Present Perfect: How Long? & Present Perfect Continuous

have/has + been + verb-ing

Positive Sentences

They have been waiting here for a long time.

Negative Sentences

They have not been waiting here for a long time

Questions

Have you been playing video games all day?

Yes, l have.

No, l haven’t. l’ve been sleeping all day

How Long?

Duration: how long something has been happening. Usually, do this in the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

They have been studying English for two months.

Mary has been working here since she was 22.

I have been learning to play the piano for a while.

I have been going to Emily Carr University in Vancouver for three years.

I have been playing instruments since I was a child

Complete the sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous to describe the duration of the unfinished actions:

Chris is practicing the guitar. He started practicing thirty minutes ago.

Chris has been practicing the guitar for thirty minutes.

The man is working. he started working at 8 AM.

The man has been working since 8 AM.

Andrea usually goes to Jamaica for her vacation. She started going there four years ago

Andrea has been going to Jamaica  for four years.

I usually do my grocery shopping at Mary's market. I started going there when it opened in 2002.

I have been shopping there since 2002

I'm waiting in line. I joined the line ten minutes ago.

I have been waiting for ten minutes.

It's snowing. The snow started an hour ago.

It has been snowing for an hour.

 Simple or Continuous?

Do not use state verbs in the Present Perfect Continuous.

Use the Present Perfect Simple.

be   believe   know   have   hate   need   like   love   want   own   understand

I have had a cold for two weeks.

Shaun has been a teacher for 12 years

We have known each other all our lives.

Either the simple or the continuous can be used

·        Duration of unfinished actions that happen regularly or usually.

·        Like habits or routine-like activities.

play (an instrument)   work   teach   study   live   wear   like   wear (glasses)

I've worked here since 1998 = I've been working here since 1998.

I've played / been playing the piano for ten years.

I've worn / been wearing glasses since I was five years old.

For & Since                                 

We can use the Present Perfect or Continuous with for and since.

For – how long this period in time: 2 years, 3 months, 60 seconds, A little while

Since –when the period began: 1996, this morning, last year, high school , I was young

I have studied English for six years.

I have studied English since 2012.

I have known her since June.

I have been waiting for his email for two days.