| Structure of present perfect continuous | ||
| positive | question | negative |
| I have (I've) been living here for two years. He has (he's) been waiting for you. |
Have you been living here for a long time? What has she been doing? |
I have not (haven't) been waiting for long. He has not (hasn't) been working. |
| Present perfect continuous - common mistakes | ||
| Common mistakes | Correct version | Why? |
|
|
It has been raining heavily all day. | The structure of the present perfect continuous is have/has been -ing. |
|
|
I have been sitting here for two hours. | Verbs such as sit, wait, speak, etc. (non-stative verbs) suggest continuity and so are mostly used in the continuous (-ing) form. |
|
Which? I have worked here for five years. I have been working here for five years. |
When BOTH the simple and continuous forms are possible, native speakers prefer to use the continuous. | |
