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Present Perfect Continuous Tense

English Grammar

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Format of present perfect continuous tense

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Subject + have/has + been + verb + ing + since/for + time

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  • e.g., I have been living here since 1979.

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Use of present perfect continuous tense

  • If an activity that started in the past is still going on, then to denote such an activity, present perfect continuous tense is used.

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  • e.g., I have been living here for the last 32 years.

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Use of present perfect continuous tense

  • In present perfect continuous tense, the importance is for past time. Therefore, 'since' or 'for' that denote past tense are used.

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  • e.g., since 2000.

for the last 3 years etc.

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Present perfect continuous tense in detail

  • Since is used with point of time.

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  • Since 1980 = from 1980 onwards
  • Since January = from January onwards
  • Since Monday = from Monday onwards
  • Since my childhood = from my childhood onwards

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Present perfect continuous tense in detail�

  • 'for' is used with a certain period of time.

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  • e.g., I have been studying in Navodaya school for the past two years.

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Exercises

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  1. Rahul ____ French for three months. (learn)
  2. Mr Rupert _____ in New Orleans for the past four years. (stay)
  3. The boys _____ in the park since five o’clock. (play)
  4. Tina ____ for some time. (meditation)
  5. The child ____ for three hours. (sleep)
  6. Mohit ____ for a new PS5 for a long time. (ask)
  7. The builder _____ the tower for a few months. ( build)

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Exercises

  1. I ____ David Copperfield since Saturday. (read)
  2. Uma ____ the three pages since morning. (type)
  3. Hira ______ for his friend at the cafe since the evening. (wait)
  4. The teacher _____ for the last two hours. (teach)
  5. The man ____ to fix the flat tyre for a few hours. (try)
  6. The doctors _____ for three hours. (operate)
  7. Raj _____ for his examination since the morning. (study)

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Exercises

  1. My mother ____ cakes since two o’clock. (baking)
  2. The man _____ the streets for hours. (wander)
  3. Ron _____ video games since noon. (play)
  4. Paro ____ with her friend on the phone for hours. (talk)
  5. It ____ since dawn. (rain)
  6. The dog ___ since last night. (bark)

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Answers

  1. Rahul has been learning French for three months. (learn)
  2. Mr Rupert has been staying in New Orleans for the past four years. (stay)
  3. The boys have been playing in the park since five o’clock. (play)
  4. Tina has been meditating for some time. (meditation)
  5. The child has been sleeping for three hours. (sleep)
  6. Mohit has been asking for a new PS5 for a long time. (ask)

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Answers

  1. The builder has been building the tower for a few months. ( build)
  2. I have been reading David Copperfield since Saturday. (read)
  3. Uma has been typing the three pages since morning. (type)
  4. Hira has been waiting for his friend at the cafe since evening. (wait)
  5. The teacher has been teaching for the last two hours. (teach)

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Answers

  1. The man has been trying to fix the flat tyre for a few hours. (try)
  2. The doctors have been operating for three hours. (operate)
  3. Raj has been studying for his examination since morning. (study)
  4. My mother has been baking cakes since two o’clock. (baking)
  5. The man has been wandering the streets for hours. (wander)

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Answers

  1. Ron has been playing video games since noon. (play)
  2. Paro has been talking with her friend on the phone for hours. (talk)
  3. It has been raining since dawn. (rain)
  4. The dog has been barking since last night. (bark)