B2 Grammar: Present Perfect Continuous

B2 Grammar: Present Perfect Continuous
ESL Structure Curriculum

ESL Grammar Course

B2: Upper-Intermediate

A clock with arrows showing the duration of an action continuing to the present

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the duration or continuity of an action that started in the past and is still happening now, or has just recently stopped. The key is the uninterrupted nature of the activity.

Structure:

`subject + have/has + been + verb-ing`

⚠️ Attention: Common Challenges

1. Continuous vs. Simple: The biggest challenge is choosing between the Present Perfect Continuous and the Present Perfect Simple.

  • Continuous (Focus on duration): “I have been reading this book for three hours.” (Emphasizes the time spent reading).
  • Simple (Focus on result/completion): “I have read 50 pages.” (Emphasizes the completed result).

2. `For` vs. `Since`: This distinction remains crucial.

  • For: A period of time (e.g., for two hours, for ten years).
  • Since: A specific point in time (e.g., since 8 AM, since 2015).

3. Stative Verbs: Remember that stative verbs (verbs of being, thought, or possession like `know`, `be`, `love`, `own`) are generally not used in continuous tenses.

  • Correct: “I have known him for years.” (Incorrect: I have been knowing him…)

Practice Quiz

1. It ____ all day. I wish it would stop.

2. How long ____ you ____ for the bus? You look cold.

3. I’m tired because I ____ well recently.

4. She ____ three emails this morning. (Focus on result)

5. They ____ this project since last month.

6. He looks angry. ____ with his brother again?

7. I ____ this car for fifteen years and it still runs perfectly.

8. Your eyes are red. ____?

9. We ____ for a new apartment for months, but we can’t find anything we like.

10. She’s a great writer. She ____ novels since she was a teenager.