Learn how to use this common structure for talking about actions that started in the past but continue till now.

1. Present Perfect Continuous
• We use this structure for actions that
began in the past and still continue.
1980 start/ study English/
continue to study English
• Past Now Future
How long have you been studying English?
I’ve been studying English for years.
(Remember this question and answer)

2. Present perfect continuous forms
I studying
You have working
We haven´t been waiting
They running
He or She has playing
It hasn´t talking

3. For vs. since
• Note the difference
• I’ve been working here since 2000.
– Since is used for a specific point in time.
– Since 3 o´clock, since Friday, since last month, since
the beginning of the century
• I’ve been studying here for 12 years.
– For is used to describe the duration of the action
– For 2 hours, for 6 months, for a minute, for ages

4. Typical situations
• You look angry. What’s the matter?
• We’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes!
• How long have they been living
• here?
• They‘ve been living here all their lives.
• You haven’t been studying for long.
• Yes, we have. We’ve been studying since 9 o´clock.