Present Perfect Continuous Tense Rules, Structure & Examples: Rohan was sitting on the floor of his room with his notebook open and pen in hand, but his mind was not on the page, it was outside the window, where the evening sky was turning orange, and inside his mother kept calling him again and again, “Rohan, homework ho gaya?” He didn’t answer, not because he was rude, but because he was mentally tired. He had been studying since afternoon, and now his eyes were burning, his back was hurting, and the same grammar rule was creating a confusion in his mind that felt like it would never end.
Then suddenly his phone buzzed and a message from his friend appeared on the screen: “Bro, I have finished all my chapters” Rohan stared at it, and his chest felt heavy because he didn’t feel like a winner at that moment, he felt stuck. He whispered to himself, “But I’m still studying… and I don’t even know if I’m improving.” Just then his younger sister walked in and asked softly, “Bhaiya, you’re studying again?” Rohan didn’t say “Yes.” He said, “I have been studying for three hours,” and in that one sentence, he finally expressed his real struggle—the action started earlier, time passed, and it was still continuing, with tiredness clearly visible on his face. And that, my friend, is exactly what Present Perfect Continuous Tense is. Today in this article we will learn it in the most real, practical way, so you can use it confidently in exams and real life.
Table of Contents
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Rules & Examples
What is Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to show an action that started in the past and has been continuing till now, or an action has just stopped recently and its effect/result is visible now.
Easy definition: It tells “How long something has been happening.”
Most students memorise formulas but they don’t feel the sense. So remember this emotion:
Present Perfect Continuous = pressure + time + continuity
Like:
- “I have been waiting…”
- “She has been crying…”
- “They have been working…”
When to Use Present Perfect Continuous Tense (All Rules)
⭐ Rule 1: Action started in the past and is still continuing
Use it when the action began earlier and is still going on now.
Examples:
I have been reading since morning.
She has been preparing for SSC for months.
⭐ Rule 2: To show the duration of an action (How long?)
This tense is most useful for duration questions.
Common time words:
since (starting point)
for (period)
Examples:
He has been working for 5 years.
They have been living here since 2019.
⭐ Rule 3: Action just stopped but result is visible now
Sometimes the action stops just now, but the effect is still visible.
Examples:
I’m tired because I have been running.
Her eyes are red because she has been crying.
⭐ Rule 4: Repeated action happening again and again recently
When something happens repeatedly in the recent past.
Examples:
He has been making the same mistake again and again.
They have been calling me all day.
Since vs For (Exam Favourite)
✅ FOR = amount of time (how much time?)
- for 2 hours
- for 5 days
- for a long time
✅ SINCE = starting point of the time (from when?)
- since morning
- since 2020
- since Monday
Examples:
I have been studying for 2 hours.
I have been studying since 7 AM.
Verb Form (Must Know)
In this tense, the verb is always: V1 + ing
- go → going
- read → reading
- write → writing
- study → studying
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Affirmative (Positive) Sentences
Formula (Positive): Subject + has/have + been + V1 + ing + object + since/for + time
✔ Has → with He/She/It/Single name
✔ Have → with I/We/You/They/Plural
Positive Sentence Examples
- Rohan has been studying for three hours.
- I have been preparing for my exam since morning.
- She has been learning English for two months.
- They have been playing cricket since 4 PM.
- We have been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes.
- My father has been working in this office for 10 years.
- You have been watching the same video again and again.
- The teacher has been explaining this chapter for a long time.
- It has been raining since afternoon.
- The baby has been sleeping for two hours.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Negative Sentences
Formula (Negative): Subject + has/have + not + been + V1 + ing + object + since/for + time
“has not” = hasn’t
“have not” = haven’t
Negative Sentence Examples
- Rohan has not been sleeping properly for a week.
- I have not been feeling well since yesterday.
- She hasn’t been attending classes for three days.
- They haven’t been practicing for the match.
- We have not been talking to each other since Monday.
- He has not been working seriously these days.
- You haven’t been listening to the teacher.
- My brother hasn’t been studying for his exam.
- It hasn’t been raining for the last two days.
- The students haven’t been completing their homework regularly.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Interrogative (Yes/No Questions)
Formula (Interrogative): Has/Have + subject + been + V1 + ing + object + since/for + time + ?
Interrogative Sentence Examples (Yes/No)
- Has Rohan been studying since afternoon?
- Have you been preparing for SSC CGL for a long time?
- Has she been working on this project since morning?
- Have they been playing cricket for two hours?
- Have we been waiting here for too long?
- Has your brother been watching TV since 6 PM?
- Have you been practicing English every day?
- Has the teacher been teaching this chapter for a week?
- Have the students been writing the answers carefully?
- Has it been raining since last night?
WH-Questions in Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Many students can make yes/no questions, but they get stuck in:
“When you have been studying?” ❌
“Why you have been crying?” ❌
These are wrong.
