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Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect progressive expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the action.

Form of Present Perfect Progressive

 PositiveNegativeQuestion
I / you / we / they I have been speaking. I have not been speaking. Have I been speaking?
he / she / it He has been speaking. He has not been speaking. Has he been speaking?

Exceptions in Spelling

Exceptions in spelling when adding ingExample
final e is dropped
(but: ee is not changed)
come – coming
(but: agree – agreeing)
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled sit – sitting
l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English) travel – travelling
final ie becomes y lie – lying

Use of Present Perfect Progressive

  • puts emphasis on the duration or course of an action (not the result)

    Example: She has been writing for two hours.

  • action that recently stopped or is still going on

    Example: I have been living here since 2001.

  • finished action that influenced the present

    Example: I have been working all afternoon.

Signal Words of Present Perfect Progressive

  • all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Exercises on Present Perfect Progressive

Tests on Present Perfect Progressive

Comparison with other Tenses