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9 Present Perfect Continuous (I've been cooking)
3 Here are some more examples:
1 We form the Present Perfect Continuous in
this way:
POSITIVE
I/you/we/they have/'ve
He/she/it
been cooking.
has/'s S
NEGATIVE
1/you/we/they haven't
He/she/it
hasn't
QUESTIONS
Have 1/you/we/they
he/she/it
Has
been cooking.
}been cooking?
(For details about -ing forms see Table C, on
page 95.)
2 We use the Present Perfect Continuous for
an action or situation that began in the past
and continues until now:
You're late! I've been waiting for you.
We often use for and since with the
Present Perfect Continuous. We use for with
a period of time, and since with a point
in time:
I've been waiting for you for two hours.
I've been waiting for you since 6 o'clock.
PAST
NOW
Julia has been talking on the phone for an
hour. (= She started talking on the phone
an hour ago and she is still talking.)
You've been sitting there since I o'clock.
(= You started sitting there at one o'clock
and you are still sitting there.)
4 We use the Present Perfect Continuous for
actions that are done many times in a period.
of time from the past until now:
She's been having driving lessons for a
couple of months. (= She started a couple.
of months ago; she is still having lessons.)
I've been playing tennis since I was a small
child.
5 We can use How long with the Present
Perfect Continuous:
How long have you been living here?
Practice
A Write a sentence for each of the following situations, using the Present
Perfect Continuous and for or since.
0 She started her course a month ago and she is still doing it.
She has been doing her course for a month.
0
I started reading this novel last weekend and I'm still reading it.
I have been reading this novel since last weekend.
1
It started raining at 3 o'clock and it is still raining.
2 He started playing chess when he was 10 and he still plays it.
3 I started work at 8 o'clock and I'm still working.
4 Helen started looking for another job two months ago and she's still looking.
5 We arrived here two hours ago and we're still waiting.
B Put for or since into the gaps.
0 I've been working in this office since
1 Have you been doing this course
2 I've been driving this car
3 She has been planning the party
4 George has been telling the same stories
5 We've been waiting for a reply
6 What have you been doing.
7 You've been writing that letter
8 He's been feeling ill
phone to someone all afternoon.
a few days.
C Complete these dialogues by putting the verbs in brackets ( ) into the
Present Perfect Continuous.
last summer.
a long time?
more than ten years.
A: When did you arrive in London?
B: Two weeks ago.
A: Where have you been staying
B: 1¹
But I am going to move to my own flat.next week.
A: Hallo. What are you doing here?
B: I'm waiting to see the manager. I 2
(wait) for half an hour.
A: She's very busy. She 2
A: I didn't know that you could play the piano.
B: Oh yes, I
rain save study read
make learn watch play
the beginning of the month.
several years.
we wrote to them last week.
the last time that I saw you?
more than two hours.
0 She has been learning.
1 It
2 We
3
4 1
Wendy
A: How long
B: I started looking immediately after I lost my old job. I
6
5 We
6 The people next door.
7
I
(you/stay)?
(stay) with some friends in their flat.
D Choose the best verb from the box to complete each sentence. Use the
Present Perfect Continuous form of the verb.
(talk) on the
(have) piano lessons for a year.
(you/look) for a job?
(apply) for jobs for about six months.
Spanish for six months.
for hours; the roads are very wet.
this game for hours. Let's stop!
French at school for three years.
this book for months, but I haven't finished it yet.
this programme for hours.
a lot of noise all day.
my money for a holiday.
