presentation present perfect continuous

How To Teach The Present Perfect Continuous | Step By Step

Once students have mastered the present perfect tense , learning the present perfect continuous tense is relatively easy. In fact, in many instances, either of these two tenses can be used. The main goal when teaching the present perfect continuous tense is to get learners to understand that it is used to emphasize how long a current activity has been going on for. In this guide, we will walk you through step by step how to teach the present perfect continuous .

How To Teach The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Step 1: review the present perfect.

Any lesson on the present perfect continuous tense should begin with a review of the present perfect simple tense. Review the two main uses of the present perfect: to talk about  finished past actions , and to talk about an action that  started in the past and continued to the present . Elicit some example sentences from the students and write these on the board. If you want some tips on how to review this tense, check out our guide on how to teach the present perfect tense .

Step 2: Introduce The Present Perfect Continuous

Next, explain to students that the present perfect continuous tense is similar to the 2nd usage of the present perfect tense (to talk about an action that  started in the past and continued to the present .). Explain that the present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the length of a current action and often describes an activity that will likely continue.

To help students understand, ask them how long they have been studying English and if they are still studying English. Point out that they will likely continue to study English in the future. Then write on the board “I have been studying English for 3 years.”. Next, elicit some more examples from students and write them on the board, also. For example, you can ask them how long they have been playing the piano, how long they have been listening to the teacher in the current lesson, etc.

Step 3: The Present Perfect Continuous Structure

Next, it’s time to show students the present perfect continuous structure. Write the following on the board:

subject + have/has + been + verb(ing) + objects

You may need to review with students what ‘subject’ and ‘object’ refers to and when to use ‘have’ vs ‘has’. A great way to do this is to look at the example sentences that you wrote on the board in step 2. For example, you can ask students to identify the subject in each sentence and then change the subject and ask students if they should change have/has to make a correct sentence.

Step 4: Present Perfect Continuous Activity

Now that students have an understanding of the present perfect continuous usage and structure, it’s time for students to make their own sentences. A super fun way to do this is with the following activity.

Put students into pairs or small groups. Tell them that they must draw a picture of a person doing something and write how long they have been doing the action using a present perfect continuous tense sentence. Once students have finished, have them share their pictures and sentences with the class.

This can lead to some really funny sentences. For example, one group might draw someone sleeping and write that “ He has been sleeping for 5 days. “, or draw a person doing homework and write “ She has been doing homework for 10 hours. “

Step 5: Present Perfect Continuous Exercise

Finally, it’s time to practice more with some present perfect continuous exercises. Download and print this worksheet and give one to each student. To complete the worksheet, students must fill in the blank to complete the present perfect continuous sentence. You can find more present perfect continuous exercises here .

Thanks for reading. I hope you found this guide to teaching the present perfect continuous tense useful. For more teacher guides, check out these related posts: How To Teach The Present Perfect How To Teach The Present Simple How To Teach The Passive Voice

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Present Perfect Continuous Grammar Guide (w/ Audio and PDF)

This post will teach you Present Perfect Continuous grammar step by step. Learn with charts, images, and lots of natural examples. You will also find some audio/video clips in this post so you can review this grammar while you improve your English listening skills.

The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is have/has + been + the continuous tense of a verb. (Continuous tense is verb ~ing.) This verb tense has a connection to events happening now. “I’ve been studying all night.”

Enjoy this grammar resource and be sure to download the free 17-page Present Perfect Continuous grammar PDF so you can study and review anytime offline.

Table of Contents

What is present perfect continuous english grammar.

• Present Perfect Continuous With Adverbs Of Time with Examples

Present Perfect Continuous (Examples – Audio)

Compare the present perfect tense and present perfect continuous, present perfect continuous interrogative (questions), present perfect continuous negative (examples).

• Contractions Of Have, Has and Is

From The News

Present Perfect Continuous – Frequently Asked Questions

Present perfect continuous pdf.

Present perfect continuous English grammar is sometimes called the present perfect progressive. 

It uses the verb HAVE/HAS plus BEEN (the past participle of TO BE) followed by a verb in its continuous (progressive) form VERB+ING.

This grammar pattern talks about a past action that still continues. It’s connected to what is happening now. 

• We have been waiting for 15 minutes. (We are still waiting.)
• Kelly is tired. She has been studying all afternoon. (She is tired now .) 
• It has been raining since yesterday. 

We can also use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an activity that has stopped recently.

• I have been looking for a new piano teacher since October. I finally found one. 

(The act of looking has just stopped. A new teacher has been found.)

Present Perfect Continuous With Adverbs Of Time (Examples)

The present perfect continuous references how long an activity has been happening. We often use it with adverbs and expressions of time.

• all day/morning/afternoon/night 

We often use the Present Perfect Continuous with since and for to talk about how long something has been happening.

