This document provides an overview of the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses in English. It discusses their forms, uses, and differences. The present perfect is used to describe indefinite or completed actions, while the present perfect continuous focuses on ongoing or repeated actions that began in the past and may still be ongoing. Examples are provided to illustrate when each tense is used, such as with state verbs, questions using "how long", descriptions of recent or ongoing activities, and expressions of conclusions or excuses.

1. The Present Perfect
Continuous

2.  Form (Affirmative)
S+ have been V-ing + Comp.
has
I have been sitting in the sun since this
morning.
She has been looking for her keys for three
hours.

3.  Negation
S+ have NOT been V-ing + Comp.
has
They haven’t been turning in their homework
lately.
Ron hasn’t been feeling well recently.

4.  Questions
(Wh-word) + have + S+ been V-ing+Comp.?
has
What have you been doing for the last three
hours?
How long has she been learning English?

5. 1. When are they similar?
2. When are they different?
Present Perfect/Present Perfect Continuous

6.  Mr. Brown has lived
here since 1960.
 He’s taught English for
a long time.
 He’s worn the same
jacket for years.
 Mr. Brown has been
living here since 1960.
 He’s been teaching
English for a long time.
 He’s been wearing the
same jacket for years.

7. live, teach, wear, work, study, stay, and feel
1. We use these verbs with the present perfect
or the present perfect continuous with for
and since with no difference in meaning.
(actions that started in the past and are
continuing up to now).

8.  I’ve waited for an 3
hours.
 I’ve thought about this
for days.
 I’ve been waiting for 3
hours. I am very
annoyed.
 I’ve been thinking about
this for days. I can’t
stop.

9. 2. The meaning becomes different when we
place focus on the ongoing activity; the
length of time a situation lasted. (more
intense or emotional situations)
repeated action Vs. nonstop action

10.  I’ve read a book about
astronomy.
(I finished it at some
indefinite time in the
past)
 I’ve been reading a
book about astronomy.
(I am not finished OR I’ve
just finished)

11. 3- The present perfect can express a
completed action that may or may not have
been recent. The present perfect continuous
suggests that an activity is continuing up to
the present time or was very recently
completed.
indefinite past time Vs. still happening or
just finished

12.  How many pages of
that book have you
read?-
 Mary has written ten
letters today.-
 They have played
tennis three times this
week.
 How long have you
been reading that
book?-
 Mary is still writing
letters. She has been
writing letters all day.
 They’ve been playing
tennis since 2 o’clock.

13. 4- The present perfect- number of times/ how
many/ how often
The present perfect continuous- how long/all
day
How many Vs. how long

14. State Verbs
 I have been having this car for three years.
 I’ve had this car for three years.

15. 1. We use present perfect continuous to talk
about an action or event that started in the past
and is still happening now.
 I've been waiting for over an hour.
(I'm still waiting now)
 It's been snowing since 8am.
(It's still snowing now)
 You've been playing a lot of tennis recently.

16. 2. We often use How long in questions.
 How long have you been learning English?
(You started learning in the past and are still
learning now)

17. 3. We use present perfect continuous to talk
about an activity or event that has recently
finished and has a result or consequence now.
 She's tired because she's been working hard.
 I have no money left because I've been
shopping.

18. 4. We use present perfect continuous to focus
on the action and not on the completion of the
action.
 She's been writing a book.
(Focus on the action)
She's written a book.
(Present perfect simple - focus on the result)
 They've been negotiating the contract.
(Focus on the action, it's not important if it's
finished or not)
They've negotiated the contract.
(Focus on the result, the negotiation is finished)

19. 5. Conclusions and Excuses
I am sorry I haven’t called you. I haven’t been
feeling well lately.
Half of my cake is gone. Some has been
eating it.

20.  Credit:
http://www.eslbase.com/grammar/present-perfect