The Present Perfect Continuous - When Do You Need It?

Review of the Present Perfect

In the last lesson, we talked about using the present perfect tense to describe an action that started in the past and took some time to complete. To make it, we need the helping verb “have/has” and the past participle form of the verb. Here are some examples:

…He has worked miracles… (Psalms 98:1b)
…Mary has chosen what is best… (Luke 10:42b)
He has shown me the path to life… (Acts 2:28a)

We use present perfect when we want to say that an action occurred in the past, but it was not a one-time event. Sometimes this past action is finished, and sometimes it continues into the present. It might also be a finished action that has an effect on something in the present. (To talk about a one-time event, use the past simple.)

The Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous is used to show that an action began in the past and is still happening. To make it, use the helping verb “have/has,” the word “been,” and the “-ing” form of the verb.

Here are some examples:

…He has been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea… (Luke 23:5a)
…I have been telling you what the Lord has told me… (Jeremiah 25:3b)
From east to west, the powerful Lord God has been calling together everyone on earth. (Psalms 50:1)

Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous

We can use the present perfect continuous when an action started in the past and continues into the present. But we can also use the present perfect when an action started in the past and continues into the present. What’s the difference? Here are three ways these two tenses are used differently.

1. When the Action Is More Important than the Subject

Use the present perfect continuous when the action is more important than the subject.

Here’s an example:

You have picked up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz…
You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz… (Ruth 3:2a)

Both sentences say the same thing – You (this is Ruth) picked up grain with the other women.

Sentence 1 uses the present perfect. The fact that Ruth did the action near the other women is more important that what she did – picking up grain.

Sentence 2 uses the present perfect continuous to tell us that the action of picking up grain is more important than who did it or where it happened.

2. When the Action Occurred in the Recent Past

When you use the present perfect continuous, you are usually talking about the recent past because the action continues into the present. If an action happened over time farther back in the past, it is probably completed. In this case, normally you would use the present perfect. Look at this sentence again:

…I (Jeremiah) have been telling you (Israelites) what the Lord has told me…

Jeremiah has told and continues to tell the Israelites what the Lord has told him in the past, over time.

3. Repeated Actions Over Time

Use the present perfect continuous when you want to show that an action is repeated, even if it is not happening in the present. “For” and “since” are common words in these sentences.

Your son has been calling you. (it happened more than once, but is not happening right now)

I have been playing baseball with that team for many years. (repeated action that may not be happening right now)

Another Example

Here’s another example. This time, let’s add the past simple:

I cleaned the house.
I have cleaned the house already.
I have been cleaning the house since yesterday.

Sentence 1 is in the past simple. It is stating a fact about an event that happened one time in the past and is now finished.

Sentence 2 is in the present perfect. The action took place in the past, and using the present perfect implies that it took some time to clean the house. Even though this action is finished, it has a connection to the present. The speaker is saying that the most important thing is that the house is now clean, and we can enjoy it in the present.

Sentence 3 is in the present perfect continuous. This speaker is telling us that he or she started cleaning the house at some point in the past and is still cleaning. The most important part of this sentence is the verb, the action of cleaning the house. The speaker is probably saying that the house needed a lot of cleaning. They are tired and hope to be finished cleaning soon.

Using Adverbs with the Present Perfect Continuous

It is very common to use adverbs that indicate time when you use the present perfect continuous. Two common adverbs are “since” and “for.”

Ever since your ancestors left Egypt, I have been sending my servants the prophets to speak for me. (Jeremiah 7:25)
For 300 years, Israelites have been living in Heshbon… (Judges 11:26a)

Three more adverbs of time you can use are “lately,” “these days,” and “recently,” because they all refer to the recent past.

They have been working a lot lately.
Regina has been working at the grocery store these days.
Jonah and I have been working with Carter recently.

Since both the present perfect and the present perfect continuous can refer to an event that has finished or an event that is still happening, use adverbs of time to help your listener understand what you mean to say.

Asking Questions with the Present Perfect Continuous

A Very Common Question

A very good question to learn that uses the present perfect continuous is, “How long has/have…?” Use this question when you want to discover the duration of an event. Here’s an example:

How long have you been waiting for me?
How long has he been working for the fire department?
How long has Peter been studying for that test?

Use the present perfect continuous to express a duration of time that continues into the present. The question and answer will usually contain the words “for” or “since.”

I‘ve been waiting for you since noon. (I have)
He‘s been working there for ten years.
He‘s been studying for that test since October.

Making Negative Sentences With the Present Perfect

To make your present perfect sentence negative, just add the word “not” after the helping verb.

He has not been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea.
I have not been telling you what the Lord has told me.

As in all compound verbs, when you want to make a compound verb negative, you will put the word “not” after the helping verb.

Contractions

We can make contractions in the present perfect continuous just like we do with the present perfect. It’s very common when the subject is a pronoun. It’s also common in the third person singular with a common noun or a proper name. In other sentences, we don’t usually make a contraction.

He‘s been talking with you. (he has)
They‘ve been asking for a raise. (They have)
The dog‘s been eating that food for a while. (the dog has)
Marla‘s been waiting at the train station since 10:00. (Marla has)

Make a contraction in a negative sentence by combining the helping verb with the negative word “not.”

He hasn’t been talking with you. (he has not been)
They haven’t been asking for a raise. (They have not been)
The dog hasn’t been eating that food for a while. (The dog has not been)
Marla hasn’t been waiting at the train station since 10:00. (Marla has not been)

Don't Use These Verbs with the Present Perfect Continuous

The more you practice English, you will learn how things are usually said. You will learn that some verbs don’t work with the present perfect continuous. They just “sound wrong” to native speakers.

Action verbs like “eat” and “wait” work very well with present perfect continuous. But verbs that are not action verbs, like “know” and “want” don’t usually work well in the present perfect continuous. Verbs like “know” and “want” are called “stative” verbs, because they are not “actions.” They are not something you can physically do, or see somebody else do. Some stative verbs, like “think,” can be used in the present perfect continuous, but most cannot. You might hear stative verbs used in the present perfect continuous when people are speaking, but it is usually not grammatically correct.

Here are some examples:

You can say:

I‘ve been thinking about buying a new car.

But don’t say:

I‘ve been wanting a new car forever.
I‘ve been knowing her for a long time.

Use the present perfect to make these sentences correct.

I‘ve wanted a new car forever.
I‘ve known her for a long time.

Practice Worksheet

Here’s a short exercise you can do. Download this PDF worksheet and answer sheet. You will see ten sentences in the present perfect tense. Follow the directions. When you are done, look at the second page and see if you are correct!

Now You Know the 4 Present Tense Verb Forms

We’ve talked about the 4 verb forms in the present tense. Here they are again with links if you would like to go back and review.

Next, we’ll take a look at the 4 forms of verbs in the past tense – simple past, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous. Don’t worry too much! Of all twelve verb tenses that we have in English, only a few of them are used a lot in speaking.

For the present tense forms, you should learn how to use the present continuous first. Then tackle the present simple and the present perfect. Present perfect continuous is a tense you will find mostly in writing, but occasionally you will hear it when someone is speaking. Present perfect continuous is not used as much as other verb tenses. That’s why we didn’t have many examples from the Bible for this lesson.

I hope this article has helped you! Leave me a comment or a question. Have you heard people use the present perfect continuous when they speak? See you next time.