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English grammar lessons › Level B1 › Verbs

for, since and how long: the present perfect continuous

Say how long something has been happening, and choose between I've been doing and I've done

What you'll be able to do

Say how long you've been doing something (your job, a hobby, learning English, waiting for a reply) and explain what you've been busy with.

for or since?

for + a length of timesince + the starting point
for ten minutes, for three years, for agessince 9 o'clock, since 2019, since I was a child
  • I've been waiting for twenty minutes.the length of time
  • I've been waiting since half past six.when it started

The present perfect continuous

have / has been + -ing puts the focus on an activity that started in the past and is still going on (or has just stopped and you can see the result).

  • She's been learning the guitar for two years.she still is
  • How long have you been studying English?asking about duration up to now
  • You look tired. Have you been running?a recent activity, the result is visible

been doing or done?

I've been doing: the activity, how longI've done: the result, how much or how many
I've been writing emails all morning.I've written twelve emails this morning.
They've been painting the kitchen. (It may not be finished.)They've painted the kitchen. (It's finished.)

Verbs for states (know, like, believe, own, belong, understand) don't normally take the continuous: I've known her for years, not I've been knowing her.

Common mistakes

  • I'm living here since 2020. → I've been living here since 2020 (or I've lived here since 2020).
  • I've been waiting since twenty minutes. A length of time takes for: for twenty minutes.
  • How long are you learning English? → How long have you been learning English?
  • I've been knowing him for ten years. Know is a state: I've known him for ten years.

Practice

  1. I've been working here _____ 2021.
    Options: since · for · from
    Show the answer

    since — 2021 is the starting point: since.

  2. We've been queuing _____ almost an hour.
    Options: for · since · during
    Show the answer

    for — Almost an hour is a length of time: for.

  3. How long _____ English?
    Options: have you been learning · are you learning · do you learn
    Show the answer

    have you been learning — How long up to now, an activity still going on: present perfect continuous.

  4. I _____ Mehmet since we were at school together.
    Options: have known · have been knowing · know
    Show the answer

    have known — Know is a state verb, so the simple form: I've known.

  5. It _____ (rain) all day, and the roads are flooded.
    Show the answer

    has been raining — An activity over a period up to now, with a visible result.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, then practised with questions you answer by choosing or typing. It comes back for review on later days, until you can use it without help.
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More on this topic: Present perfect or past simple?