Date: Oct 03 2007
Topic: Grammar

Lesson

This tense is used to talk about an action or actions that started in the past and continued until recently or that continue into the future:
We can use it to refer to an action that has finished but you can still see evidence.

Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?
You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly?
I've got a a stiff neck. I've been working too long on computer.

It can refer to an action that has not finished.

I've been learning Spanish for 20 years and I still don't know very much.
I've been waiting for him for 30 minutes and he still hasn't arrived.
He's been telling me about it for days. I wish he would stop.

It can refer to a series of actions.

She's been writing to her regularly for a couple of years.
He's been phoning me all week for an answer.
The university has been sending students here for over twenty years to do work experience.

The present perfect continuous is often used with 'since', 'for', 'all week', 'for days', 'lately', 'recently', 'over the last few months'.

I've been wanting to do that for ten years.
You haven't been getting good results over the last few months.
They haven't been working all week. They're on strike
He hasn't been talking to me for weeks.
We've been working hard on it for ages.
I've been looking at other options recently.
He's been working here since 2001.

Comments

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01:33 AM Aug 10 2009 \| Reply
hicran_moonlight Turkey	lessons…thank you…okey!!!!!!!

01:33 AM Aug 10 2009 | Reply

hicran_moonlight

Turkey

lessons…thank you…okey!!!!!!!

09:01 PM Aug 09 2009 \| Reply
SENHY China	It's greatly benefit

09:01 PM Aug 09 2009 | Reply

SENHY

China

It's greatly benefit

11:05 AM Aug 09 2009 \| Reply
Urbanlady Uruguay	I’ve been using this site for few days thanx

11:05 AM Aug 09 2009 | Reply

Urbanlady

Uruguay

I’ve been using this site for few days thanx

03:07 AM Jun 29 2009 \| Reply
nasirsws Pakistan	good job very nice

03:07 AM Jun 29 2009 | Reply

nasirsws

Pakistan

good job

very nice

02:24 AM Jun 29 2009 \| Reply
hknyksl Turkmenistan	please people don't say thank you. We use exaple about this. we need untderstand that and improve english and if i use wrong grammer or sentence you fix eachother. ex: i a lot of member have saying Thanks since when the text put there.

02:24 AM Jun 29 2009 | Reply

hknyksl

Turkmenistan

please people don't say thank you. We use exaple about this. we need untderstand that and improve english and if i use wrong grammer or sentence you fix eachother.

ex: i a lot of member have saying Thanks since when the text put there.

03:54 PM Jun 26 2009 \| Reply
ahmet_tg Cyprus	good lesson i learnt a lot of things this lesson

03:54 PM Jun 26 2009 | Reply

ahmet_tg

Cyprus

good lesson i learnt a lot of things this lesson

03:02 PM Jun 23 2009 \| Reply
Elle shing China	thx for your lesson.

03:02 PM Jun 23 2009 | Reply

Elle shing

China

thx for your lesson.

09:31 AM Jun 21 2009 \| Reply
thekrayat Jordan	thanks alot . Excellent lessons thank you.

09:31 AM Jun 21 2009 | Reply

thekrayat

Jordan

thanks alot .

Excellent lessons thank you.

11:33 AM Jun 20 2009 \| Reply
gsanderj India	realy super…...

11:33 AM Jun 20 2009 | Reply

gsanderj

India

realy super…...

09:35 AM Jun 16 2009 \| Reply
cynthia.castel Mexico	hi!, this is my first lesson and first visit. it was good, i think, if you use examples, is easier to learn. thanks.

09:35 AM Jun 16 2009 | Reply

cynthia.castel

Mexico

hi!, this is my first lesson and first visit. it was good, i think, if you use examples, is easier to learn.

thanks.

08:07 AM Jun 12 2009 \| Reply
buzy_girl United Arab Emirates	thanx

08:07 AM Jun 12 2009 | Reply

buzy_girl

United Arab Emirates

thanx

01:04 PM Jun 10 2009 \| Reply
Heemo Saudi Arabia	Thanks for the topic

01:04 PM Jun 10 2009 | Reply

Heemo

Saudi Arabia

Thanks for the topic

01:18 AM Jun 10 2009 \| Reply
manucs India	thanks for sharing it nice explanation

01:18 AM Jun 10 2009 | Reply

manucs

India

thanks for sharing it

nice explanation

06:57 PM Jun 08 2009 \| Reply
khaled1 Yemen	thanks a lot you explained it very well !

06:57 PM Jun 08 2009 | Reply

khaled1

Yemen

thanks a lot you explained it very well !

04:01 AM Jun 08 2009 \| Reply
eLwing Turkey	Thx a Lot… (:

04:01 AM Jun 08 2009 | Reply

eLwing

Turkey

Thx a Lot… (:

03:14 AM Jun 08 2009 \| Reply
keri-a China	great. I am a teacher of english. when i taught this to my children. they couldn't understand. they are affected by their mother language——chinese. they couldn't use it properly.maybe i can try this. thank u.

03:14 AM Jun 08 2009 | Reply

keri-a

China

great. I am a teacher of english. when i taught this to my children. they couldn't understand. they are affected by their mother language——chinese. they couldn't use it properly.maybe i can try this. thank u.