Present perfect continuous

Learning how to use present perfect continuous

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​What have you been doing?

We use it for things that started in the past, however, they still happening in the present.

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​How do we use it?

​Structure: Affirmative

​SUBJECT

​AUXILIARY VERB
(HAVE/HAS)

BEEN

COMPLEMENT

​THEY

HAVE

BEEN

WORKING

FOR DAYS ON THAT PROJECT

​Ellos han estado trabajando por días en ese proyecto

MAIN VERB (GERUND)

​Structure: Negative

​SUBJECT

​AUXILIARY VERB
(HAVE/HAS)

BEEN

COMPLEMENT

​SHE

HAS

BEEN

STUDYING

​Ella no ha estado estudiando ingles durante mucho tiempo

NOT

MAIN VERB
(GERUND)

NOT

ENGLISH FOR VERY LONG

​Structure: Interrogative

​SUBJECT

​AUXILIARY VERB
(HAVE/HAS)

BEEN

COMPLEMENT

¿Ha estado esperando mucho tiempo?

MAIN VERB
(GERUND)

​YOU

HAVE

BEEN

FOR A LONG TIME?

WAITING

​Time prepositions

As this tense is used to express or emphasize the time (period) in which an action has occurred, we usually use "for" and "since" if we want to be specific about that:

1. I can't believe it's still raining. It's been raining for a week.
2. John has been working at the bank since 2003

​Time prepositions

In case we don't use a period of time, we can assume that these actions started "lately" or "recently"

1. He hasn't been studying enough
2. Have you been feeling ok lately?