WH Formula (Interrogative): WH word + has/have + subject + been + V1 + ing + object + since/for + time + ?
WH Question Examples
- What have you been doing since morning?
- Why has Rohan been studying for so long?
- Where have they been staying these days?
- How long have you been preparing for SSC CGL?
- Why have you been feeling upset recently?
- Which book have you been reading for a week?
- What has she been learning for the last two months?
- Why has your brother been acting so strangely?
- How long has it been raining in your city?
- Who has been using my phone since yesterday?
Present Continuous Tense vs Present Perfect Continuous Tense
| Point | Present Continuous Tense | Present Perfect Continuous Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Shows an action happening right now (at the moment of speaking). | Shows an action that started in the past and has been continuing till now (or just stopped recently). |
| Main Focus | Action happening now | Time + continuity (how long the action has been happening) |
| Time Connection | Present moment | Past to present (continuing connection) |
| Common Keywords | now, right now, at the moment, today | since, for, all day, lately, recently |
| Structure (Positive) | Subject + is/am/are + V1-ing + object | Subject + has/have + been + V1-ing + object |
| Negative Structure | Subject + is/am/are + not + V1-ing + object | Subject + has/have + not + been + V1-ing + object |
| Interrogative Structure | Is/Am/Are + subject + V1-ing + object ? | Has/Have + subject + been + V1-ing + object ? |
| Example (Positive) | I am studying now. | I have been studying for two hours. |
| Example (Negative) | She is not playing now. | She has not been playing since morning. |
| Example (Question) | Are you watching TV? | Have you been watching TV for a long time? |
| Best Use | To describe what is happening at this moment. | To show a continuous action with duration and present connection. |
Common Mistakes Students Make in Present Perfect Continuous Tense
-
Using “is/am/are” instead of “has/have”
❌ I am studying since morning.
✅ I have been studying since morning. -
Forgetting “been” in the sentence
❌ She has studying for two hours.
✅ She has been studying for two hours. -
Using the wrong helping verb (has/have)
❌ They has been working since 9 AM.
✅ They have been working since 9 AM. -
Using V2 or V3 instead of “V1 + ing”
❌ I have been wrote my notes for one hour.
✅ I have been writing my notes for one hour. -
Not adding “since” or “for” when duration is given
❌ I have been waiting two hours.
✅ I have been waiting for two hours. -
Confusing “since” and “for”
❌ I have been studying since two hours.
✅ I have been studying for two hours.
❌ I have been studying for morning.
✅ I have been studying since morning. -
Making wrong question structure
❌ Why you have been crying?
✅ Why have you been crying? -
Using present perfect continuous for completed actions
❌ I have been completed my homework.
✅ I have completed my homework. -
Using it with “finished, completed” incorrectly
❌ He has been finished the work.
✅ He has finished the work. -
Forgetting “ing” form after “been”
❌ She has been study for a week.
✅ She has been studying for a week. -
11) Placing “not” in the wrong position
❌ She has been not reading properly.
✅ She has not been reading properly. -
Using it without any real meaning of continuity
❌ I have been knowing him for years.
✅ I have known him for years.
Practical Advice
The easiest way to remember the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is to stop thinking only about “action” and start focusing on “time + continuity.” This tense is not used to show that a work is finished, it is used to show that something started earlier and has been happening for some time, and that same action is still continuing now (or has just stopped but its effect is clearly visible). Whenever you want to express “I started it before and it is still going on,” use has/have + been + V1-ing. But if you are only describing what is happening right now at this exact moment without showing duration, then don’t use this tense, use Present Continuous Tense instead. Present Continuous focuses on the current action, but Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the time period and the continuity of that action.
Final Words
Present Perfect Continuous Tense helps you show an action that started in the past and is still continuing or has just stopped with a clear effect. Once you understand the feeling of “time + continuity,” this tense becomes very easy and your English sounds more natural. Practice it in daily life, and slowly you will start using it confidently in both exams and speaking.
Fill in the Blanks with Correct Verb Form
- Rohan ________ (study) for three hours.
Answer: has been studying - I ________ (prepare) for the exam since morning.
Answer: have been preparing - She ________ (work) in this company for five years.
Answer: has been working - They ________ (play) cricket since 4 PM.
Answer: have been playing - We ________ (wait) for the bus for 30 minutes.
Answer: have been waiting - He ________ (learn) English since January.
Answer: has been learning - You ________ (watch) the same series for a long time.
Answer: have been watching - The teacher ________ (explain) this topic for one week.
Answer: has been explaining - It ________ (rain) since afternoon.
Answer: has been raining - The children ________ (make) noise for an hour.
Answer: have been making - My brother ________ (sleep) for two hours.
Answer: has been sleeping - We ________ (travel) since early morning.
Answer: have been traveling - She ________ (read) this book for two days.
Answer: has been reading - I ________ (practice) typing since last week.
Answer: have been practicing - They ________ (work) on this project for a month.
Answer: have been working