• He has been working there for 2 years.
• I have been training in Jiu-Jitsu since I was 22.
• I have been looking for a new piano teacher since October. I finally found one.

More examples with adverbs of time:

• I feel like I ’ve been working at this company forever .
• That dog has been standing outside the window all morning .
• You’ ve been driving all afternoon . Let’s pull over so you can take a break.
• I haven’t been sleeping well recently . I need to cut back on caffeine. 
• My brother works at the movie theater so I get free tickets sometimes. He has been working there for 2 years.
• I have been training in Jiu-jitsu since I was 22.

*Both of these examples talk about an activity that is still happening. My brother still works at the movie theater and I still train in Jiu-Jitsu.

• I hope our game won’t be canceled today. It ’s been raining all week so the field must be very wet. 

*The activity (raining) has recently finished in this example. It’s not raining now but the fact that it has been raining a lot this week has an effect on the condition of the field now. It is wet.

More Examples

• They have been renovating the school beside my apartment for 5 months. I hope they finish soon, it’s very noisy!

*They started the renovations 5 months ago and they haven’t finished yet. It still continues. ( renovations is the noun form of the verb renovate )

renovate verb to repair and paint an old building, a piece of furniture, etc. so that it is in good condition again 

• Have you been watching the baseball playoffs?
• Heather has been telling everyone at work about her new car. 
• Getting up early is a great habit. I’ ve been waking up at 5:00 AM since November and I love it. I get a lot of work done before most people are even awake!
• Reid bought a nice bicycle last month. He has been riding it to work every day and he has lost 3 kilograms.

Listen to the audio for these 5 examples

The present perfect uses the past participle verb tense to talk about a finished action. The present perfect continuous talks about an activity that still continues. Let’s compare two example sentences.

Present Perfect

*This sentence is from my present perfect post.

• The accident has made everyone more careful when crossing the street.

(MADE is the past participle of the verb TO MAKE)

An accident happened and it has caused people to be more careful. It had an effect on people. [The accident is the subject of our sentence and it is over now, it does not continue.]

Present Perfect Continuous

• After the accident, the city put a big sign at the intersection. The sign has been making people more careful.

The sign is causing people to be more careful. It is still having an effect on people. [The sign is the subject of our sentence and it continues to be seen by people. It continues to have an effect on people.]

This comparison can be confusing because both actions result in people becoming more careful. 

The subjects of our sentences are different and that’s why the grammar is not the same.

We use present perfect grammar in the first sentence, the accident is finished, and present perfect continuous grammar in the second, the sign continues to be seen. 

• How long has your brother been working at the movie theater?
• How long have you been training in Jiu-Jitsu?

These 2 questions both include the question phrase how long and are asking about an amount of time. We can answer with an amount of time (FOR an amount of time) or SINCE a specific time in the past until now .

A: How long has your brother been working at the movie theater? B: 11 months . ( He has been working there FOR 11 months. )

A: How long have you been training Jiu-Jitsu? B: SINCE I was 21 . ( I have been training Jiu-Jitsu from the time I was 21 years old until now. )

We can also ask questions using this grammar that start with have or has .

• Wow Alex you look great! Have you been working out?

This question doesn’t ask about an amount of time. It is asking if Alex has been doing something recently that still continues.

These kinds of questions need a YES or NO answer.

B: Wow Alex you look great! Have you been working out? A: YES I have, thanks. I joined the gym at my school last month.

• I want to go skiing this weekend but it hasn’t been snowing much this winter. There is not enough snow on the mountains. (Now)

The negative form will use the auxiliary verbs haven’t and hasn’t been .

Lisa: Hi Jeff, sorry I’m late. Thanks for waiting. Jeff: It’s okay, I haven’t been waiting long.

“I haven’t been working out very often this year. Time to get back to the gym!”

A: “Terry is a good guitar player.” B: “He has natural talent. He sounds like a pro already and he hasn’t even been playing very long.” (Learn how to use the adverb EVEN here.)

Contractions of Have , Has , and Is

In spoken English, we use contractions a lot. You will hear these contractions used very often in natural conversation.

Contractions of HAVE and HAS

The verb HAVE is written/spoken as the contraction ‘VE for these subjects.

The Third Person Singular of the verb HAVE is HAS. HAS is written/spoken as the contraction ‘S for the Third Person Singular

The Third Person Singular form of the verb TO BE is IS. The verb IS is written/spoken as the contraction ‘S . (The same as HAS)

Learn more about Third Person English grammar at my helpful blog post here > Worldenglishblog.com/third-person-singular-grammar

How Do I Know If A Contraction is HAS or IS?

In English the contractions for HE HAS and HE IS are the same. (‘S)

Here is an easy way to tell if the contraction is for HAS or IS. Please look at the following example.

• A: “How is your brother?” B: “ He’s busy . He’s been working hard all week.”

= He is busy. He has been working hard all week.

IS Contraction

In English, adjectives will be followed by a form of the verb TO BE.

