B1 Intermediate Perfect and past tenses
Present perfect continuous
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can stress a continuing process with have been + V-ing and tell it apart from have + V3.
When to use it
- An action started in the past and still going: I have been studying for two hours.
- Something just stopped that left traces: Your hands are dirty — have you been painting?
- Stressing how long, not how many.
Form
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + have/has been + V-ing | She has been waiting. |
| Negative | S + haven't/hasn't been + V-ing | I haven't been sleeping well. |
| Question | Have/Has + S + been + V-ing? | Have you been running? |
| Often used with | for, since, all day, how long | for two hours · since Monday |
Step by step
- Ask: is the action continuing and relevant now?
- Yes, and you want to stress the process → have/has been + V-ing.
- To stress the result or how many you finished → have/has + V3.
- Check the verb: state verbs (know, like, have = own) never take the continuous.
The two tenses side by side
| Sentence | Focus | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| I have read three books. | result, quantity | Three books have been finished. |
| I have been reading all day. | process, duration | Maybe still reading. |
| She has written the email. | the job is done | The email has been sent. |
| She has been writing emails. | an ongoing activity | It may not be finished yet. |
Examples
I have been learning English since grade 4.
She has been waiting for you for an hour.
It has been raining all morning.
Have you been working in the garden?
They haven't been sleeping well lately.
How long have you been living here?
Common mistakes
I have been knowing him for years. → I have known him for years.
know is a state verb. Same group: like, love, hate, want, need, believe, have (own), belong.
He has been wait for an hour. → He has been waiting for an hour.
After been the verb must take -ing.
I am studying English for two hours. → I have been studying English for two hours.
An action stretching from the past into now takes have been + V-ing, not the present continuous.
Memory tip
Ask: does the sentence answer “how long” or “how many”? How long → have been + V-ing. How many → have + V3.
Summary
- have/has been + V-ing — stresses a process reaching into now.
- Common with for, since, all day, How long…?
- State verbs (know, like, have = own) never use it.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.