What Is the Present Perfect Progressive Tense? (with Examples)
What Is the Present Perfect Progressive Tense?
The present perfect progressive tense has two uses. It is used for:
(1) a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or
(2) a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).
It might seem a little unusual that an activity which started in the past and finished in the past can be categorised as present tense, but this is because it normally has a relevance to the present.
Examples of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense
Here are some examples of the present perfect progressive tense:
- Amanda has been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan.
(Amanda might still be relying on a pay rise, or she might have received the pay rise. You can’t tell from this sentence. However, this information is just setting the scene for some more information about Amanda’s present situation.)
- Mr and Mrs Cox have been taking the wrong pills for years.
(The Coxes might still be taking the wrong pills or not. You can’t tell from this sentence. However, this information is just setting the scene for some more information about the Coxes’ present situation.)
Of course, you can also have the negative version, which is formed “has not been” or “have not been” + “[present participle]”:
- Amanda has not been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan.
- Mr and Mrs Cox have not been taking the wrong pills for years.
And the question version:
- Has Amanda been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan?
- Have Mr and Mrs Cox been taking the wrong pills for years?
Table for the Present Perfect Progressive Tense
| Present Perfect Progressive Tense |
| “has/have been” + [present participle] |
| Joe has been singing for 3 years. activity started in the past and →⎮ continues to the present |
| They have been cleaning all day. activity started in the past and →⎮⎮ recently finished |
| Past present future |
Forming the Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is formed:
“has/have been” + [present participle]
For example:
- I have been working since yesterday evening.
- She has been chewing for two minutes.
In the examples above, the words “working” and “chewing” (i.e., the [verb] + “ing” part of the construction) are known as present participles. A present participle is formed like this:
Add “ing” to most verbs:
- play > playing
- shout > shouting
For verbs that end “e”, remove the “e” and add “ing”:
- prepare > preparing
- ride > riding
For verbs that end “ie”, change the “ie” to “y” and add “ing”:
- lie > lying
- untie > untying
For verbs whose last syllable is written [consonant-vowel-consonant] and is stressed, double the final consonant and add “ing”:
- run > running
- forget > forgetting
For Other Tenses click the Verb Tenses link below
Home Verb Tenses Grammar Lessons
AGH / Jan 2020