Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing, or has just stopped. It is often used to emphasize the duration of the action. It is formed using the auxiliary verb "have" or "has" depending on the subject, followed by "been" and the present participle (-ing) of the main verb.

Here's an example:

"I have been studying for three hours."

In this sentence, 'for three hours' indicates the duration of the action, which is studying. The use of the present perfect continuous tense emphasizes that the action started in the past (three hours ago) and is still ongoing at the time of speaking.

Rules

RuleExamples
Subject + (have/has been) + present participle (verb + ing form)

I/You/We/They + have been + working

He/She + has been + working

I/You/We/They + has been + studying

He/She + has been + studying

Usage

Actions that started in the past and are still ongoing:

1) I have been studying for six hours. (I started studying six hours ago and I am still studying now.)

2) She has been working at the hospital for five years. (She started working there five years ago and she still works there now.)

3) They have been living in this city since 2010. (They started living there in 2010 and they still live there now.)

Actions that have recently stopped but their results are still relevant:

1) They have been cleaning the house, so it looks great.

2) He has been exercising regularly, so he is in good shape.

3) She has been studying hard, so she knows a lot about the subject.

Form

PositiveNegative"Yes/No" Question
I have been workingI haven't been workingHave i been working?
We have been workingWe haven't been workingHave we been working?
You have been workingYou haven't been workingHave you been working?
He has been workingHe hasn't been workingHas he been working?
She has been workingShe hasn't been workingHas she been working?
They have been workingThey haven't been workingHave they been working?