• My sister ’s tall. (My sister is tall. Tall is an adjective .)

*From our example sentence the word busy is an adjective so we know it follows a form of the verb TO BE . The contraction must be IS .

Present continuous tense verbs ( that end in ~ing ) will also follow a form of the verb TO BE .

• My sister ’s rid ing the bus right now. (My sister is rid ing the bus right now.)

HAS Contraction

The verb HAS will be followed by the PAST PARTICIPLE form of a verb when it is used with the perfect tense .

• My sister ’s BEEN studying English since Jr. High school. (My sister has BEEN studying English since Jr. High school.) *Perfect tense

From our example sentence, the word BEEN is the past participle of the verb TO BE so we know that the contraction must be HAS .

• I haven’t seen the movie yet but my sister ’s SEEN it and she said it was good. (I haven’t seen the movie yet but my sister has seen it and she said it was good.) *Perfect tense

Again, the past participle SEEN follows the contraction ‘s , so we know the contraction must be HAS in this sentence.

• We have been hearing a lot about the Coronavirus this year. (Jan. 2020)

[The world is getting lots of news about the spread of this virus. Since I wrote this post we continue to get news updates.]

• (At Narita airport) Japan’s immigration workers have been screening visitors who have visited Wuhan China.

[Immigration staff started screening passengers last week, and this action continues until now. *The time of writing this post.] Update 2022 – Everyone must show a negative COVID-19 test before getting on the plane, not only people who visited Wuhan.

screening noun the testing or examining of a large number of people or things for disease, faults, etc.

News update (2022) She-Hulk Episode 5 Teases the Moment Marvel Fans Have Been Waiting For LINK

Here are answers to some great questions that I get from my private students. 

1) What’s the difference between Present Perfect Continuous Vs. Continuous Tense?

The present perfect continuous and the continuous tenses are both used to talk about something that is happening now.

Continuous tense only tells us what is happening.

Present Perfect Continuous is used with prepositions and adverbs of time to give us more information. 

• It is raining . (This is happening now.)
• It has been raining for 4 hours . (This is happening now and we also know that it started 4 hours ago .)
• It has been raining since 10 a.m.   (This is happening now and we know that it started at 10 a.m.)

2) What’s the difference between What are you doing? and What have you been doing?

The question ‘ What are you doing? ’ is asking about this exact moment. 

Sarah : Hey Jennifer what are you doing ? Jennifer :  Hi Sarah, I’m just watching TV. (This means I’m watching TV right now.)

The question ‘ What have you been doing? ’ is asking more about things you have been doing lately or recently, not at this exact moment. Here’s a conversation where it’s natural to use this question. 

Sarah : Hey Jennifer, I heard you got a promotion, congratulations.  Jennifer :  Hi Sarah, Thanks, how about you? What have you been doing recently?

I made some changes to this blog post so I adjusted this PDF from its original version. Even if you have already downloaded this PDF once, I recommend getting the upgrade.

More helpful English Grammar posts

• Stop Confusing “Across” and “Through” – 14 Clear examples (free PDF) March 4, 2024
• LIE or LAY? All Tenses (Easy to remember tips, Video, PDF) February 9, 2024
• The difference between GET and TAKE (80 examples + Video) February 8, 2024
• What’s The Difference Between an ATHLETE and a PLAYER? (Learn Here) February 3, 2024
• He Doesn’t Have or Has? 30 Examples (Free PDF – Video) December 24, 2023

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Learn English Tenses: PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

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260 comments.

Great approach! I have been improving since I started watching your videos.

Thank you Rebecca! You have been teaching English very well for a long time.

Well done, I’ve been loving this site.

(well done . I have been loving this site ) this mistake bro. Love =>Stative Verbs…. I have loved this site

Dear Teacher Rebecca in question 3 may I suppose that she will reach for 2 o clock? I think if the appointment was 2oclock in this case instead of for 2oclock it must be at 2 o’clock!

Wasleyjrz Bro. Love is a stative verb. You can’t use sative verbs in continuous tenses. You would have said 01)I love this site. 02)I loved this site. 03)I did not love this site. 04)I have loved this site

I have got straight 10/10. It is 100%. In fact , I am very familiar with present prefect tense and present prefect continuous tense. I have liked for about a decade. I have been using both tenses since I was in high school student. They are very instrumentals while writing a thesis.

Dear teacher Rebecca you tried to do your best to teach us as possible as it is possible , but I got 90 of 100 in quize nu.3 if the answer tobe as for 2.00hours ,does it will not be correct?

Love is a state verb. You cant use it with a continuous tense

thank you Rebecca, i have understood well.

Loved the lesson!

I’ve trying to understand this topic and finally I got it. thanks so much

I’ve been trying…

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I have been learning english for 20years. but I haven’t been getting a good teacher.

