Present Perfect Continuous Tense

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Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Formation

Affirmative: Subject + HV (has been/have been) + Ving + Object + since / for + time.

Negative: Subject + HV (has not been / have not been) + Ving + Object + since / for + time.

Interrogative: HV (has / have ) + Subject + been + Ving + Object + since / for + time?

Wh- question: Wh-word + HV (has / have ) + Subject + been + Ving + Object + since / for + time? 

• In this tense, in affirmative sentences with the singular subject, use helping verb ‘has been’ (but I have been), with the plural subjects use ‘have been’. Use 1st form +ing with all the subjects. For expression of time always use ‘since’ or ‘for’
• Since: for point of time: since 10 o’clock, since January, since Monday, since 1952, since morning/evening/afternoon, since spring/winter/autmn, since childhood/youth, since World War etc.
• For: for period of time: e.g. for two/ three/ five / ten hours / weeks / months / years etc.
• In negative sentences ‘not’ will take place just after the helping verbs ‘has’ ‘have’.
• In interrogative sentences helping verbs ‘has’, ‘have’, will take place before the subject and ‘been’ will remain at the same place.

USAGE 

Note: Perfect continuous tense denotes an action continuing from the past into the present. It implies the duration of an action – past to present. The time action is normally indicated by-
Since, for, how long, all, thought, all along

• For is used for a period of time from the past to present.
• Since is used for a particular period of time in the pas to present

1. To express an action which began in the past but is still going on;

(The present perfect continuous tense is used to indicate an activity or state that extends over a period of time that began in the past and includes the present and to indicate that the activity or state may extend into future. Or to express an action which began at some time in the past and is still continuing.)

Wrong: They have built the road since March last.

'Have built' is present perfect and implies that the action of building is complete. Now, however, that the sentence only mentions when the work began. If it were suggested that the work was finished at a certain time, May last, things would have been different. We would then say:
Right: They have building the road since March last.
(i) We have been waiting for you since morning. (it indicates that we are still waiting)
(ii) They have been discussing about several important matters. (it indicates that the discussion still continues)
(iii) He has been staying with his uncle for years. (it indicates that she is still staying)
(iv) I have been studying Maths this year. (it indicates that I am still studying it)
Other examples:

(i) I have been waiting for two hours.
(ii) She has been waiting at the gate since morning.
(iii) The players have been resting for four hours.
(iv) The child has been sleeping all through the noon.
(v) The girls have been lying on the ground in the garden since long.
(vi) We have been looking forward to it for so many months.

In the above sentences we see that the verbs waiting, discussing, staying, studying began at some time in the past, still continues at the time of speaking and they may continue in the future also.

2. To express an action which began in the past and has been just finished but whose result still continues:
(i) I am tired: I have been watering the plants since morning.
(ii) My clothes are dirty, because I have been washing my car.

3. An action which started at known time in the past and has just finished but the speaker reports it as to when he has started the work and that is remained in progress till it finished just a few moments ago may also be used in present perfect continuous (progressive).
(i) I have been attending on him all the time. (The action remained in progress)
(ii) She has been knitting since morning. Now she needs rest. (The progressive idea is maintained)

4. To express an action in a sentence which begins with ‘for how long’ or ‘since’, ‘when’.
(i) Since when have you been waiting for me?
(ii) For how long has he been suffering from fever?

Important note: We never use the non action verbs (that we have already discussed in present Continuous Tense) in this tense. Instead we use those verbs in Present Perfect Tense.

Example: 

• I have known him since 2015.
• He has been a teacher for ten years.