Course on the Present Perfect Continuous - TOEIC® Preparation
The present perfect continuous (or present perfect progressive) is an English tense that expresses an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. It particularly emphasizes the duration and continuity of the action.
This tense is particularly useful for:
- Describing actions that have been ongoing for some time in the past
- Emphasizing the duration of an activity
- Explaining a current situation resulting from a recent action
How to form the present perfect continuous?
The present perfect continuous is composed of the auxiliary "have/has" conjugated in the present, followed by "been" and the verb in the gerund (the gerund is the verb with -ing at the end). Here is the list:
| Affirmative Sentences | Negative Sentences | Interrogative Sentences |
|---|---|---|
| I have been working | I have not (haven't) been working | Have I been working? |
| You have been working | You have not (haven't) been working | Have you been working? |
| He/She/It has been working | He/She/It has not (hasn't) been working | Has he/she/it been working? |
| We have been working | We have not (haven't) been working | Have we been working? |
| You have been working | You have not (haven't) been working | Have you been working? |
| They have been working | They have not (haven't) been working | Have they been working? |
In our example, the verb "work" takes the form "-ing" (working). This rule applies to all verbs, whether they are regular or irregular.
A common mistake in the TOEIC® is forgetting to add "been" between "have/has" and the verb in "-ing".
❌ She has working all day
✅ She has been working all day
When to use the present perfect continuous?
The present perfect continuous to talk about actions that started in the past and are still ongoing at the time of speaking
The present perfect continuous is used to describe an activity that started in the past and is still ongoing at the time of speaking.
- Jack has been training for the marathon since March.
Use with keywords
Like the present perfect simple, the present perfect continuous is often used with the same keywords as its simpler counterpart, but here, the emphasis is on the verb/action (because in the present perfect continuous, the verb IS the ongoing action) that started in the past and continues now.
| Keyword | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| for | We have been renovating the house for six months. | Used to indicate a duration. Here, "for six months" shows that the action has been ongoing for six months and continues. |
| since | She has been learning to play the piano since 2020. | Indicates a specific starting point. Here, "since 2020" marks the beginning of an activity that continues. |
| how long | How long have you been waiting for the bus? | Used in questions to ask about the duration of an action that started in the past. |
| all day | I have been working on this report all day. | Indicates a total duration covering an entire day. This shows an activity that is still ongoing. |
| lately | I haven't been feeling very energetic lately. | Used to talk about a recent and repeated situation. "Lately" shows that it has an impact on the present. |
| recently | He has been spending a lot of time outdoors recently. | Indicates a period close to the present moment. "Recently" highlights a recent continuity influencing the present. |
The present perfect continuous to emphasize the duration and continuity of an action
The present perfect continuous is used to emphasize the duration or repetition of an action that started in the past and continues or has repercussions in the present. This can concern an uninterrupted activity or one repeated several times.
To emphasize duration:
When you want to show that an activity extends over a significant period:
- We have been waiting for the bus for over an hour.
To emphasize repetition:
When an action has occurred several times over a defined period:
- He has been calling me every day this month.
To emphasize effort or investment:
When you want to emphasize the energy or time spent on an activity:
- They have been working tirelessly on this project.
The present perfect continuous to explain the present through a recent activity
The present perfect continuous is used to explain or justify a current state or situation by referring to a recent activity that has left consequences on the present moment.
For example, if you are tired now, it might be because you did something just before. This highlights the connection between a past action and its immediate impact.
To justify a current physical or emotional state:
- I am exhausted because I have been running all morning.
- She looks stressed because she has been studying for her exams.
To explain a current situation by a recent activity
- The room is a mess because we have been painting the walls.
- Your clothes are wet because you have been walking in the rain.
To ask for explanations about a current state or situation
- Why are you so dirty? Have you been working in the garden?
- What have you been doing? You look exhausted!
The present perfect continuous to talk about recently completed activities
The present perfect continuous is used to describe an activity that has just finished, with visible clues or immediate repercussions that show it has taken place.
To describe immediate visible consequences:
- The car is shiny now. He has been washing it.
- The meeting room is a mess. They have been brainstorming ideas for the new project.
- Her desk is full of papers. She has been preparing the quarterly report.
To explain a recent or temporary state:
- The printer is out of paper. Someone has been printing a lot of documents.
- He looks tired. He has been handling customer complaints all morning.
The present perfect continuous to express what has not happened recently
The present perfect continuous is also used to express what has not happened recently or what has changed in a situation.
- I haven't been receiving emails from that client recently.
- They haven't been making progress on the project.
- She hasn't been attending the weekly meetings.
The present perfect continuous is used with certain verbs
Not all verbs can be used in the present perfect continuous, as some of them describe states or actions that cannot last over time.
These verbs, often called stative verbs (state verbs), are generally not used in a progressive form.
Non-progressive verbs (stative verbs / state verbs)
These verbs describe states (possession, opinion, perception, etc.) rather than actions. They are not used in the present perfect continuous because they cannot express a duration.
- He bought the company in 2010.
(The purchase is a completed action.) - He has owned the company since 2010.
(Possession verbs, like own, are not progressive.) - She has known the supplier for years.
(Verbs expressing relationships or knowledge, like know, are not progressive.)
The list of stative verbs is available here:
Progressive action verbs
Unlike state verbs, action verbs describe activities or processes that can last over time. These are compatible with the present perfect continuous.
- They have been negotiating the contract for three weeks.
- The company has been expanding its market reach since last year.
- We have been testing the new product since Monday.
Conclusion
The present perfect continuous is a tense that can be used to express an ongoing action, a duration, or a connection between the past and the present.
It is important to understand the different uses of the present perfect continuous to use it correctly in various contexts, especially on the day of the TOEIC®.
We have written other courses on the perfect, you can find them here:
- 🔗 Course on the present perfect simple for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the present perfect continuous for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the past perfect simple for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the past perfect continuous for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the difference between the past perfect and the past simple for the TOEIC®
- 🔗 Course on the difference between the past perfect simple and the past perfect continuous for the TOEIC®