Offers for present perfect continuus. Present perfect continuous rules and examples

When learning English, students can spend a long time learning about Perfect and Continuous tenses in order to learn to use them automatically. Therefore, you can imagine their feelings when they come to such a terrible topic as Perfect Continuous. This is two times at once, and not so simple at that! However, these fears are completely in vain, and now we will see this using the example of the Present Perfect Continuous tense (pronounced [present perfect continuus]).

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense (also known as the Present Perfect Progressive Tense) or the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a tense in English used to express actions that began and either lasted up to a certain point in the past or continue to last.

This time is used relatively rarely, since it is often replaced by Present Perfect, but it is still necessary to know it, because in certain situations it will not be possible to do without it. Moreover, the correct use of sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous will only confirm your high level of knowledge of the language, and therefore attract praise from native speakers. Let's look at how this time is formed and used.

The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is similar to the formation of the Present Perfect and. To form this tense, two verbs are needed: auxiliary and semantic. The auxiliary verb is to be in the Present Perfect form. It has 2 perfect forms depending on person and number:

Semantic verbs are formed using Participle I or the present participle. To form it, you must add the ending –ing to the verb.

Actually, that's all. By joining both parts, you get a verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Present Perfect Continuous: sentence forms

We've sorted out the formation of verbs, now let's see how to make sentences with them in various forms.

Affirmative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The affirmative form of the Present Perfect Continuous is, as always, standard: the subject is used first, followed by the predicate, expressed by auxiliary and semantic verbs. Any minor member can complete the sentence. Table for clarity:

This example is used in Active Voice or Active Voice. If you want to use Passive Voice, you may have difficulties.

• Firstly, to form the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect Continuous you need to try harder, because you will need to use 4 verbs in a row.
• Secondly, even if you can easily cope with the first task, you will agree that phrases in Passive Voice a la “have been being understood” sound at least unusual.
• Thirdly, Passive Voice is not used by native speakers these days, so even they will not be able to appreciate your efforts.

Yes, theoretically it is possible to construct a Continuous Passive, but in practice no one needs such proposals. In general, do not make English difficult for yourself or others and do not use the Continuous Passive. If you need to show that the action was not performed by a person/object, but was directed at it, use not the Continuous Passive, but the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect tense.

Negative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The negative form in Present Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by adding the negative particle not between have (has) and been:

Abbreviations are possible in both affirmative and negative forms:

You may have noticed that has in an affirmative sentence is abbreviated in the same way as is. To understand what tense is used, keep the rules of education in mind. The present perfect continuous tense in English always requires the verb to be after has. If both of these verbs are in a sentence, then the speaker is using this particular tense.

Interrogative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The interrogative form is built based on the type of question:

• For a general question, you need to move the auxiliary verbs have and has to the beginning of the sentence. Been remains in its original place:

• In an alternative question, some second member of the sentence is added for choice, which is supported by the conjunction or (or):

• Special questions are identical to general questions, only they use a question word before have (has):

• In a dividing question, you need to use an affirmative or negative sentence, followed by a short question:

Present Perfect Continuous: usage

Present Perfect Continuous Tense or present perfect continuous tense is used in the following situations:

1. To express an action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case, the speaker knows when the action began and how long it has already lasted. He cannot say when the action will end.
   Typically, such sentences contain indicator words: recently (the other day), lately (recently), quite a while (for a long time / a long time ago), these ... weeks (how many weeks), all my life (all my life), all day (long) / this month / this year (all day, month, year); as well as time markers for (during) and since (since), which are used as hints for the use of this time:

In the same case, time can be used to ask a special question. Such a question usually begins with the words: how long (how long) or since when (from when):

1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense is also used in cases where an action began in the past, lasted for a certain time and ended recently. This option emphasizes the duration of the action that led to some result in the present. Markers in such sentences may be omitted:

1. The Present Perfect Continuous is also used in cases where we mean that some action happened earlier. This conclusion is drawn from what is heard/seen. More often this option is used in a negative context:

1. The present perfect continuous tense is also used in a complex sentence that has a subordinate clause. Temporary markers for entering subordinate clauses here are limited to one word since (since). This subordinate clause is used in the Past Simple, and most importantly, it is built in the Present Perfect Continuous:

1. Do not forget that Continuous tenses are not used with state verbs or state verbs that express feelings, perception, mental activity, or possession of something. In this case, instead of the Continuous tense, the Present Perfect is used:

However, there are exceptions here. The use of Present Perfect Continuous is possible if it is necessary to highlight an action, to give it a more pronounced shade. So, for example, in the Present Perfect Continuous you can find the verbs wish (to desire), want (to want) and mean (to gather):

1. Also pay attention to those verbs that are used in both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous. These verbs include words that themselves imply a continuous action. For example: live (live), sleep (sleep), study (learn), teach (teach), work (work), run (meaning “manage”):

If the situation continues to last for a certain period, but is temporary or will change soon, use the Present Perfect Continuous:

It is worth noting that, despite the similarity of features not only with the Present Perfect tense, but also, in some way, with the Present Continuous, you cannot use sentences replacing the Present Continuous with the Present Perfect Continuous and vice versa. These times have different meanings and cannot be interchanged.

Present Perfect Continuous translation into Russian

It is worth paying special attention to the Russian translation of Present Perfect Continuous. As you already know, this tense either indicates an action that lasted and ended, or an action that began and is still ongoing. Accordingly, based on the choice of one of the two mentioned cases, the translation is constructed. So, if we want to show that the action has already ended, when translating into Russian we use imperfective verbs in the past tense:

If the action is still ongoing, then the translation is carried out with verbs used in the same form, but in the present tense:

You can understand what tense is implied based on the context.

The present completed continuous tense, as you can see, is not as difficult as it looks at first glance. Since this time is limited to certain situations, it accordingly does not have a wide variety of uses. It is also quite simple to build, especially if you are already familiar with other times. So don't avoid the Present Perfect Continuous, use it correctly, and if you need to review any rules associated with it, come back to this page and re-read the examples. You can also consolidate your knowledge by going to the page

In the huge family of present tenses, the Present Perfect Continuous occupies a special place. Let's look at everything about the formation, use and changeable soul of this grammatical phenomenon in the article.

If you have reached the point of studying Present Perfect Continuous (progressive), then you will easily understand the word-by-word translation of each element from the name: present perfect continuous tense. But don't be put off by the long and cluttered title. The biggest difficulty is remembering education, because there are quite a few components. But the use is even simpler than the Present Simple.

Education

Present Perfect Continuous grammar, which is based on correct sentence construction, includes auxiliary verbs have/has, been and Ving . With pronouns he, she, it has is used, and with I, we, you, they- have. This is, in principle, not new. Even at the initial stage, it is necessary to become familiar with the peculiarities of the conjugation to have. The semantic verb or predicate is used with an ending ing, the form of which corresponds to participle 1. More information about exceptions in writing with such an ending can be found in the article “Countinuous tenses”. When forming a negation, you just need to insert the particle “not”, and in questions, you need to swap have / has and the subject.

Short forms are also important to know to ensure your writing is accurate.

You have = you've

He (she, it) has = he’s (she’s, it’s)

We have = we've

They have = they've

Have not = haven’t, has not = hasn’t.

I have been waiting for my brother for a long time.
I’ve been waiting for my brother for a long time.

I have not been waiting for my brother for a long time.
I haven’t been waiting for my brother for a long time.

Use

The Present Perfect Progressive has several uses, which distinguishes it from other tenses.

• If the action began in the past, lasted, is still continuing, or has just ended, then you can safely use the present perfect continuus.

My sisters have been watching TV for 3 hours. — My sisters watch TV for 3 hours.
He showed the picture he has been working on. — He showed the picture he was working on.

You can find out, determine this time, and accordingly put the correct form, if you ask question: How long? How much time?. Signal words that not only accompany the predicate, but also characterize it at this time can be called for - during(for a month, for a long time, for an hour). Or the conjunction is used since - since then, which serves as the starting point of the action from which it all began. Sometimes none of the clues are used, which means you need to look at the context.

• The event began, lasted and ended before the moment of conversation, but affects it. In this case, the time indicator is not always used.

She has been looking for a rich man all her life and now she has found one. “She’s been looking for a rich man all her life, and now she’s found him.”
They have been living abroad, but now they are at home. — They lived abroad, but are now at home.

In order not to confuse this tense with other present tenses, for example, Present Simple and Present Continuous, carefully look at the following table and compare:

In order not to confuse the Present Perfect Continuous with the Present Perfect, it is important to take into account some details. Let's compare?

