Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
We use the present perfect progressive, in general, to talk about situations which started in the past and are still going on, or which have just stopped and have present results.
Table of Contents
1.Structures
1.1Structures of Sentences
To form the present perfect progressive tense, follow these basic rules:
S = Subject
3 p.s. = third person singular (he / she / it)
hasn't = has not
haven't = have not
QW = question word
Ving = main Verb+ing
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + have / has(3 p.s.) + been + Ving + ... | I have been waiting for John all day long. He has been waiting for John all day long. |
| - | S + haven't / hasn't(3 p.s.) + been + Ving +... | No! We haven't been living here for 10 years! We have been libing here for 15 years already! |
| ? | (QW) + have / has(3 p.s.) + S + been + Ving +...? | What have you been doing here for such a long time? Has he been waiting gor a long time? |
Practice Examples
She (study) _____ English for three years.
He (exercise) _____ at the gym every day this week.
She (cook) _____ dinner for the past hour.
2.Use
2.1Action Which Began in the Past and Is Still Continuing
We use the present perfect progressive when we wish to emphasize that an activity has been in progress throughout a period.
| Example |
|---|
| She is very tired. She's been typing letters all day. |
| I've been swimming here since I arrived. |
| He' s been cleaning the room for 30 minutes already. |
| I've been polishing the car since I got here. |
Practice Examples
We (argue) _____ about this for two hours now. Perhaps we should stop.(emphasizing the duration)
Her phone (ring) _____ for ten minutes. I wonder why she doesn't answer it. (focus on the duration)
The radio (play) _____ since 7 a.m. I wish someone would turn it off. (emphasizing the duration)
2.2Verbs for Action Which Began in the Past and Is Still Continuing. Either Present Perfect or Progressive.
An action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished can, with certain verbs, be expressed by either the present perfect simple or the present perfect progressive. Verbs which can be used in this way include expect, hope, learn, lie, live, look, rain, sleep, sit, snow, stand, stay, study, teach, wait, want, work etc
However we can say, that we always emphasize the duration or focus on the process with the progressive form.
| Present Perfect Progressive | Present Perfect Simple |
|---|---|
| We' ve been living here for 15 years already! | We' ve lived here for 15 years. |
| I've been working for him for 15 years! | I' ve worked for him for 15 years. |
| He' s been waiting for you all day long! Hurry up! | He' s waited for you all day long! Hurry up! |
| He has been sleeping for ten hours. | He has slept for ten hours. |
| It has been snowing for a long time. | It has snowed for a long time. |
Practice Examples
Have you seen my bag anywhere? I (look) _____ for it for ages. (emphasizing the duration)
It (rain) _____ for two days now. There'll be a flood soon.(emphasizing the duration)
He (study) _____ German for two years and doesn't even know the alphabet yet. (emphasizing the duration and focusing on the process)
2.3Recently Finished Actions / Drawing Conclusions
We use the present perfect progressive form for recently finished actions to show that we have come to a conclusion based on direct or indirect evidence.
| Finished Action/Conclusion | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Have you been crying? | Your eyes are red. |
| Someone's been smoking in here. | This room stinks. |
| Has someone been using it? | My shampoo bottle is half empty. |
| You have been working hard. | You look exhausted. |
Practice Examples
- There is sawdust in your hair.
- I'm not surprised. I (cut) _____ down a tree. (the action is finished)
I (make) _____ cakes. That is why my hands are all covered with flour. (I am not making cakes now - the action is finished.)
I (bathe) _____ . That's why my hair is all wet. (the action is finished)
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