Thank you Rebecca, it’s good lesson to learn about present perfect continuous, sometimes I confuse to use present prefect and present perfect continuous in daily conversation. Now, I think I understand better than before

nice class mam i got 10/10

Thank you! I have been learning English for 3 years :)

thanks a lot Rebecca

thank you Rebecca, it’s a great lesson

I have been searching like this video. Thank you so much.

Great job and review, thank you D

ok ,THANKS…..

Thank you very much. Perfect method.

Thank you so much Rebecca I very appricaite it. I am waiting for each perfect form lesson. Love you ???

9/10. Thanks

You are a great English teacher online. I wish I could be younger and became your student in person.

Thank you, Rebecca. I’ve been studying English for three years and Engvid has been helping me a lot.

I need more training

Thanks, Rebecca. These videos on verb tenses help me to improve my reading and my writing. I’ve been studying English with Engvid for six month. In this period of time, I’ve gotten a lot of grammatical tools.

Sea levels has been rising , not have been becaus sea is an it subject

Hello teacher , you are using the verb to think as an example for the present perfect continuous , i think you had just forgotten the verb think it’s a stative verb

Dear Younes Aboulfadl, I have been thinking about your comments so far. And I have thought that a teacher is right, of course!=) Here is the hint: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/stative-verbs.html

Thank you for leaving a hint for stative verb. I can actually use this for my tenses, just like what teacher Rebecca suggested. ?

Hi teacher many thanks, it,s helpful

Thank you, Rebecca.

Thank you Rebecca

It’s an amazing class but please try to reduce the time for 20 minutes maximum. that would be nice.

Amazing the way you teach. I got ?. Thanks Rebbeca.

Thank You very much . I got 8/10 . Very happy for that .

Thank you so much Teacher, you are wonderful! I have been studying english for a long time :-D

It’s been good to follow your classes on English verb tenses. I enjoy it. Thank you.

I’m sure to understand these patterns. Thanks anyway, Rebecca.

It’s been a pleasure to learn English from you. I will continue to practice all of it and use it in my daily conversations with my friends and family.

You are great I love this lesson

It’s a very useful lesson. Thank you Rebecca!

hi every one i want anyone that speaks English to communicate with me and talk so that we can improve our conversation skills

10/10 Thank you Rebecca!

Thank you so much Rebeca

Thank you rebecca . I’ve been learning for long time and its a good plateform for me thanks all of you once again

Dear Rebbeca, thanks alot for your help to lean inglish in this plantaform.

Thinking is stative verb but somewhere in the lessen you have used the verb for present continuous . i couldn’t understood rebecea mam

Thinking its also irregular! it goes 2sides don’t worry about that,U can use it in continuous tenses

Rebecca mam please clear why stative verb can’t use in present perfect continuous?

thank you !i’m very happy!Igot 10out of 10!I’ve interstood this lesson for the first time!!!!!

9/10 thanks

Thank you so much! After the class I got all question right!

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thank you for this video

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Thank You you are the best :)

Now, it is more clearly in my mind.

Thanks, Dear Rebecca! You have been teaching english very well for a long time so I wait to learn english fastly and start to speak very well with you. Thank You!

Finally, I’m not confused at all on how to use the ‘ HAS and HAVE anymore. Thank you so much..

G reat class Teacher>>

this lesson has been very useful ! thank you Rebecca

Please make a tutorial about “separate prepositions”

In many sentence we use these, but i don’t know about the rule.. 1.Put on =… put it on… 2.marry off =… marry her off…. 3.cut down =… cut it down…

Atlast I came to right place.

Thank you vey much Rebecca.

I’ve been learning English by your videos. Thanks for it

Hey I’m a new student here and I’m very happy with ur lecture how can I get more exercises to practice plz

I got 10/10., I am looking forward

I got 10/10., I am looking forward to your next lesson. Thanks Rebecca.

I GOT 10/10. I LOVED THIS LESSON. Thanks teacher rebecca. :-) SALUDOS DESDE VENEZUELA

Thank you so much for your effort to teach us English. Continue beautiful trainings.

thank I have understood your lesson

yes, I done thankyou, Mrs Rabeca

10/10!!! Thank you!!!

I’ve been watching your videos for two months. Thank you because I learn a lot of basic English.

Fascinating, 100%. Thank you once again Rebecca. God bless you.

100%. thank you

thanks a lot

Dear Rebecca, Thank you for such a lovely presentation for Present perfect continuous tense. I have been watching your videos, and I believe it’s helping me to understand how the structure made to Improve Grammer. Yours sincerely student

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may I have a question please ! where the difference between saying 1.I have lost my keys and 2. i have been losing my keys .

Thank you for the lovely lesson. Thank you.

thanks!. I have been learning very much on engvid!

Hi teacher! I have been asking many questions in your lessons ‘ but here i just want to ask if i could say ( I have always been watching your video for two years) ? Thank you.

