about Simon? Simon is out of breath… … he is perspiring.
Look at the example below Is he running now? No, but he is out of breath. He has been running. Has he been running?
Look at the example below Is Sophie painting now? No, but there is paint and a brush. Sophie has been painting. Has Sophie been painting?
Look at the example below Is it raining now? No, but the ground is wet. It has been raining. Has it been raining?
The present perfect continuous subject have/has been verb -ing
Now with a contraction subject contraction been verb -ing
Positive sentences: contractions without a contraction with a contraction He has been running. He’s been running.
Present perfect continuous We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has just stopped. The activity has a connection with now. Simon is exhausted. He has just stopped running. Simon has been running. Past Present
Present perfect continuous: contractions We usually use a contraction in spoken English. We sometimes use a contraction in written English. Spoken: He’s been jogging. Written: The President has been travelling around the country. Spoken: The President’s been travelling around the country.
Practice the present perfect continuous study look wait rain Why are you so late? I’ve been waitingfor you! I’m a little tired. I __________ all afternoon. I have an exam tomorrow. I don’t think we can go for a walk. It __________ all day and it’s too wet to go outside. Where have you been? We __________ for you everywhere.
Practice the present perfect continuous cry camp cook work Wow! Marion ____ all morning. Look at all the fabulous food we have for lunch. Chris and James are so dirty. They ____ in the mountains for more than a week. It’s not a good time to talk with Ethan. Look at his face… he ____. Emma ____ all day. She has just arrived home now.
Present perfect continuous We also use the present perfect continuous for an action that is repeated over a period of time. The action is continuingor it has just stopped. It began snowing yesterday. It is snowing now. Ithas been snowing for two days. Past Present
Practice the present perfect continuous teach swim jog learn I started teaching a long time ago. I __________ for at least 15 years. Taylor speaks Japanese quite well. She __________ the language for about 7 years. Heather is still at the pool now! She __________ since two o’clock this afternoon. Peter and Fiona are at the park. They __________ for at least 90 minutes.
Practice the present perfect continuous read sing bark do yoga That dog! It __________ since early this morning. Ursula says she is always relaxed because she __________ for many years. Is that our neighbour? She __________ for at least half an hour. What a voice! Gary wants to finish his book this weekend. He __________ since he finished breakfast yesterday!
Make positive sentences study travel sail paint C D A B
Negative sentences subject haven’t hasn’t been verb -ing
Negative sentences: contractions Without a contraction With a contraction He has not been working. He hasn’t been working.
Practice the present perfect continuous watch speak go feel John hasn’t been watchingTV since he decided to get fit. Now he goes running in the evening. Tyler and Alexis had a fight three weeks ago and they __________ to each other since that time. David is staying at home again today. He __________ well for almost a week. I can’t believe that you __________ to university classes. There are exams next week!
Practice the present perfect continuous buy grow sleep listen I don’t know why… but I __________ well recently. I think that I am stressed. Look at my plants. I water them but they __________ recently. They are the same size they were last year. We __________ our milk and bread from that grocer for two months. The prices are too high. The radio? No, Jill __________ to it for a long time. She prefers the TV these days.
Make negative sentences work talk exercise sleep A B C D
Present perfect continuous questions have/has subject been verb –ing?
Practice the present perfect continuous write wear eat travel Have you been wearingmy raincoat? It’s all wet. _______ they ________ a lot this year? They look so tanned. William! _______ you _______ chocolate? It’s all over your mouth! There is black ink all over your hands. _______ you _______ with that old pen again?
Practice the present perfect continuous shop use drive drink There’s no gas left. _______ Daniel _______ the car again? He never goes to the gas station. What do you mean, ‘You have no money’? _______ you _______ again and spent it all? You look anxious! _______ you _______ a lot of coffee? I need to charge my tablet but I only did it yesterday. _______ you _______ it?
Make present perfect continuous questions smoke iron clean rain A B C D
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- Do you know if Peter has called ?
- My manager won’t be pleased because I still haven’t finished the report.
- Have you sent that email yet?
- We’re really tired. We’ve been driving since 4 o'clock this morning.
- How long have you been studying English?
- The bus hasn't come . I 've been waiting here for ages.
- I ’ve never been to Africa.
- It ’s been raining since ten o’clock this morning.
- The cafe has just opened . ( = It is open now. )
- People have been arriving in large numbers. ( = They are still arriving now. )
- We ’ve lived/’ve been living here for about a year now.
- I ’ve listened/been listening to the new album a lot since I downloaded it.
- I 've been practising this piece for weeks but still haven't learned it.
- I 've done three tests this term.
- We 've seen that show three times.
- I 've been working on this project for a month now. I need to finish it by the end of the week.
- I 've been trying to contact him all morning.
- We ’ve known each other since university. We've been knowing each other since university.
- She’s had that laptop for over ten years! She's been having that laptop for over ten years!
- Have you heard ? Tom ’s lost his job.
- The Prime Minister has resigned .
