CARROTTA
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⏳ Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — Present perfect continuous
Use have/has been + -ing to stress the duration of an activity that continues up to now, as in I've been waiting for an hour.
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How it works
✓ Rule
Form it with have/has been plus the -ing form: I've been working, she's been studying. It answers How long? and highlights the ongoing activity, often with for or since: I've been waiting for an hour, They've been living here since 2010.
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Continuous vs. simple
| Sentence | Focus |
|---|---|
| I've been reading this book. | the ongoing activity (maybe not finished) |
| I've read this book. | the completed result (finished it) |
| She's been writing emails all morning. | how long she has spent on the activity |
| She's written ten emails. | how many she produced (the amount) |
| It's been raining, so the roads are wet. | recent activity explaining a present situation |
| It's rained three times this week. | the number of completed occurrences |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
Stative verbs (know, like, believe, own) are normally not used in the continuous. Say I've known her for years, not I've been knowing her. With verbs like live, work and study either form is fine with little change in meaning: I've lived / I've been living here for ten years.