Grammar › Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous: wh-questions
640 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 64 tests of ten
Question word first, then have or has, then the subject, then been and the -ing form.
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Getting your first question ready.
The usual order
Five slots: question word — have or has — subject — been — the -ing form.
Why has she been crying?
How long is the question this tense exists for
How long have you been learning English?
The answer takes for with a length or since with a starting point: For two years / Since school.
Compare How long did you learn English?, which asks about a period that is over.
When who is the subject
No swap, because there is no other subject, and the result is a question that often carries an accusation:
- Who has been using my mug?
- What has been making that noise?
Compare Who has he been calling? — there he does the calling, so the ordinary order returns.
What have you been doing
Asked about the recent past in general, it is a friendly enquiry. Asked while looking at a mess, it is not. The tense is the same; the situation supplies the tone.
All forms
| Question word | Example | Asking about |
|---|---|---|
| How long | How long have you been waiting? | the duration |
| What | What have you been doing? | the activity |
| Where | Where has she been staying? | the place |
| Why | Why have they been arguing? | the reason |
| Who | Who has been using my desk? | the person — see below |
Examples
Taken from the 640 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- What have you been doing to make yourself feel better?
- How many hours has she been working at the office?
- What has she been doing on her phone all night?
- Why have they been working this project for so long?
- How long have you been playing this musical instrument?
- Where have they been going for the past few days?
- Why has he been playing his guitar so often these days?
- How many times has she been going to the gym this week?
- Who have you been talking to on the phone just now?
- What have you been studying for the past few hours?
- Why has she been reading the same book for weeks?
- What have you been waiting in the park for so long?
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: How long you have been waiting? correct: How long have you been waiting?
The auxiliary goes before the subject.
Wrong: How long are you waiting? correct: How long have you been waiting?
The waiting began earlier and is still going on.
Wrong: Who has been he calling? correct: Who has he been calling?
Here who is the object, so the subject he keeps its normal place.