Macmillan English Grammar

(FORM)

present· perfect continuous

affirmative

I / You / We / They

She / He / It

have('ve)

has('s)

been reading.

negative

I / You / We / They

She / He / It

have not(haven't /'ve not)

has not(hasn't /'s not)

been working.

questions

I / you / we / theybeen waiting?Have

Has

she / he / it

What

you havebeen doing?
Where

she hasbeen staying?

short answers

Yes, I / you / we / they

she / he / it

have.

has.

No, I / you / we / they

she / he / it

haven't.

hasn't.

@

Use present perfect continuous

• to talk about recent continuing activities.
  What have you been doing /ate/y?
  I've been revising for my exams.


• to explain how recent continuing activities have caused the present situation.
  My eyes ache. I've been reading al! day


• to talk about recent continuing activities which will probably continue in the future.
  This diagram shows how the climate has been changing.


• withhow /ong questions.
  How /ong have you been studying French?
  (this is a continuing process, and isn't finished)


• with time words/ate/y, recent/y, al! (day), every (morning), for, since.
  
  
  • PRESENT
    I've been studying al! morning.
    (lt's still morning now and I haven't finished my work yet)
  
  
  
  

covering a period of time up to the present

PAST.

present perfect simple or present perfect continuous?

Present perfect simple I've written my project. (finished, but we don't know when)

Present perfect continuous I've been writing my project. (continuing up to the present,

and not finished)

With verbs that describe continuing states egwark, /ive,there is little difference in meaning.

I've worked here for three years. /I've been working here for three years.

Note that we do not say {8mvrtOrkinonere for tlJr-ee \>e8rs.

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