Present perfect continuous – Form

Present continuous use

We form the present perfect continuous with the present perfect simple of be + the -ing form of the main verb.

Present perfect continuous – Use

Grammar chart

Present perfect continuous – Use

Actions from the past till now – duration

We use the present perfect continuous with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.

There is often a present result from doing these actions.

We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about continuous or repeated actions or situations from the past till now.

For, since, how long, lately, all day/week/month/etc.

We can use for, since, how long, lately, all day/week/month/etc. to ask or say how long a situation has been happening.

Present perfect simple or continuous?

Situations that started in the past and still continue

We can use the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous to talk about situations that started in the past and still continue. But we must use the present perfect simple with non-action verbs (stative verbs), and we normally use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs (although the present perfect simple is also possible.)

We use the present perfect continuous (and NOT simple) with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue when we want to emphasise how long the situation has lasted.

Finished and unfinished situations

We use the present perfect simple for finished actions in the past when we don’t say when. We use the present perfect continuous for actions or situations that maybe have not finished or that maybe have finished (very recently)

Actions with present results

We can use present perfect simple and present perfect continuous for actions with present results. We use the present perfect simple if the present results come from completing the action.

We use the present perfect continuous if the present results come from the process of doing the action.

How long vs how many/much

We use the present perfect continuous to talk about the duration of an action, i.e. about how long we have been doing something. And we use the present perfect simple to talk about how many things or how much of something we have done.