English grammar
Present perfect continuous 📕
We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that started in the past and is still going on, or has just stopped. We focus on how long.
Form: have / has + been + verb-ing
I have been waiting for an hour.
She has been studying English since January.
It has been raining all day.
Visible result of a recent activity
You look tired. Have you been running?
Her eyes are red. She has been crying.
Questions with how long
How long have you been learning English?
Continuous or simple?
| Continuous: the activity, how long | Simple: the result, how many |
| I have been writing emails all morning. | I have written ten emails. |
💡 Verbs like know, like, want are not used in the continuous: I have known her for years.