I liked this video lesson. I heard many times this kind of this structure: S + have/has/had+ PP, for example:..it had been provided or it has been arranged by them or they have mentioned it before..”. My question, what tenses for those kind of words? thank you.

It had been provided and it has been arranged are in passive forms( be + PP).

Hi Rebecca, you are my favorite teacher, very easy to understand. I have been watching your video especially for grammar lesson, and I loved them.

Thanks for your lesson. I have learned more.

very helpful class for me. Thank you.

I have been THİNKİNG of changing my job. THİNKİNG should be means participle in this sentence?? because of stative words dont use in present perfect continuous??

I have been watching your videos for a month.Appreciate……

I got 10/10 thank you Rebecca, this was extremely useful!

Thank you Rebecca!!!

I have been watching your lessons for months . The lesson is very useful thank you so much for your effort

Thank you Rebecca ,this course was very helpul for me

aren’t you English? lol Mine is 100 %

Thank you Rebecca. I have been reviewing english grammar since July for my GMAT and Toefl test. This lesson is helpfull.

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Hi mam rebecca. When we use this tense we can use infinitive verbs like (to work to run ) at the end of it? Thank you

¡Great! You’ve been teaching very good things.

Thank you a lot

thank you Rebbeca

Thanks, I got it.

Thank you so much Rebecca ! I have been learning from your lesson since 2019. Such a great teacher.

Wonderful lesson, I have been learning your English lessons for 3 months. I need to pull my socks up to gain confidence. Thank you.

Hi guys! I have a question.

10:19 of the video: Rebecca is saying that we are not supposed to use stative verbs (such as think, love, believe) with any continuous tense including the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

18:22 of the video: Rebecca is saying: “I have been thinking about changing my job.”

I am puzzled. Should I use the verb “think” which is being stative in the PPC tense or not?

I agree with you on that. Ms. Rebecca could you clarify on this question. Thank you.

Or maybe we should say “I have thought” or I was thinking” instead of saying “I have been thinking”. :)

Hi, @Oana2020! I have found in the internet that some stative verbs have continuous forms, but there is a difference in meaning. For example : State : I think she’s rich. (= I believe) Action :I’m thinking about your plan. (=I’m considering) State :I see you are in trouble. (=I understand) Active : I’m seeing my lawyer tonight. (=I’m visiting) Hope it helps! Happy learning @Oana2020!

Thank u very much. İ’ve been improving my English thanks to your lessons. I’m really appreciated.

I have been learning English very well since I found your channel . Thanks a lot .

I have been learning English for moths.

I got 9/10 thank you teacher.

Rebecca! you make learning English fun!

I got a lot out of this video Rebecca!

Thank you so much. I’ve been learning Present Perfect Continuous tense for many years, and I didn’t understand. I am so happy I get it and use it

Thank you so much, Ms.Rebecca! You are such a good lovely teacher!

I have been learning English since 6:00 am I can’t stop because it’s very well explained. youpi!!

Hello Rebecca! You have been teaching the tenses very well.

I have been doing the quiz.

Thanku Rebecca for this lesson. I have been learning English for a long time and I think my English has improved a lot after watching your English lessons.

Excellent class!!! I love it.

Amazing lesson, teacher Rebecca. Thanks a lot. (Azores Islands, 23Jan2021);

Wow preesila I have been searching For long time who from bd.

Thank you so much Rebecca for the amazing methodology. I’ve got 10 out of 10. You’re the best.

Thank teacher, for my example I have been studying English since 7pm.

10 over 10 Thanks?

Thank you very much, Miss Rebecca I have been learning your lesson since 2019. Love you

Thanks miss Rebecca

9/10 Thank you very ,Robecca , you’re great

Excellent thanks

Thank you I had been attending your class. I had been looking for this subject for a long time.

Thank you ma’am Igot 9 out of 10

Life, has been testing me since my birth. :)

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thank you, Rebecca

Thanks a lot, Rebecca. You are amazing lecturer.

I got 8out of 10 Thank you so much for useful video.

Great, thank you very much, Rebecca! 100

We have been studying English since engVid occurrence.

I have been canselling my previous teachers.

Rebecca, Thanks so much.

One more amazing class. I have been learning a lot with engvid.com. Thanks a million!

As usual 100

I’ve been taking class on this amazing course since i knew it.

Really awesome Madam,,

Thank you so much, Teacher

Thanx you so much

Thanks for all Rebecca. You always have the best way to teach. I’ve been looking for long time someone like you to understand easier.

I have got 10/10 .Thank you for the lesson. I have a doubt, as you said “think “is a stative verb and we can’t use with continuous tense but in the video you said one sentence with “think” in present perfect continuous … so little confused… could you plz reply. And also I have purchased BEX English but I used only one day, next day it showed that I haven’t enrolled for the course . How can I get access to use it again?

