Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Let’s study The Present Perfect Continuous Tense Now:
Look at the following example:
Tom has been studying for two hours.
Event in progress: studying. WHEN? before now, up to now. How long? For two hours.
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The Form:
| Subject + HAVE / HAS + BEEN + Verb-ING |
The Use:
1. The Present Perfect Continuous tense expresses the duration of an activity that began in the past and continues to the present. When the tense has this meaning, it is used with time words like: for, since, all morning, all day, all week…
- Example: Tim is sitting at his desk.
- He has been sitting there since seven o’clock.
- He has been sitting there for two hours.
- You have been studying for five straight hours. Why don’t you take a break?
- It has been raining all day. It is still raining right now.
2. When the Present perfect Continuous tense is used without any specific mention of time, it expresses a general activity in progress recently, lately.
- I have been thinking about changing my major.
- All of the students have been studying hard. Final exams start next week.
- My back hurts, so I have been sleeping on the floor lately. The bed is too soft.
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