The present perfect continuous tense is used to talk about actions that started in the

past and are still happening now. You can make it with have/has + been + verb-ing

What you need to know about the present perfect continuous

How to make the present perfect continuous

What the present perfect continuous means

How to use the present perfect continuous

Practice making the present perfect

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How do I make the present perfect continuous?

What does the present perfect continuous mean?

The present perfect continuous is an action that started in the past and has continued to now and is still happening now, or these days. When it will finish is not important.

Here is what the present perfect continuous looks like on a timeline.

Present Continuous Timeline

How do I use the Present Perfect Continuous?

Duration / How long

keywords: for {a period of time}, since {a day, time, month, a date, a year}

• I’ve been living in Italy for 10 years.

• I’ve been learning Italian since 2005.

Temporary Situations

Keywords: recently

• I’ve been working very hard recently.

• I’ve been helping my son with his exams.

Present Results

• She’s been playing in the dirt (that’s why she is dirty now).

• He’s been partying all night (that’s why he is tired now).

Practice

Practice making the present perfect continuous