This page helps you to learn about the present perfect continuous tense and how it is used in our daily life.
Present perfect continuous tense refers to an action that started in the past or before now and has continued in the present time.
How to form sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
Formation of sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
1st person and 2nd person singular and plural; 3rd person plural
Subject + have been + verb + ing
3rd person singular
Subject + has + past participle form of the verb
In our daily life, we use the present perfect continuous tense in some circumstances.
Present perfect continuous tense is used to:
- Express the past action which continues in the present time.
Example: I have been waiting for you all day.
- Express just finished action but we are interested in the results.
Example: It has been raining.
Let’s see the full form and contractions used in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
The full form and contracted form of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Let’s learn how to make affirmative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
The affirmative sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Now we learn to compose negative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
The negative sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Here, we look at how to make positive and negative interrogative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
The interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Positive Questions in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Now, we learn to make positive ‘wh’ questions in the present perfect continuous tense. It’s easy to compose ‘Wh’ questions. We just need to add the ‘Wh’ question word in front of the helping verb.
Positive ‘Wh’ Questions in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
It’s very simple to make negative questions in the present perfect continuous tense. You just require to add the word ‘NOT‘ in the question.
Negative Questions in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Negative ‘Wh’ Questions in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Here are a story and a conversation using Present Perfect Continuous Tense to make you more precise about Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
Short story
The sour grapes
A hungry fox has been roaming around here and there searching for food. He has been feeling weak and tired. He has been coming to a garden where he saw a grape-vine laden with bunches of grapes they had been looking quite ripe and juicy. The fox has been looked at the grapes with longing eyes and licked his chops. But the bunches were too high for him and he has been feeling weak. So he has been sitting down for a while to take some rest. On feeling refreshed, he has been jumping as high as he could, to get at the grapes. But he has been failing to reach them. He has been resting for some time and has been making another bold attempt. But he has been unlucky for the second time. He has been forcing to give up. He has been walking away and instead of accepting his failure. He had remarked, “ the grapes have been appearing to be ripe and juicy. But now I see them be quite sour.
Conversation
Shana: Hello Chan. How do you do?
Chan: I am doing well. What about you dear?
Shana: Well. What have you been doing these days?
Chan: I have been doing a project with my sister.
Shana: Sounds good. My sister has been working in an IT company.
Chan: My friend Reesha has been working in an IT company for 2 years. She has been staying with me since the last year of June.
Shana: What has Grace been doing these days?
Chan: I heard she has been teaching in a high school.
Shana: Has she not been singing these days?
Chan: She has not been singing for the last 4 years.
Shana: You have been looking happy.
Chan: Yeah. I have been feeling good because I have lost weight.