Tenses Questions Long
The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past, is still ongoing in the present, and is expected to continue in the future. It emphasizes the duration or continuous nature of the action.
The present perfect continuous tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb "have" (in its present tense form "have/has") followed by "been" and the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.
Examples:
1. I have been studying for three hours. (This implies that the person started studying in the past, is still studying at the moment of speaking, and will continue studying for some more time.)
2. She has been working at the company for five years. (This indicates that she started working at the company five years ago, is still working there, and will likely continue working there in the future.)
3. They have been playing tennis since morning. (This suggests that they started playing tennis in the morning, are still playing, and will probably continue playing for some more time.)
4. We have been waiting for the bus for half an hour. (This shows that we started waiting for the bus thirty minutes ago, are still waiting, and will likely continue waiting until the bus arrives.)
5. He has been living in London since 2010. (This implies that he started living in London in 2010, is still living there, and will probably continue living there in the future.)
In summary, the present perfect continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions that started in the past, are still happening in the present, and are expected to continue in the future.