English · B2 · verb · 5 minutes
Work: present perfect continuous
Use have/has been working to emphasize duration or recent ongoing activity.
Understand the choice
Compare I have written three pages, which foregrounds result, with I have been writing for three hours, which foregrounds activity and time.
Core rule: Present perfect continuous is have/has + been + -ing and highlights process, duration, or visible recent evidence.
Notice it in context
They have been working on the proposal since early morning.
Han estado trabajando en la propuesta desde primera hora de la mañana.
Have agrees with they; been enables continuous working; since gives the start point.
She is tired because she has been working all night.
Her recent night-long work explains her tiredness now.
The form explains present evidence.
How long have you been working here?
What is the duration of your work at this place until now?
How long asks duration; auxiliary inverts before subject.
What to remember
- State verbs such as know and own usually prefer present perfect simple.
- A completed quantity often favors simple perfect even when the activity took time.
Common trap: Do not omit been between have and the -ing form.