present perfect progressive

5.3

A verb form using has/have been plus -ing to show an action that started in the past and continues now

noun
/ˈprɛzənt ˈpɜrfɪkt prəˈɡrɛsɪv/

Specialized

: pretérito perfecto progresivo

She has been working here for five years, using the present perfect progressive tense to show ongoing action.

Examples

The present perfect progressive is used to describe actions that started in the past and are still happening now.
Teachers often ask students to practice forming the present perfect progressive in English class.
The present perfect progressive tense is used for ongoing actions.
Have you learned about the present perfect progressive yet?
In English, the present perfect progressive tense combines 'has been' with a verb to express actions that started in the past and continue now.
Students in my class practice the present perfect progressive to understand how to talk about ongoing activities.
Using the present perfect progressive tense, she explained how she has been improving her language skills over the last few months.

Synonyms

present perfect continuous

vspresent perfect progressive

Specialized

4.7

A verb tense using has or have been plus -ing for actions started in the past and still continuing

focuses on actions that began earlier and still continue to the present

How Ongoing

present perfect progressive

Specialized

5.3

continuous tense

Specialized

3.1

simple present

Specialized

2.3

Surface Forms

present perfect progressive singular

present perfect progressives plural

Morphology

present + perfect + progressive

Each constituent (present = current time, perfect = completed/relevant to the present, progressive = ongoing/in progress) contributes a clear piece of meaning, and the phrase follows standard grammatical naming conventions for tense/aspect combinations. Because the label is compositional and parallels equivalent constructions in many languages, a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings can reasonably infer it denotes an ongoing action tied to the present that has relevance to a prior time (i.e., began earlier and continues now).

Etymology

Present perfect progressive is a name that paints a simple picture: present means 'now', perfect links to the past, and progressive shows something 'in progress' with an -ing verb. Using 'has been' or 'have been' + the -ing form shows an action that started before and is still happening now, so the name reminds us it describes an action that began in the past and continues in the present.