However, the rules of the Present Perfect Continuous do not end there. A very important point here is translation. So, in the first case we translate in the present tense: works, lives, reads. And in the second - the past, and it sounds like this: worked, lived, read.

Just like in other Continuous tenses, verbs of feelings, perception, and possession are not used in this tense. All this can be found out in great detail from the article “Verbs not used in the Continuous”.

The main thing that needs to be taken into account when translating the Present Perfect Continuous is the moment of conversation and the end of the action; when forming, do not forget all the components, and when using, pay attention to whether the duration is emphasized or you are simply informed about the fact of the accomplishment. Well! You have become familiar with the rule, go for it! It's time to move on to exercises and tests!

What is the most important thing in studying times? Don't be afraid of them! After all, they don't bite. Try to speak more English, and then you yourself will notice that you don’t even think about where to use this or that tense.
Present Perfect Continuous tense is pronounced (present perfect continuus), English transcription. In this article you will learn how sentences are constructed in the present perfect continuous. Start studying!

The text below will help you become familiar with commonly used tenses in English.

Jimmy and Peter are best friends. They have been spending time together since they were young boys. Every evening, they get dressed and walk to the market. They have been walking together to the market every evening for the past 10 years.
Lately, Jimmy has not been feeling well. Peter has been walking to the market alone each evening. Then he visits Jimmy at home. He has been bringing Jimmy products every evening for 2 weeks. He hopes Jimmy feels better as soon as possible.

Education Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous is formed according to the formula:

• subject + have/has/haven’t/hasn’t + been + present participle of main verb
• Subject + have/has + been + past participle of semantic verb. Just and already stands between have/has And past participle.

Examples of sentences with the present perfect continuous tense:

— Jim has been changing tires all morning - Jim changed tires all morning.
— My dog ​​has been trying to open the door – My dog ​​is trying to open the door.
— I've been training since 2003 – I have been training since 2003.

Cases of using the Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Cont. used in several cases. Below are examples with explanations:

1. Actions that began in the past and continue at the present moment

Example:

— He's been building a shed in the garden since 5 o’clock – He has been building a shed in the garden since 5 o’clock (He started at 5 and is still building it).
—They have been talking on the phone since 9 o’clock this morning – They have been talking on the phone since 9 am.

2. Past actions of a certain duration that have a visible result or effect in the present

Example:

— She has been running– She was running (visible result – she was tired).
- No has been walking all morning - He walked all morning (The result is visible - his legs hurt).
— I feel dizzy because I have been lying in the sun for too long – I’m dizzy because I’ve been lying in the sun for too long.
— Have you been drinking beer? I can smell it – Did you drink beer? I smell beer (An action that recently ended).

• When we use the Present Perfect Continuous for actions that have recently completed, we often use the adverb just.

Example:

— You have got dirt all over your pants.
— Oh, I have just been fixing the lorry.

• Often used lately/recently with Present Perfect Progressive.

Example:

- I'm so hungry. I haven't been eating well lately.

3. Anger, irritation, explanations, criticism

Example:

— Someone has been reading my diary again! – Someone read my diary again!
—Who' s been drinking my orange juice? – Who drank my orange juice!

4. Emphasis on duration, usually with words (for, since, how long)

Example:

— How long have you been teaching Italian? — How long have you been teaching Italian?
—We have been calling to you since this morning - We have been calling you since this morning.

Note : live, work, feel can be used with and Present Perfect Progressive, since the meaning does not change:

-I' we've been living/I' we lived in England for a year.

• Also words work and live, which describe temporary or permanent situations, native speakers use +for/since for a long time, and present perfect continuous for a short time:

—You have worked on Wall Street for 30 years (present perfect).
—You have been working on Wall Street for a week (present perfect cont.).

Companion words (time markers) Present Perfect Continuous

Indicator words, also called signal words, are great for recognizing the present perfect continuous tense in English. Let's look at sentences with auxiliary words in the present perfect continuous below.
How long, for, since, for ages, all day, the whole week, for 4 years, since 1993, lately.

Example:

— I haven’t been playing handball since 2013– I haven’t played handball since 2013.
— The cat hasn’t been eating all day– The cat hasn’t eaten all day.
— My parents haven’t been traveling for ages“My parents haven’t traveled for ages.”

