I have been reading for two hours.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Verb Tenses and Aspects
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The present perfect continuous is an English tense used to talk about actions that started in the past and are still continuing, or have recently stopped but have a result in the present.
When to use it
Use this tense to talk about actions that began in the past and are still happening now, or have just finished but have an effect now. It is also used to show the duration of an action.
Key forms
- have/has + been + verb-ing
- I have been working.
- She has been studying.
Examples
She has been learning English since January.
They have been playing football all afternoon.
We have been waiting for the bus.
Tips
- Don't forget to use 'been' after 'have/has'.
- Use the '-ing' form of the verb.
- Use 'has' with he, she, it; use 'have' with I, you, we, they.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs (called stative verbs) are not usually used in continuous forms, like 'know', 'believe', 'like'.