B2 Upper Intermediate Grammar

Present Perfect Continuous

B2 Upper Intermediate Grammar

Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous in English Grammar

⏳Present Perfect Continuous

🎯Explanation for ESL Students (B2 Level)

📝The Present Perfect Continuous is a verb tense we use to talk about actions that started in the past and are still happening now, or actions that recently stopped but have visible results or effects in the present.

🔧How to form it:

have/has + been + verb-ing

✅Positive: I/You/We/They have been studying
✅Positive: He/She/It has been studying
❌Negative: I/You/We/They haven't been studying
❌Negative: He/She/It hasn't been studying
❓Question: Have you been studying?
❓Question: Has he been studying?

1️⃣Use 1: Actions That Started in the Past and Continue Now

🌟We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about actions that began in the past and are still happening at the moment of speaking.

🕐Time expressions often used:

⏰for + a period of time (for 2 hours, for 3 weeks, for a long time)
"I have been learning English for three years." (I started 3 years ago and I'm still learning)
📅since + a specific point in time (since Monday, since 2020, since I was 10)
"She has been working here since January." (She started in January and still works here)
🔄Other words: all day, all morning, lately, recently, how long
"They have been playing video games all afternoon." (They started earlier and are still playing)

💡More Examples:

📚"We have been studying for the exam since last week." (We started last week and we're still studying)
☔"It has been raining for two days." (It started raining 2 days ago and it's still raining now)
⏳"How long have you been waiting?" (You started waiting some time ago and you're still waiting)
🎮"He has been playing that game all day." (He started this morning and is still playing)
💪"I have been exercising regularly lately." (I started recently and I continue to exercise)

2️⃣Use 2: Recent Actions with Visible Results

🎯We also use the Present Perfect Continuous when an action has recently stopped, but we can see or feel the results NOW. The action is finished, but the effect is still present.

👀Think about it this way:

💭The action just stopped or recently finished
🔍There is evidence or visible proof of the action in the present
🗣️We want to emphasize the activity itself, not just the result

💡Examples with Visible Results:

😓"You look tired! Have you been running?"
→ Evidence: The person looks tired and sweaty NOW
🎨"My hands are dirty because I've been painting."
→ Evidence: Dirty hands NOW show the recent activity
😢"Her eyes are red. She has been crying."
→ Evidence: Red eyes NOW prove she was crying recently
🍳"The kitchen smells great! Have you been cooking?"
→ Evidence: The smell NOW shows recent cooking
💦"The ground is wet. It has been raining."
→ Evidence: Wet ground NOW proves it rained recently
📱"Sorry I'm late! I've been talking on the phone."
→ Evidence: The person just arrived, explaining their lateness NOW

3️⃣Present Perfect Continuous vs. Present Perfect Simple

⚖️Sometimes both tenses can be used, but they have different focuses. Understanding the difference will help you choose the right one!

🔄Key Differences:

⏳Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the duration and activity:
"I have been reading for 2 hours." (emphasizes the activity and how long)
"She has been working all morning." (emphasizes the continuous activity)
✔️Present Perfect Simple focuses on the completion or result:
"I have read three books this month." (emphasizes the completed number)
"She has finished her homework." (emphasizes the completed result)

🔀Compare these pairs:

🎮"I have been playing video games." (focus on the activity - I'm tired, my eyes hurt)
vs.
"I have played this game before." (focus on the experience - completed in the past)
🏃"He has been running." (focus on the activity - he's sweaty and tired NOW)
vs.
"He has run 5 kilometers." (focus on the completed distance)
✍️"She has been writing emails all day." (focus on the continuous activity)
vs.
"She has written 10 emails today." (focus on the completed number)

4️⃣Important Notes and Common Mistakes

⚠️Remember these important points:

🚫Don't use continuous forms with state verbs!
❌ WRONG: "I have been knowing him for 5 years."
✅ CORRECT: "I have known him for 5 years."
State verbs include: know, believe, understand, want, need, love, hate, prefer, remember, forget, seem, belong, own, etc.
🔢Use Present Perfect Simple (not Continuous) with numbers and quantities:
❌ WRONG: "I have been eating three sandwiches."
✅ CORRECT: "I have eaten three sandwiches."
📍Use "for" + period of time and "since" + specific point in time:
✅ "for 2 hours, for a week, for a long time"
✅ "since Monday, since 2020, since I was a child"
🎯The action can be finished or unfinished - the key is the connection to NOW:
"I've been studying all day." (still studying OR just stopped, but tired NOW)

🎓Remember: The Present Perfect Continuous helps us talk about ongoing activities and show that actions from the past have a connection to the present moment. Practice using it to describe activities you've been doing and to explain visible results you see around you!