- Practice 1 Multiple choice
- Practice 2 Multiple choice
- Practice 3 Multiple choice
- Practice 4 Gap-fill
- Practice 5 Gap-fill
- Practice 6 Gap-fill
- Practice 7 Gap-fill
- Practice 8 Multiple choice
- Practice 9 Gap-fill
- Practice 10 Multiple choice
- Practice 11 Multiple choice
- Practice 12 Gap-fill
- Practice 13 Gap-fill
- Practice 14 Error correction
- Practice 15 Multiple choice
- Practice 16 Multiple choice
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
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PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUS
I've been phoning you all day.She has been feeling ill for over a week.
Emphasise a repeated action
He has been waiting for an hour for you. You're late!He has been waiting for an hour. You still aren't here.
Action in progress from the past
Recently finished actions
When to use it
We' ve been studying Russian for three years.I've been doing homework since five o´clock.
VERBS -ING:WALKINGFINISHINGSTAYINGWORKING
HAVE'VEHAS'S
Present Perfect Continuous Affirmative
IYOUWETHEYHE/SHE/IT
HAVE + NOTHAVEN'THAS + NOTHASN'T
Present Perfect Continuous Negative
WHAT orHOW LONG
VERBS -ING:DOINGWALKINGSTAYINGWORKING
Present Perfect Continuous Questions
I have been studyingI haven't been studying Have you been studying?
I have been studyingI haven't been studying (What/How long)Have you been studying?
Period of time until now
Point in time in the past
I've bee living here for 10 years.My dad has been driving for hours.
For and Since
I've been living here since 2011.I've been living here since I was a kid.
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Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous |
COMMENTS
Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous. This presentation talks about how to use Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous. It includes some tasks for the students to practice the theory given in p... 807 uses. A selection of English ESL present perfect continuous ppt slides.
Present Perfect Continuous online lesson. Present Perfect Continuous for a group or online one-to-one class. It gives the teacher the opportunity to explore certain topics. Includes a reading section for practice. 1580 uses.
Present perfect continuous vs. present perfect. The present perfect and present perfect continuous can often be used interchangeably with little difference in meaning (e.g., "I have worked here for a long time" or "I have been working here for a long time").. But there are situations where one is more appropriate than the other: The present perfect continuous must refer to an action ...
Presentation on theme: "The Present Perfect Continuous"— Presentation transcript: 1 The Present Perfect Continuous. vs. The Present Perfect. 2 Form and Uses Present Perfect Continuous Present Perfect. Use the present perfect continuous with action verbs. Positive have/has been V+ing Negative haven't/hasn't been V+ing Questions Have/Has X ...
1/10. This PowerPoint presentation includes detailed explanation of the present perfect continuous. It is suitable for levels over the intermediate.
Step 1: Review The Present Perfect. Any lesson on the present perfect continuous tense should begin with a review of the present perfect simple tense. Review the two main uses of the present perfect: to talk about finished past actions, and to talk about an action that started in the past and continued to the present. Elicit some example ...
Also called the present perfect progressive. It's not a very common tense, and often it's not taught in classes, but we do use it sometimes and it's very good to know how to make it, and to recognise it when other people use it. Luckily, it's very easy to make. Here's the positive (it's the present perfect of 'be' + verb -ing):
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about a current situation that started in the past. We often use it to ask or answer the question How long …? We can use it with for + a period of time or since + a point in time.
The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is a verb tense used to talk about something that started in the past and is continuing at the present time. I have been reading War and Peace for a month now. In this sentence, using the present perfect continuous conveys that reading War and Peace is an activity ...
No prep resource. Just point, click and teach! The examples are full of humor and help students learn with fun. Cartoon characters will help them to understand the rule. What is inside? Slides for explaining the rule. Slides with exercises. ★ There are 7 slides in total. The answer keys are included.
1/6. Let's do English ESL grammar guide. This ppt presentation compares the use of Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous.
Also called the present perfect progressive. Read about how to make the present perfect continuous tense here. Download this explanation in PDF here. 1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since' (see the the present perfect simple page for more about ...
Present perfect continuous We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has just stopped. The activity has a connection with now. Simon is exhausted. He has just stopped running. Simon has been running. Past Present. Present perfect continuous: contractions We usually use a contraction in spoken English.
Present Perfect Continuous is a basic PowerPoint explaining the Grammar and why we use the Present Perfect Continuous. Short intro to be used at the start of the class.
We use the present perfect to connect the past and the present. The cafe has just opened. (= It is open now.) People have been arriving in large numbers. (= They are still arriving now.) We can often use either the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous with since or for when something started in the past and continues now, or ...
Transcript. PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUS. I've been phoning you all day.She has been feeling ill for over a week. Emphasise a repeated action. He has been waiting for an hour for you. You're late!He has been waiting for an hour. You still aren't here. Action in progress from the past.
This is a PowerPoint Presentation, which tells the difference between the usage of present perfect and present perfect continuous. The rules are stated clearly with examples and illustrations. Study English grammar easily and in an interesting way. Good Luck!
Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense. Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous. seredushka94. 11339. 116. 42. 0. 1/10 ...