Present Perfect Progressive: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what the present perfect progressive tense is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on present perfect progressive tenses, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is the present perfect progressive tense?

According to Walden, there are many different forms of verbs in the English language, from a simple form of the verb to complex:

  •   Simple future tense
  •   Imperative tense
  •   Present participle tense
  •   Past perfect tense
  •   Conditional tense
  •   Present perfect tense
  •   Subjunctive tense
  •   Conditional perfect progressive tense
  •   Perfect passive tense
  •   Future perfect progressive tense
  •   Present progressive tense
  •   Conditional perfect tense
  •   Present indicative tense
  •   Present perfect continuous tense
  •   Simple conditional tense
  •   Present perfect progressive tense 
  •   Past perfect progressive tense
  •   Past progressive tense
  •   Gerund tense or gerund phrase 
  •   Conditional progressive tense
  •   Present perfect progressive/continuous tense
  •   To-infinitive tense
  •   Simple past tense
  •   Bare infinitive tense
  •   Future perfect tense
  •   Future progressive tense
  •   Past progressive/continuous tense
  •   Past participle tense
  •   Indicative tense
  •   Infinitive tense
  •   Simple present tense
  •   Present continuous tense

Today we will go over the present perfect progressive tense. According to Grammar Monster, this tense is used for continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in the past but has now finished. This tense combines the perfect tense and the progressive tense. The perfect tense refers to an action or state that either occurred at an indefinite time in the past, while the progressive tenses refer to continuous actions by using ing verbs.

The present progressive uses two auxiliary verbs. To form the present participle of the main verb used for most verbs, you add ing. With verbs that end “e,” remove the “e” and add “ing” such as ride > riding. For verbs that end “ie,” change the “ie” to “y” and add “ing” such as lie > lying. Finally, for verbs whose last syllable is written [consonant-vowel-consonant] and is stressed, double the final consonant and add “ing” such as run > running. This verb tense has a main verb and makes uses of the present participle. The present perfect progressive tense can also be used to form negative sentences, continuous forms, questions, and other present tenses. They can refer to something that happened in the present moment or something that has been happening for a duration or amount of time.

What are examples of the present perfect progressive tense?

The present perfect progressive can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of present perfect progressive that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Take a look at the below list of present perfect progressive examples from Ginger and Really Learn English:

  •  I haven’t been feeling well lately.
  •  She has been feeling much better lately.
  •  I have been working for you for the last three months.
  •  The cat has been hiding under the couch for over an hour now.
  •  What have you been doing since I left?
  •  Lately, Susan has been coming late.
  •  I have been waiting for you for an hour and a half!
  •  Tim had been listening to his boss talk about his divorce for hours.
  •  I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours.
  •  The sales team hasn’t been performing at the top of their game.
  •  Julie has not been paying attention!
  •  I haven’t been sleeping too well lately.
  •  They have been playing soccer for several hours, so now they are exhausted.
  •  What have they been doing?
  •  Jenny has been working there since July.
  •  She has been sneezing since she got here.
  •  He has been playing tennis and not doing his homework. 
  •  My ex has been living in London and picked up different habits with a new focus. He is now in possession of a new car.
  •  She has let her unfinished actions go for the whole day – what’s next, will they be done next year?
  •  They have been losing all their matches recently.
  •  Sam has been working as a teacher since he graduated.
  •  He has a stomach ache because he has been eating too much.
  •  Simon hasn’t been attending class regularly since he got a job.
  •  We have been working day and night on this project, so now it’s time to relax and have some fun.
  •  How long has he been waiting?
  •  I have been living in this house for 40 years.
  •  Recently, I have been making more and more money with my business.
  •  Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?
  •  Those workmen have been fixing the roads.
  •  They have been chatting for the last two hours.
  •  John has been baking cakes.
  •  Mr and Mrs Cox have been taking the wrong pills for years.
  •  Julie has been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan.
  •  I haven’t been studying much recently.
  •  She has been chewing for two minutes.
  •  Have you been jogging lately?
  •  I have been working since yesterday evening.
  •  You have been watching TV for the last five hours. Do you think maybe it’s time to get some work done?
  •  The kids have been watching too much TV lately.

Overall, the present perfect progressive tense refers to a verb tense that has two uses: to refer to a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, as well as a continuous activity that began in the past but has now finished. 

Sources:

  1. Glossary of grammatical terms | OED 
  2. Examples of Present Perfect Progressive Tense | Really Learn English 
  3. The Present Perfect Progressive Tense – Verbs | Ginger 
  4. Present Perfect Progressive Tense | What Is the Present Perfect Progressive Tense? | Grammar MonsterÂ