English Present Perfect Continuous Tense Chart

How to build sentences using the present perfect tense, in English?

  1. In English, the present perfect Continuous verb tense uses 3 kinds of verbs, 2 auxiliary verbs and 1 main verb.
       - uses the auxiliary verb “have” changes according to the subject. (see chart below)
       - the auxiliary verb “to be” always stays in the V3/past participle form. (see chart below)
      - the main verb – ing is added to the main verb.
  2. – ing to added to the base form the main verb.
  3. In English, to form negative sentences “not” is added to make the sentence negative. (See the negative sentence chart)
  4. In English, for questions the order of the sentence is changed. (See the question chart below)

Positive Sentences Using The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Subject + Auxiliary Verb
”Have”		 + Auxiliary  Verb
”to be”		 + Main Verb + Continue
 the sentence
I, We, They, You
 Plural Nouns		 + have + been + Verb +ing +  
He, She, It
Singular nouns
Uncountable nouns		 + has + been + Verb +ing +  

Examples:

  1. I have been waiting for the English teacher for the last ½ hour.
  2. You have been studying English all day.
  3. The children have been studying all over the house all day.  I think it is time they rest for a while.
  4. The lady on the 2nd floor has been singing for the last hour. She sings awful.
  5. The rain storm has been getting worse and worse.

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Negative Sentences Using The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Subject + Auxiliary verb
”Have”		 + Not + Auxiliary Verb
”to be”		 + Main Verb + Continue
 the sentence
I, We, They, You
Plural Nouns		 + have + not + been +   +  
He, She, it
Singular nouns
Uncountable nouns		 + has + not + been +   +  

Examples:

  1. I have not been studying long.
  2. You have not been working very hard, the last few days.
  3. The phones have not been working all day.
  4. The phone line has not been working all day.
  5. It has not been snowing very hard, so I think there will be school tomorrow.

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Questions Using The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Auxiliary Verb
”Have”		 + Subject + Auxiliary Verb
”to be”		 + Main Verb + Continue
 the sentence
Have + I, We, They, You
 Plural Nouns		 + been + Verb +ing +  
Has + He, She, it
Singular nouns
Uncountable nouns		 + been + Verb +ing +  

Examples:

  1. Have I been disturbing you?
  2. Have you been learning all night? You look very tired.
  3. Have your sons been learning English for a long time?
  4. Has your son been learning English for a long time?
  5. Has it been snowing really hard?