Present perfect and present perfect continuous
Present perfect for life experience and past with a present result; present perfect continuous for duration and recent activity.
A — Sample sentences
Read all twelve sentences. Notice words like relieved, anxious, thrilled, miserable, jealous, and embarrassed.
1) Present perfect — have/has + past participle
Past connected to now: experience, change, or unfinished time (today, this week, for/since).
- I have felt anxious for weeks, but today I finally feel relieved.
- She has never been so thrilled about a holiday before.
- We have known each other for ten years and we are still cheerful friends.
- He has felt jealous of his brother since they were children.
2) Present perfect continuous — have/has been + verb-ing
Emphasises duration or recent repeated activity, often with for/since or all day.
- She has been miserable since she lost her job last month.
- They have been arguing all morning — I feel annoyed.
- I have been studying hard, so I feel proud of my results.
- He has been waiting for news all day and now he looks worried.
3) Present perfect or continuous?
Simple perfect often focuses on result or how many times; continuous on how long or ongoing process.
- Has she ever felt so embarrassed in public?
- They have been feeling depressed since the bad news arrived.
- I have never felt so frightened in my life.
- We have been celebrating all evening — everyone is delighted.
The rest of this lesson is in the General English course:
- B — Quick reference
Try it: Present perfect or present perfect continuous?
Choose the best form.
- He ___ upset ever since he heard the news.
(a) has been (b) has felt (c) felt - They ___ about the exam all week.
(a) have worried (b) have been worrying (c) worried - I ___ never ___ so proud of my sister before.
(a) have / felt (b) have / been feeling (c) am / feeling - She ___ for your call since eight o'clock.
(a) has waited (b) has been waiting (c) waits
Check your answers in the course — it marks them instantly. This is one of the unit's 4 exercises; the other 3 are in the General English course too.
Practise this unit in the course →