Present Perfect Continuous sentence forms

There are three sentence forms in English that are very simple. Let's look at the examples in the tables.

Affirmative form of the sentence Present Perfect Continuous (Positive or Affirmative sentences)

Shortened form of affirmative sentences:

— I've been waiting for an opportunity for 2 years.
— He's been teaching Ron how to play marbles.

Negative form of the sentence Present Perfect Continuous (Negative sentences)

Short form of negative sentences:

— She hasn't been singing since she was very young.

Interrogative sentence form Present Perfect Continuous (Interrogative sentences)

Short interrogative-negative form:

— Has he not been sitting?
— Hasn't has he been sitting?

+Bonus rules and pronunciation of adverbs just/already

Some verbs are not used in the Present Perfect Continuous, then comes to the rescue. The simplest examples with verbs know/be:

— WRONG: I’ve been being here for a minute.
- CORRECT: I've been here for a minute.
— WRONG: I’ve been knowing him for many years.
- CORRECT: I've known him for many years.

Take note: already

Already can be placed at the end of affirmative or interrogative sentences:

- They have already been staying there for forty minutes.
-Have they already been staying there for forty minutes?
— They have been staying there for forty minutes already.
— Have they been staying there for forty minutes already?

Pronunciation of adverbs just/already

In sentences with already/just, it is usually not emphasized by have/has or already/just. The emphasis is on the subject and the present participle:

— The fish has already been cooking for 20 minutes.

But we can emphasize already and just if we want to emphasize that something happened recently:

— The fish must be ready by now. It's already been cooking for 20 minutes.

Remember that the present participle is formed with the ending -ing. However there are a few exceptions:

• Ending - e at the end of the word is not saved, but - ee, —oe, —ye are saved without changes:

— Com e– Coming.
—Agr ee– agreeing.

• The final consonant is doubled in words when the verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant. However -w, -y, -x are not doubled:

—Si t– sitting
—Mi x– mixing

• -L as a final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British, but not in American:

— Marvel ll ing (British)
— Marveling (American)

• —ie changes to - y:

-T ie– t y ing

Differences between Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect

Many people ask how to distinguish it from the present perfect continuous or vice versa. But in fact, if you look at examples and situations, the incomprehensible becomes clear.

Let's look at the difference between and Present Perfect Continuous.

We use the Present Perfect tense with action verbs to emphasize completed events in the recent past. The present perfect continuous tense is used when we talk about long-term situations that began in the past and are still ongoing.

Compare:

— I've read that huge book you gave me. I finished reading it yesterday - I read this huge book that you gave me. I finished reading it yesterday.
— I've been reading that huge book you gave me. I’ve got another 100 pages to read – I’m reading this book that you gave me. I still have 100 pages to read.

I've read– indicates that the action is completed.
I've been reading– Present Perfect Cont., unfinished action. I'm still reading the book. Continuing activities.

More explanations on the comparison between and Present Perfect Continuous HERE.
Below you will find tasks comparing these two times.

General Table Present Perfect Continuous

Exercises on Present Perfect Continuous

To consolidate the material you have covered, do the exercises below using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Exercise 1. Put the verbs into the Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive).

1. I (feel) sleepy all week.

2. It (rain) continuously for the past three weeks.

3. We (look) for that document all day.

4. Someone (wash) clothes in the sink and they are still there.

5. Kathy and Jack (argue) for half an hour.

Answers:

1.Have been feeling
2. Has been raining
3.Have been looking
4. Has been washed
5. Have been arguing

Exercise 2. Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.

1. Harry’s skin hurts because he (sit) on the beach for six hours.

2. It (snow). The garden's all white.

3. She (not clean) the staff room yet.

4. They (already/repair) the roof.

5. I can’t find her anywhere; I (look) for her for about 13 minutes.

7. I (wash) the windows, I (sweep) up the leaves, but I (not wash) the dishes yet.

8. What do you (do)? You're covered in flour.

9. Have you got any plaster? I (chop) potatoes for lunch and I (cut) my finger.

10. I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for over two hours.

Answers:

1. Has been sitting
2. Has been snowing
3. Has not been cleaned
4. Have already repaired
5.Have been looking
6. Have decided, have been thinking
7. Have washed, have been swept, haven’t washed
8. Have you been doing
9. Have been chopping, I’ve cut
10. Has forgotten, have been waiting

Exercise 3. Open parenthesis.

