Conjugation & verb forms of the present perfect continuous
(Formation of the present perfect progressive tense in English)
Contents
Formation of the present perfect continuous/progressive
The present perfect continuous is based on the conjugated form of ‘to have + been’ and the continuous form (often called ing-form or present participle) of the corresponding verb. Compare the following examples and the table below:
- Examples of the use and the formation of the present perfect continuous in sentences:
- “He’s been reading a book for twenty minutes.”
- “The bird has been sitting there for some time.”
Verb forms of the present perfect continuous
Example verb: ‘to wait’
Positive/affirmative sentences
| Pronoun | Positive | Short form | Interrogative form | Short form of question |
| I | I have been waiting. | I’ve been waiting. | Have I been waiting? | – |
| you (singular) | ||||
| we/you/they | ||||
| he/she/it | He has been waiting. | He’s been waiting. | Has he been waiting? | – |
Negative sentences
| Pronoun | Negative | Short form | Interrogative form | Short form of question |
| I | We have not been waiting. | We haven’t been waiting. | Have we not been waiting? | Haven’t we been waiting? |
| you (singular) | ||||
| we/you/they | ||||
| he/she/it | He has not been waiting. | He hasn’t been waiting. | Has he not been waiting? | Hasn’t he been waiting? |
Further explanations relating to the ‘Formation of the present perfect progressive/continuous’
The following explanations relate to the topic ‘Conjugation and verb forms of the present perfect continuous’ and may be helpful: