The Present Perfect Progressive — Have Continued Doing Something for a Long Time

The present perfect progressive emphasizes that an action has continued from a point in the past until now. It is used to express the continuation of action verbs.

Basic Rule

The form is have / has + been + verb-ing. Think of it as using “been + ing” instead of the past participle in the present perfect “have/has + past participle.”
It emphasizes that an action has continued from the past until now and that it is still in progress. Stative verbs (like, know, want, live, etc.) normally use the ordinary present perfect, while action verbs (study, play, work, wait, rain, run, read, etc.) naturally use the perfect progressive.
since / for can also be used: “I have been studying English since 9 a.m.（I have continued studying English since 9 a.m.）” “It has been raining for three hours.（It has been raining for three hours）.”

Points to Note

① Summary of the perfect forms (middle-school review):
- Present perfect: have + past participle → completion / experience / continuation of a state
- Present perfect progressive: have been + ing → continuation of an action
② Do not use the perfect progressive with stative verbs: × I have been knowing him → ○ I have known him. The same applies to like, love, want, and have (possession).
③ The perfect progressive emphasizes the nuance that someone is “still doing it now.” On the other hand, “I have studied English for 5 years.（I have studied English for five years）” may continue into the present, but it is a stative expression. Use the progressive form when you want to emphasize the continuation of an action verb.
④ Ask about the continuation of an action with How long have you been -ing?: “How long have you been waiting?（How long have you been waiting?）” ← frequently used.

Practice

1. Write “I have been running since this morning” in English (use this morning).
2. Write “She has been practicing the piano for two hours” in English.
3. Write “How long have you been waiting?” in English.