Form: have / has been + -ing. It looks at an activity that started in the past and is still going on, or has just stopped and left visible traces.
I've been waiting for an hour. — How long have you been learning English? — It's been raining (the streets are wet).
| present perfect simple | present perfect continuous |
|---|---|
| result, how many / how much | activity, how long |
| I've written three emails. | I've been writing emails all morning. |
| She's painted the room (it's finished). | She's been painting (she has paint on her hands). |
Where many languages use the present (“I've been living here for two years” = I am living here since two years), English needs a perfect form with for / since. State verbs stay in the simple form: I've known him for years (not “have been knowing”).
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
wortlo.com →