1. I (cycle) and my legs are tired.

2. Who (eat) my biscuits?

3. He must be exhausted. He (train) all morning.

4. They (travel) for months.

5. I (read) that magazine you tape me. I'll give it back tomorrow.

6. Rick (play) tennis since he was a child.

7. I've very tired. We (walk) too fast.

8. You (drink). You can't drive.

9. I (teach) in this school for 10 years.

10. How long have you (exercise)?

Answers:

1.Have been cycling
2. has been eating
3.has been training
4. have been traveling
5. Gave been reading
6. has been playing
7. have been walking
8. have been drinking
9. have been teaching
10. have you been exercising

Exercise 4. Open parenthesis. Put the verb in the appropriate tense.

1. How long have you (know) Terry?

2. My arms are hurting. I (iron) all evening.

3. You look awful. What (do) all day?

4. He (learn) German words for hours, but he still doesn’t remember all of them.

5. We (not seen) Diana recently.

6. They (cook) all day, but they (finish) yet.

7. My husband is so irresponsible. He (feed) the dog the whole day.

8. I (be) on this island for five months now.

9. I never (read) such a good book.

10. Sarah is very happy because she (move) to a bigger house.

Answers:

1. have known
2. have been ironing
3. have been doing
4. has been learning
5. haven’t seen
6. have been cooking, haven’t finished
7. has not been feeding
8. have been
9. have never read
10.has moved

Make 5 sentences using the Present Perfect Continuous. And share them in the comments.

To consolidate the material, watch the dialogue on how this tense is used in everyday life.

There are difficult points in English grammar. The Present Perfect Continuous tense is one of these. But don’t panic and be disappointed in advance; it’s better to figure it out together.

Main question

If not all, then many have heard about the main difficulty of the English language - tenses. Therefore, in the first lessons of language learning, the question about the number of tenses is asked. But, as they say, the devil is not so black as it is painted (the devil is not as terrible as he is painted). There are only three tenses in English - Present, Past and Future. However, depending on what action is in front of us, four aspects are distinguished in each time - Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous.

Today we are talking about how the Present Perfect Continuous is formed and when to use it.

Education formula

The Present Perfect Progressive tense refers to unusual tenses. It combines the “incompatible” - the Perfect aspect with the Continuous aspect in the Present. This leads to the “double” formula of education: (have/has + 3rd form of the verb) + (to be + verb + -ing) = have/has + been (3rd form of the verb to be) + verb + -ing . In other words, this tense form is formed using a “double” auxiliary verb have/has been (not translated, but changed according to persons and numbers) and the main verb with the ending - ing (translated, but not changed).

How this “works” in practice can be seen in the table:

The form of the verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Passive voice (Present Continuous Perfect in the passive voice) is built according to the formula “subjects + have/has + been + being + main verb in the 3rd form”, but is used in oral speech and texts extremely rarely (This monument has been being built for 50 years - This monument was built over 50 years)

Negation

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive are built using the same formula, but with the addition of a negative particle not (not) between two auxiliary verbs: subjects + have/has + not + been + main verb + -ing .

Question

Interrogative sentences in English have reverse word order. The formation of a question in the Present Perfect Continuous also follows this rule: Have/has + subjects + been + main verb + -ing?

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As a rule, special questions in the Present Perfect Continuous begin with the question words How long? (how long?) and Since when? (From which moment?). They are, one might say, time markers (How long has it been snowing? - How long has it been snowing?)

Use

The aspects Perfect (Perfect) and Continuous (Continuous) affect not only the formula for the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, but also the cases of its use. On the one hand, it describes an action with a result. On the other hand, it emphasizes its duration in time. So, despite the long and slightly scary name, it does not have many functions and they are easy to remember:

• To describe events that begin in the past and continue up to the present:

Alice has been swimming since morning - Alice has been swimming since morning (Alice started swimming in the morning and still continues to do this)

My grandfather likes news. He has been watching news on TV for two hours - My grandfather loves the news. He watches the news on TV for two hours.

• To describe events that have recently begun, have been going on for some time, have just ended and have a visible result in the present:

• This time is characterized by indicator words that emphasize the duration of the action: recently, lately, all day, since, for.

A famous scientist has been recently developing new research programs - A famous scientist has recently developed new scientific research programs.

