Introduction
Present Perfect Continuous Tense, also known as Present perfect progressive tense, is used to describe an action or activity that started in the past and hasn’t finished yet, still going on.
- My friend has been learning English grammar for two years.
Here, it means, my friend started learning English two years ago , he has not given up it yet, in present,he is learning English grammar.
You should also read ” Present Continuous Tense” so that you can understand this tense clearly.
2.Helping verb
1.Has been: is used with singular noun subject and with the pronouns he, she and it.
Aman has been following the blog English Grammar for two months.
In this sentence ‘Aman ‘ is singular number noun, so the helping verb’has been ‘ has been used.
- He has been following English Grammar blog for two months.
The subject of the above sentence is ‘he’, so the ‘has been’ helping verb has been used.
In the following sentences, she and it pronouns are subjects, so the ‘has been ‘ helping verb has been used.
- She has been following English Grammar blog for two months.
- It has been raining for two hours.
2.Have been :is used with plural noun subject and with the pronouns They, I, we, and you.
- My friends have been preparing for this exam for last six months.
Here, in this sentence, the subject “friends ” is plural noun, so “have been” helping verb has been used here.
In the following sentences, the pronouns, (they we, you, and i )are in the place of subjects, so “have been” helping verb has been used.
- They have been preparing for this exam for last six months.
- We have been preparing for this exam for last six months.
- You have been preparing for this exam for last six months.
- I have beenp preparing for this exam for last six months.
Exercise
1.I ———- living here since 2024.
2.He——– living here since2024.
3.They———living here since2024.
4.She—— living here since2024.
5.These girls——living here since2024.
6.Aman and Raman—–living here since2024.
7.We——-listening music for two hours.
8.The children —–playing here since morning.
Answer:-
1. Have been 2. Has been 3. Have been 4. Has been
5. Have been 6. Have been 7. Have been 8. Have been.
3.Main verb
In this tense, verb( +ing) form is used.
- I have been preparing for this exam for last six months.
4.Use of since and for:
Since and for are used before time .
Since is used before the name of month, year, day(point of time)
- He has been playing cricket since 9.AM.
Here, 9 AM is a point of time, so ‘since’ has been used before ‘9 AM’.
For is used before the number of month, year, days etc. (period of time)
- He has been playing cricket for two hours.
Here,in the above sentence, ‘two hours’ is a period of time, so ‘for’ has been used before two hours.
5. Sentence structure:
1. Affirmative sentence:
Subject +has been/have been+verb(+ing) + object+since/for+time.
- He has been playing cricket for two hours.
- We have been wining this trophy since 2023.
2. Negative sentence:
Subject+hasn’t been+verb (+ing)+object +since/for+time.
- He hasn’t been learning for two days.
3. Interrogative sentence
‘Wh’ word(interrogative word) +has +subject+ been +object+since/for+time?
- Why have they been cutting tree for two days?
4. Negative-interrogative sentence
‘Wh’ word(interrogative word) +has +subject+ not+been +object+since/for+time?
- Why have they not been cutting trees for two days?
Or
‘Wh’ word(interrogative word) +hasn’t +subject+been +object+since/for+time?
- Why haven’t they been cutting trees for two days?
6.Exercise
Fill in the blanks with since/for
1.I have been living here ——-5 months.
2.You have been playing with me —-2024
3.They have been quarrelling ——morning.
4.We have been manufacturing this watch ———last 10 years.
5.Aman has been suffering from fever —last night.
Answers
1. For 2.since 3.since. 4.for 5. Since
7.Conclusion
If we want to describe an action or event that started in the past and not ended yet, we shall have to use Present Perfect Continuous Tense.