The verb to think sometimes it’s with stative verbs and sometimes it is with dynamic verb , that’s depending to the meaning of sentence ,so this verbs think , fell,have they’re a both of them(stative and dynamic)

Excellent explanation. I´m thrilled with this quizzes. Thank you!

Thank you Miss Rebecca :) I got a perfect score! :)

Hello dear teacher! I have been learning English for 4 years, I have got 10/10 .Thank you for the lesson. Respectfully

I was got 9 / 10, the first question choose wrong. Thank you,Mrs.Rebecca.

I have been working hard to learn english for three years, I haven’t been leaning English in the school; I am trying to learn it now.

Thanks for nice teaching .

Thanks Teacher

Thanks for teaching!

Thank you for

9/10 Thank you

thank you rebecca i have been watching your lesson all the time and found it very usefull big hug

Thanks Rebecca!! I have been waiting your videos for 1 year.

I watched this video twice on August 14, 2021, and took the quiz after watching it. I got ten out of 10.

I’m really appreciating you as a distinguished teacher.I’ve been learning from you more and more.but,Iam still confusing between since and for.you menioned in this lecture that think is a statve verb but in the examples and quiz you used it as not .Regards

I like your quiz and teaching method

I have been working at rugby farm for three months.

Have I been reading my books?

She has not been sleeping since last night.

I do enjoy your video tutorials so much.

I have got 100 % thanks a lot mam Rebecca

I got 100 % Thank you so much

Great lesson! Thank you!

Teacher Rebecca, you are awesome!

I have been taking your lectures for two days and I am feeling improvement in sense of tense rules and today, the first time I tried the quiz and I have got a 10 out of 10 which is I think progressive.

Great quiz for students at MCC Sydney Chatswood :)

I have got 10 out of 10 correct, but I just had a little uncertainty about question 5 and 8 …

Thank you for sharing this video.I have learned a lot.

You are the best teachers ever, thank you madame Rebecca

I have been watching for hours and thank you so much

Thank you so much Rabecca.

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“To think” is one of those stative verbs, can we use in present perfect continuous tense have a look sentence example “I’ve been thinking about changing my job” if we can use it (think) in this tense but how

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• B1-B2 grammar

Present perfect simple and continuous

Do you know the difference between We've painted the room and We've been painting the room ? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how the present perfect simple and continuous are used.

We've painted the bathroom.  She's been training for a half-marathon. I've had three coffees already today! They've been waiting for hours.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We use both the present perfect simple ( have or has + past participle) and the present perfect continuous ( have or has + been + -ing form) to talk about past actions or states which are still connected to the present.

Focusing on result or activity

The present perfect simple usually focuses on the result of the activity in some way, and the present perfect continuous usually focuses on the activity itself in some way. 

Ongoing states and actions

We often use for , since and how long with the present perfect simple to talk about ongoing states.

How long have you known each other? We've known each other since we were at school.  

We often use for , since and how long with the present perfect continuous to talk about ongoing single or repeated actions.

How long have they been playing tennis? They've been playing tennis for an hour. They've been playing tennis every Sunday for years.

Sometimes the present perfect continuous can emphasise that a situation is temporary.

I usually go to the gym on the High Street, but it's closed for repairs at the moment so I've been going to the one in the shopping centre. 

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous: 2

Language level

Hello Kirk, Jonathan, Peter,

A friend of mine works as a project manager at an Italian construction firm. One of his project superintendents was not particularly happy with communication within the company. This guy's team was to have started working in a client's apartment, but his client (Ms. Arreghini) decided to go on vacation first. The superintendent and the client discussed this matter and agreed that the vacation would be from January 2 to January 24. At the end of the planned vacation, the superintendent called the client, only to learn that she had contacted the support managers and extended her vacation. The superintendent wrote the following message to my friend:

February 26, Hey. I would like to raise the question of the 'Vacation status' again. My client Ms. Arreghini and I spoke about her vacation. She asked for a vacation Jan 2-Jan 24(25), 3 weeks in total. I wasn't really happy with the duration of the vacation. Now, Ms.Arreghini (1)tells me that she (2)has spoken with the managers and they (3)confirmed the START for February 6. Ms.Arreghini (4)asked me if I (5)had been informed about the start on Feb 6. No, I haven't been informed about the start on February 6. My question is: How will my waiting time be compensated, please? I have not agreed to wait for 5 weeks without compensation for this client.  

To me, the first part of the message is in the past, and the actions don't have present relevance. The part in italics is different, all the actions there have relevance in the present. I suggest these changes:

(1)tells - seems to suggest that this activity is part of superintendent's everyday routine, continuous aspect would focus on the current situation. To me, 'is telling' sound more detached and dynamic here. (2)has spoken - this is an important piece of information, it's still relevant. I like the present perfect here. (3)confirmed - this past simple is inconsistent with the rest of the sentence. 'Has spoken' and 'have confirmed' have to be together in the present perfect. Both actions are still relevant in the present. (4)asked - I would say that her question is still relevant in the present, moreover, this question was part of the same conversation. I think the present perfect would work better here. (5)had been informed - if we change 'asked' to 'has asked', we will use 'have been informed'. It's merely a technical change, since we don't have to backshift anymore.

