Present perfect continuous
Meaning and use
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about an activity that started in the past and
is continuing now or has recently finished.
Ive been reading that new book you lent me Im really enjoying it. (= action still
in progress)
Is that Joe? Ive been trying to contact you. Ive got some bad news. (= action
recently finished)
We often use it to emphasise the continuous, ongoing nature of the activity or to say how
long the activity has continued.
Shes already been sleeping for two hours.
Its been raining all morning.
Ive been decorating the house this summer.
When we use the present perfect continuous for situations that have recently finished, we
often use the adverb just.
'Youve got paint all over your T-shirt.' 'Oh, Ive just been painting the living room.'
We often use recently and lately with the present perfect continuous.
Im really tired. I havent been sleeping well lately.
Form
The present perfect continuous is made with:
subject + have/has/havent/hasnt + been + present participle of main verb.
We put just and already between have/has and the past participle. We usually put
adverbs of time and duration after the main verb.
Positive
Jacks working very hard for his exams. Hes been revising all day.
Ive been working at the caf for two weeks.
Youve been watching far too much telly for too long. Why dont you take up a
new sport?
Negative
I havent been drinking coffee these last few days and my head is much clearer.
Doctor, Ive been feeling dizzy and faint in the mornings.
Question
Present perfect continuous questions are made with:
have/has not + subject + present participle.
Have you been eating all the biscuits? There are none left!
What have you been doing? You look exhausted!
Take note: present perfect continuous and present perfect
Some verbs are almost never used in the present perfect continuous. We use the present
perfect instead. The most familiar examples of these are be and know.
WRONG: Shes been being here for ten minutes.
CORRECT: Shes been here for 10 minutes.
WRONG: Ive only been knowing him since last week.
CORRECT: Ive only known him since last week.
Take note: already
It is possible to put already at the end of a positive sentence or question.
He has already been talking for ten minutes.
Has he already been talking for ten minutes?
He has been talking for ten minutes already.
Has he been talking for ten minutes already?
Pronunciation
In sentences with just and already, there is usually no stress on has/have or
on just/already. The stress is on the subject and the present participle.
The chicken has already been cooking for an hour and a half.
I have just been thinking about Joe. Do you think hes better now?
But we can put stress on just/already if we want to emphasise how recently or early
something happened.
The chicken must be ready by now. Its already been cooking for an hour and a
half.
Oh, hi Joe. Ive just been talking about you to Sophie!