Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense (also known as the present perfect progressive tense) shows that something started in the past and is continuing at the present time. The present perfect continuous is formed using the construction has/have been + the present participle (root + -ing).

I have been reading War and Peace for a month now.

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing always looks great? Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and other writing issues on all your favorite websites.

In this sentence, using the present perfect continuous verb tense conveys that reading War and Peace is an activity that began sometime in the past and is not yet finished in the present (which is understandable in this case, given the length of Tolstoy’s weighty tome).

Recently and lately are words that we often find with verbs in the present perfect continuous tense.

Mia has been competing in flute competitions recently. (And she will continue to do so.)

I haven’t been feeling well lately. (And I am still sick now.)

Recently, I’ve been misplacing my wallet and keys. (Because I sure don’t know where they are.)

Of course, not all verbs are compatible with continuous action. Some examples of such verbs are to be, to arrive, and to own.

I have been owning my Mazda since 2007.

I have owned my Mazda since 2007. (present perfect tense)

Gus has been being late for work recently.

Gus has been late for work recently. (present perfect tense)