Does it make sense?

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Thanks for helpfully explaining the context. We do find shorter questions easier to discuss and answer in the limited space here, but I'll give my comments below..

1. "tells" – the present simple is fine. For verbs representing speech acts (e.g. say, ask, tell, claim), the present simple is often used even for a single action, not just for regular or routine actions. (e.g. Then she asks me … / Now you say that …). “Is telling” is fine too, and perhaps does sound more dynamic.

2. Yes, agreed.

3. There’s nothing wrong with the past simple here. The present perfect in 2 (“has spoken”) has already established the relevance of the action to the present discussion. After doing so, it’s common to shift to the past simple to give further details about the same action (e.g. I’ve quit my job! I handed in my notice yesterday .) 

In fact, using the present perfect “have confirmed” may give the impression that the statement about the start date is still true or valid, whereas actually it’s no longer true because the client extended her vacation. The past simple might be preferable, to show that the date was confirmed at that time but the situation has now changed. 

4. The present perfect is fine, but so is the past simple (same reason as in point 3, above).

5. “Have been informed” is fine.

I hope that helps!

LearnEnglish team

Hello Jonathan,

Thank you for your answer. 

Sorry, I made a small, yet important, mistake in my message. My friend received the message from his superintendent on January 26, so February 6 was in the future in relation to this conversation. 

The superintendent contacted the client on January 26 because he thought that she would have come back already (initially, her vacation was from Jan 2 to Jan 24(25)). Unfortunately, that was not the case. At some point during her vacation, she decided to extend it, contacted the managers, and they confirmed the start in February. She didn't notify the superintendent , neither did the managers. On January 26 number 3 (they confirmed) was still relevant to the present, moreover, not only was it relevant to the present, but it was also relevant to the future, since the new start was scheduled for February 6.

Will the present perfect be the correct tense, considering this detail? 

I see, then yes - I agree that the present perfect is better for 3, 4 and 5!

I'm confused with these

• You look dizzy. Have you been drinking?(continuous)
• He can't even walk. He have drunk alcohol.(simple)

What's the difference? Thanks in advance sirs.

Hi HelloThere,

The second example is not a correct sentence. You could say " He is drunk ' (adjective) or ' He has drunk some alcohol ', which is grammatically correct but does not sound natural. Let me explain why.

Generally, the continuous form focuses on a repeated or ongoing activity over a period of time, while the simple form focuses on the action as a single thing (even if it takes a long time). Getting drunk is something that takes a while - it is a process which develops over time and can be interrupted, not a single act. Therefore, the continuous form makes more sense here.

The simple form would be appropriate if you were describing an act which has a clear consequence or result. For example:

He's late. He has missed his train. She's sick. She has eaten something poisonous. They're not here. They have gone to work.

The LearnEnglish Team

Does it means that we don’t use ‘since’ for perfect continue tenses?

Also, I wanted to know what tense should we use in this sentence “I (read) this for three times since this morning.”

Hi Ivyxoxo,

No, actually we can use "since" with the present perfect continuous, to talk about ongoing actions. Some examples are on the page above in the "Ongoing states and actions" section.

In this sentence, "since this morning" indicates an unfinished time period (i.e., since this morning until now), so the present perfect simple fits well: I've read this three times since this morning . Note that "for" is not used with the number of times.

I hope that helps.

This is a two-part question. First, why is it that most non-stative verbs sound unnatural when put in the form of past perfect + for/since, yet “I have played tennis for many years” is perfectly okay? It should sound a bit unnatural because other dynamic verbs like “learn”, “eat”, and “write” sound a bit unnatural when put in this format:

“I have learned English for many years.” “I have eaten tacos for many years.” “I have written poetry for many years.”

To further illustrate it, one answer on this website even says that “have learned” + since is incorrect: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/comment/150322#comment-150322

Although later answers seem to contradict this: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/comment/180426#comment-180426 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/comment/142866#comment-142866

I’d seen a comment over on English Stack Exchange suggesting that it’s due to the resultative nature of some verbs. So perhaps one could argue that “eat” includes the finished state/clear goal of swallowing all of the food. And so on. However, what about “play tennis”? There IS a clear goal in playing tennis - to win. The action “play tennis” is over when someone wins.

It was pointed out to me by a friend that you can add context to make the above sentences sound more natural. For example, the third link in this comment:

“You said I couldn’t do it, but I’ve learned English for two months now!”

But still, why SHOULD we need context to make these sound natural when “play tennis” + for/since doesn’t need any context?

