Level: Intermediate – Advanced
The Present Perfect Continuous is formed with – has/have + been+ present participle.
has/have + been + -ing
They have been practicing all afternoon.
Have you been practicing all afternoon?
She has not been practicing all afternoon.
The Present Perfect Continuous is used to express that the action began in the past and has continued up to present. Time phrases such as ‘for a few minutes’, ‘for several weeks’, ‘for today’, ‘since last week’, etc. are used together with the Present Perfect Continuous.
We have been dealing with this issue almost all morning.
He has been waiting for her for hours.
They have been winning since the beginning of the tournament.
How long has it been boiling?
Additionally, it doesn’t always need to have a duration but the words “recently” and “lately” need to be added in this case.
She has been feeling really lonely lately.
Have you been going to the gym recently?
NOTE: Always, only, never, ever, still, just etc. are normally placed in the middle of the auxiliary verb “has/have” and “been”.
She has only been working here for a few months.