1. Introduction
The past perfect continuous (also called past perfect progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past.
2. Past Perfect Continuous Forms
The past perfect continuous is formed using had + been + present participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and had. Negatives are made with not
The form of the present perfect continuous:
| Have (in the simple present) | been | verb + ing |
|---|
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| I have been working. I have been living | I have not been working. I haven’t been living | Have you been working? Have I been living? |
Note:
| I have been driving = I’ve been driving I have not been driving = I haven’t been driving | He has been sleeping = He’s been sleeping He has not been sleeping = He hasn’t been sleeping |
Examples:
- I have been studying English for two years.
- Have you been studying English for two years?
- She‘s been revising her lessons.
- She hasn’t been hanging around with her friends.
3. The use of the present perfect continuous:
1. We use the perfect continuous present to show that something has started in the past and has continued until now indicating a duration. “For an hour”, for two weeks”, etc …are used to indicate duration.
Examples:
- They have been watching TV for the last two hour.
- He has been studying at that domain for five years.
- What have you been doing for the last 1 hour.
2. The perfect continuous present is also used without indication of duration. This usage indicates an action that occurred “lately” or “recently”.
Examples:
- I have been feeling really tired, recently.
- She has been smoking too much lately.
