The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still happening in the present or has just finished.

Positive: subject + have/has been + verb-ing
Negative: subject + have/has not been + verb-ing
Question: Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing

Common uses:

1. To describe an action that started in the past and is still happening in the present

• I have been living in this city for five years.
• She hasn’t been working there since last year.
• Have they been playing tennis for an hour?

2. To describe a recently completed action that has a connection to the present

• I have been cleaning the house all day, so I’m tired.
• She hasn’t been studying very hard, so she might fail the exam.
• Have they been renovating their house? It looks amazing.

3. To express a repeated action that has been happening in the past up until the present

• I have been taking yoga classes every Saturday for six months.
• She hasn’t been watching TV for weeks.
• Have they been practising their Italian every day for a month?