Present perfect continuous

This tense is used to talk about an action or actions that started in the past and continued until recently or that continue into the future.

• We can use it to refer an action that has finished but you can still see evidence.

You look sad. Have you been crying?

My back hurts. I have been sitting for a long time today.

This room is a mess. Who has been playing here?

• For an action that hasn’t finished yet.

I have been waiting for them for almost twenty minutes and they still haven’t arrived.

She has been learning English for three years and she still doesn’t know how to write in English very well.

They have been watching that movie for days. I’m bored.

• We can use it to say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. (Since, for)

I have been living in England for five years.

He has been working here since 2014.

We have been waiting for them for two hours.

Sentence Structure:

• Affirmative

Subject + have/has + been + verb in Ing

I have been running.

She has been working.

• Negative

Subject + have not-haven’t/has not- hasn’t +been+ verb in Ing

They haven’t been studying.

He hasn’t been working.

• Question

Have/has + subject + been + verb in Ing?

Have you been waiting for a long time?

Has she been painting?