See it in action
Level A2Read or listen first. Don’t worry about the rules yet — just notice the verbs in bold.
A busy Saturday
Kim: You look tired. What have you been doing?
Leo: I’ve been painting the kitchen since nine o’clock.
Kim: Ah, that’s why your hands are blue! And why have you been ignoring my messages?
Leo: Sorry! My phone’s been charging in the other room.
Kim: No problem. I’ve been looking for a painter for weeks — are you free next Saturday?
Quick check
What do the verbs in bold have in common?
The present perfect continuous is have / has been + verb-ing: I’ve been painting, my phone’s been charging.
Quick check
Why are Leo’s hands blue?
The present perfect continuous often explains a result we can see now: blue hands, because he’s been painting.
When to use it
Level A2–B11. An activity that started in the past and is still going on
She’s been learning Japanese for two years.
2. An activity that has just stopped, with a result you can see
You’re out of breath — have you been running?
The ground is wet. It’s been raining.
3. Repeated actions up to now
I’ve been calling you all day!
4. Recent habits and changes
He’s been going to the gym a lot lately.
Quick check
The ground is wet. “It’s been raining.” How does the speaker know?
We often use it to explain what we can see now: the ground is wet because it has been raining (it may have just stopped).
Form: have / has been + -ing
Level A2| I / you / we / they | he / she / it | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I have been waiting (I’ve) | she has been waiting (she’s) |
| Negative | I haven’t been waiting | she hasn’t been waiting |
| Question | Have you been waiting…? | Has she been waiting…? |
| Short answer | Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t. | Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t. |
We’ve been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
Has it been raining all day?
What have you been doing? Who’s she been talking to?Wh- questions: question word + have / has + subject + been + -ing. A preposition stays at the end.
Short answers use have / has, in full when the answer is yes:
Wrong: Have you been waiting long? — Yes, I’ve.Have you been waiting long? — Yes, I have.Not “Yes, I’ve” or “Yes, I am”. Negative: No, I haven’t.
The -ing form follows the usual spelling rules (run → running, make → making, lie → lying):
Quick check
Which sentence is correct?
With she, use has, then been (not being), then the -ing form: she has been waiting.
for, since and How long…?
Level A2–B1for + a length of time · since + the starting point.
They’ve been playing chess for two hours.
They’ve been playing chess since six o’clock.
How long have you been learning English?
With live, work, study and teach both forms are correct: I’ve lived / I’ve been living here for ten years.
Quick check
I’ve been waiting ___ two hours.
Two hours is a length of time, so use for. Use since with a starting point: since two o’clock.
Simple or continuous?
Level B1–B2The continuous focuses on the activity and how long it has lasted; the simple focuses on the result — what is finished, how much or how many.
I’ve been writing emails all morning.The activity.
I’ve written five emails.A finished number.
Wrong: I’ve been reading three chapters.I’ve read three chapters.
Quick check
“I’ve been painting the kitchen.” Is the kitchen finished?
The continuous is about the activity. To say it’s finished, use the simple: I’ve painted the kitchen.
More on the simple form in the present perfect lesson.
State verbs
Level B1Verbs like know, have (= own), be, own, want, belong, believe aren’t used in the continuous. Use the present perfect simple with for / since.
They’ve had a dog since 2015. She’s belonged to the tennis club for years.
Wrong: I’ve been knowing her for years.I’ve known her for years.
Wrong: We’ve been being friends since school.We’ve been friends since school.
Quick check
I ___ her for years.
Know is a state verb, so use the simple form: I’ve known her for years.
Advanced uses
Level B2–C2Once the basics feel easy, these uses help you complain naturally and understand the news.
Show the advanced uses
Complaints and suspicion
When you see the result of something someone else has been doing — and you don’t like it — use Who’s been + -ing? or Someone’s been + -ing! Who and someone take has.
Who’s been eating my biscuits?The packet is half empty.
Someone’s been using my laptop again!
Wrong: Who have been reading my diary?Who has been reading my diary?
Quick check
“Someone’s been using my laptop!” How does the speaker feel?
Here the tense points to evidence of something that has been happening — often with a complaint.
News and report style
Reports and the news use have / has been + -ing for a process or trend that started in the past and is still going on. It often comes with for months, since the spring, over the past year, in recent months. Plural subjects take have; one company, government or trend takes has.
Scientists have been monitoring the volcano since March.
The company has been losing customers for months.
Unemployment hasn’t been falling as fast as expected.Negative: hasn’t / haven’t been + -ing.
Quick check
“Prices have been rising over the past year.” Are prices still rising?
The present perfect continuous links the past to now: the rise started a year ago and is still going on. “Prices are rising” wouldn’t say since when.
Common mistakes
Level AllWrong: She has being waiting.She has been waiting.
Wrong: He have been working.He has been working.
Wrong: I am waiting for an hour.I’ve been waiting for an hour.Up to now: present perfect continuous.
Wrong: I’ve been waiting since two hours.I’ve been waiting for two hours.
Wrong: Yes, I’ve.Yes, I have.Don’t contract positive short answers.
Remember
- Form: have / has been + verb-ing — I’ve been waiting, has she been working?
- Use it for an activity that started in the past and is still going on, often with for, since and How long…?
- It also explains a result you can see now: You’re out of breath — have you been running?
- Continuous = the activity; simple = the result or how many: I’ve written five emails.
- State verbs use the simple form: I’ve known her for years.
Practise the present perfect continuous
Pick your level. Gap-fills, How long…? questions, simple vs continuous, “find the mistake” and more — new exercises every time.
- A1BeginnerFirst steps: have / has been + -ing for things still going on.Start
- A2ElementaryNegatives, questions, for / since and How long…?Start
- B1IntermediateVisible results, repeated actions and state verbs.Start
- B2Upper intermediateSimple vs. continuous and “Who’s been using my laptop?”.Start
- C1AdvancedSubtle contrasts, complaints and news-style reports.Start
- C2ProficientFormal reports and tricky simple vs. continuous choices.Start