What have we learned?

The discussed rules and examples of the Present Perfect Continuous prove that appearances can be deceiving. The long formula of formation and the confusing name of this temporary form are only an outer frightening shell. In fact, everything is much simpler: it has only two functions. The first is to indicate the completion of the action and its result in the present. The second is to emphasize the duration.

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Such a long name of the tense form as Present Perfect Continuous Tense (present perfect continuous tense) will undoubtedly frighten those who are just starting to study English grammar. It immediately seems that such a long name hides a very complex structure with many incomprehensible rules. In fact, the opposite is true. If you are already familiar with the tense forms Perfect and Continuous, then this time will seem like a mere trifle to you, because You won’t find anything particularly new either in the design or in the rules of use. As you understand, Present Perfect Continuous Tense consists of a combination of elements from the Perfect and Continuous groups. So, let's figure out what Present Perfect Continuous Tense is.

What is Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense, translated as the present perfect continuous tense, expresses an action or event that began at some point in the past and continues up to the present moment of speech, while it can continue at the moment of speech or it could end directly before the moment of speech.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is translated into Russian as either present or past tense, depending on whether the action has completed before the moment of speech or is still ongoing.

Like all Continuous tenses, the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is not used with statal verbs (verbs that denote states rather than actions). In such situations, it is replaced by Present Perfect Tense.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is rarely used both in conversation and in writing.

Rules for the formation of Present Perfect Continuous

Affirmative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Tense are formed using the auxiliary verb to be in Present Perfect Tense (have/ has been) and the present participle of the semantic verb (verb + ending -ing → Present Participe).

Mean + have/ has been + Present Participe …

Interrogative sentences are formed by placing the first auxiliary verb to have in first place before the subject, the rest of the tense form remains in its place after the subject.

Have/Has + Mean. + been + Present Participe ???

To form negative sentences, the particle not is used, which is placed after the first auxiliary verb to have.

Mean + have/ has + not + been + Present Participe …

In colloquial speech it is common to use abbreviated forms. For example:

• I have → I've
• he has → he's
• has not → hasn’t [ˈhæzənt]
• have not → haven’t [ˈhævənt]

Conjugation table for the verb to try in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used:

1. If you want to express a continuous action that began in the past tense and is still ongoing in the present. As a rule, in this case, it is necessary to indicate the period of time during which the action is performed. This period can be indicated by verbose expressions, prepositional phrases, etc.:

• for an hour (a month, a week) - within an hour (month, week)
• for a long time - for a long time, for a long time
• since 4 o’clock (yesterday, morning) - from 4 o’clock (since yesterday, in the morning)
• since he returned − since he returned
• lately - recently, recently
• these two weeks − these two weeks
• all this year (my life, day long) - all this year (all my life, all day)

The Russian translation uses imperfective verbs in the present tense. Examples:

• It has been raining since morning - It has been raining since the morning
• They have been waiting for the train for half an hour - They have been waiting for the train for half an hour
• I have been thinking of you since I first saw you - I’ve been thinking about you since I first saw you

2. In special matters (if we're talking about about the period immediately preceding the moment of speech) which begin with the words:

• how long - how long, how much time
• since when - since when

• How long have you been waiting for us? - How long have you been waiting for us?
• Since when has she been learning Spanish? — Since when has she been studying Spanish?

3. If you want to express a continuous action that began in the past tense and ended immediately before the moment of speech. Moreover, you want to emphasize the duration of the action and the presence of its result at the moment. The period of time during which the action took place may not be indicated. The Russian translation uses imperfective verbs in the past tense. Examples:

• Come in! I’ve been looking for you all day - Come in! I've been looking for you all day
• Why are you all silent? Have you been talking about me again? - Why are you all silent? Were you talking about me again?
• Her eyes are red. Has she been crying? — Her eyes are red. She cried?
• − Why are your lips black? - I"ve been eating blackberries - Why do you have black lips? - I ate blackcurrants

Remember that there are verbs that are not used in the Continuous form. For a list, see the article “Present Continuous Time in English”. In such cases, Present Perfect Continuous Tense replaces Present Perfect Tense. For example:

• He has known her since his childhood - He knows her since childhood

As you have seen, understanding and remembering the functions of Present Perfect Continuous Tense is not at all difficult. Improve your English and stay with us!