Present Perfect Continuous
The Present Perfect Continuous (aka Present Perfect Progressive) tense can feel like a complicated one. The length of the name alone can be a rather daunting indicator of the complexity of this tense. But learners who have a firm grasp of the Present Perfect tense and of the Progressive/Continuous aspect can view this particular tense as somewhere between the former two, taking on the core aspects of both.
What to Expect
The Present Perfect Continuous tense is often taught by showing how its usage is different from the Present Perfect tense, or how it’s different from Present Continuous or Past Continuous. We find it helps to do both of these at the same time. Although it might seem like a handful, it actually uses the learners’ established knowledge as base upon which this new concept can be built. Instead of showing a list of what’s different, let’s show how Present Perfect Continuous is the balance between two concepts that students should already know well.
But first, let’s see how the form is created by merging the Present Perfect form with the Continuous aspect.
Prerequisites
Learners should already be familiar with the following:
The Present Perfect tense is used to express how a verb is relevant to both the past and the present, usually with verbs that have begun in the past but remains important in the present. This often applies to results, status, and experiences. These same traits apply to the Present Perfect Continuous tense.
Go to the Present Perfect page for more.
Progressive/Continuous tenses are used to express verbs that are temporary and unfinished, whether they are active in the moment, or generally ongoing around the time in question. This apply to the Present Perfect Continuous tense as well.
Go to the Progressive/Continuous page for more.
The Present Perfect Continuous form has three verb words in its verb string. The first two words are helping verbs, and the third is the main verb. Students should be familiar with HAVE and with BE, including when/how they are used and how they affect the words around them.
The Present Perfect Continuous tense often incorporates cause-and-effect scenarios, so students should be comfortable with that type of logic, and perhaps different ways that can be expressed.
Proficiency Level
Students at the B1 level are expected to know the Present Perfect Continuous tense. They’ll likely start learning it during the Intermediate level (or 4th out of 6).*
*actual starting level varies from one course-book series to the next
Present Perfect
HAVE/HAS → perfect participle
verbs started in the past
focus on results
Continuous
BE → ______ING
longer verbs
unfinished verbs
Present Perfect Continuous
HAVE/HAS → BEEN → ______ING
longer verbs started in the past
focus on unfinished incidental results
Bonus Notes
Check out our interactive list of Irregular Verbs to see Perfect Participle forms that don’t simply take the conventional -ed ending. Or view our interactive list of Stative Verbs to see roughly 100 words that shouldn’t be used for Continuous Tenses in most situations. Sort either list to find sets of terms that share common features.
Practice Activity
Projects
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