مدونة التربية و التعليم في الجزائر – دروس، فروض، نتائج امتحانات مدونة التربية والتعليم في الجزائر | تحضير الدروس، فروض واختبارات، نتائج البكالوريا وBEM، مسابقات التوظيف، والتوجيه المدرسي للطلاب وأولياء الأمور.
Grammar: The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Formation
The Present Perfect Continuous is formed with have/has + been + verb-ing.
| Subject | have/has + been | Verb-ing |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | have been | working / studying / waiting |
| He / She / It | has been | working / studying / waiting |
Examples:
- I have been waiting for you for an hour.
- She has been studying English since 2020.
- They have been living in this city for five years.
- It has been raining all day.
2. Uses
a. Actions that started in the past and continue to the present :
- I have been working here since 2015. (I still work here)
- She has been sleeping for 10 hours. (She is still sleeping)
b. Actions that have recently stopped with visible results in the present :
- You look tired. Have you been working hard?
- Why are you wet? I have been running.
- The ground is wet. It has been raining.
3. Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous
| Present Perfect | Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|
| Focus on the result : I have written five emails. | Focus on the action itself : I have been writing emails all morning. |
| For completed actions : She has finished her homework. | For ongoing actions : She has been doing her homework for two hours. |
| With stative verbs : I have known him for years. | Not used with stative verbs. |
4. Time Expressions
- For + duration : for two hours, for a week, for a long time
- Since + starting point : since Monday, since 2020, since I was a child
- All + period : all day, all morning, all week
- How long : How long have you been learning English?
5. Exercises
Exercise 1: Complete with the Present Perfect Continuous.
- She (wait) ______ for the bus since 8 o’clock.
- They (play) ______ football all afternoon.
- I (try) ______ to call you for hours.
- How long (you / study) ______ English?
Exercise 2: Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous?
- I (read) ______ three books this week. (result)
- I (read) ______ all morning. (action in progress)
- She (work) ______ here for 10 years. (completed period)
6. Answers
Exercise 1: has been waiting, have been playing, have been trying, have you been studying
Exercise 2: have read, have been reading, has worked/has been working
See our related lessons on Past Perfect Tense and Conditional Sentences.