Also, I understand that “work”, “study”, and “live” can have stative meanings. For example, in “I have worked at X company for 4 years”, “work” means “have a job”, which is stative. But with “play” I can’t imagine how to interpret it as stative. You could argue that it means “have the hobby of playing X”, but then “I have written poetry for many years” should also sound natural, considering it’s a hobby.

Second, how should we teach the difference between PP and PPC + for/since? To prompt the past perfect, I asked my students something like “What is something you have done consistently for a long time? For example, a hobby or habit.” The students answered with examples like “learn”, “eat” and “write”. Of course, I gave them the points, but I corrected it with PPC. But I didn’t know how to explain why it was better and to what extent I should even bother explaining. What do you think?

Excuse me for the terribly long comment. If you do answer, I will be very grateful.

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Using the present perfect continuous

Perfect english grammar.

Also called the present perfect progressive

Read about how to make the present perfect continuous tense here. Download this explanation in PDF here.

• I've been living in London for two years.
• She's been working here since 2004.
• We've been waiting for the bus for hours.
• I've been here for hours.
• NOT: I've been being here for hours .
• I've been going to the gym a lot recently.
• They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
• I've been reading a lot recently.
• I'm so tired, I've been studying.
• I've been running, so I'm really hot.
• It's been raining so the pavement is wet.

Here's a list of all the present perfect and present perfect continuous exercises.

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• Knowledge Base
• Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises

Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises

Published on 14 July 2023 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 25 September 2023.

The  present perfect continuous  is a verb tense used to refer to an action that started sometime in the past and is still ongoing. It also sometimes describes an action that was just completed, as long as it’s still relevant to the present (e.g., “I’ve been working hard all day, and now I’m getting some rest”).

The present perfect continuous consists of “have been” or “has been” (depending on the subject) followed by the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.

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Table of contents

How to use the present perfect continuous, present perfect continuous vs. present perfect, present perfect continuous vs. present continuous, how to form negatives, how to form questions, how to form the passive voice, exercises: present perfect continuous, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about the present perfect continuous.

The present perfect continuous begins with either has (for the third-person singular) or have (for all other persons). It always continues with been  (the past participle of “be”) followed by the present participle of the main verb . The subject may be contracted with “have” or “has” (e.g., “I’ve”, “she’s”).

This tense is used to refer to actions that:

• Started in the past and are still ongoing
• Were recently completed and have results that are still relevant to the present

She has been dancing all night and feels exhausted this morning.

I have been searching for a new apartment recently, but I haven’t had any luck so far.

Finally, you’re here! We’ve been waiting for your arrival. Note As with other continuous tenses, the present perfect continuous requires a dynamic verb – one that describes an action – and not a stative verb – one that describes a fixed state (e.g., “know”, “appear”). Use the present perfect instead with these verbs:

• The United States of America has been existing as an independent nation since 1776.
• The United States of America has existed as an independent nation since 1776.

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The present perfect and present perfect continuous can often be used interchangeably with little difference in meaning (e.g., “I have worked here for a long time” or “I have been working here for a long time”).

But there are situations where one is more appropriate than the other:

• The present perfect continuous must refer to an action that is either still ongoing or only very recently completed.
• The present perfect may refer to an action that’s still ongoing, but it may also describe an action that was completed a long time ago. Unlike the continuous, it may also be used with stative verbs (e.g., “I have known”).

The present continuous should not be used interchangeably with the present perfect continuous. Both tenses usually describe an ongoing action, but the present continuous differs in a few ways:

• It never refers to a completed action (“I am walking” never means that I’ve recently stopped walking).
• It doesn’t place emphasis on the past and shouldn’t be used with adverbial phrases that do (i.e., “I am walking since 2 o’clock” is incorrect).
• It can also refer to the future  (e.g., “I am going to Rome in September”).

To create a negative statement in the present perfect continuous, just add the adverb not between “have”/”has” and “been”. It may also be contracted as “haven’t” or “hasn’t” in informal contexts.

Yes–no questions can be formed in the present perfect continuous by changing the word order: use “has”/”have” , followed by the subject , and then “been” and the present participle of the main verb .

You can form other types of questions with wh-words ( interrogative pronouns like “ whom ” and interrogative adverbs like “when”). Add the appropriate wh-word at the start, and then use the same word order as above.

It’s possible to use the present perfect continuous in the passive voice , but it’s quite rare to do so and often reads awkwardly. The awkwardness results from how long-winded this phrasing is and from the repetitive sound of “been being”.

If you do want to use the passive voice, the phrasing is “has/have been being” followed by the past participle of the main verb. But it’s almost always better to use the active voice instead or rephrase in some other way:

• John is convinced that he has been being followed for the last three miles.
• John is convinced that someone has been following him for the last three miles.
• Faisal has been being trained for his new position since June.
• Faisal has been in training for his new position since June.

Practice using the present perfect continuous correctly with the exercises below. In the blank space in each sentence, fill in the correct present perfect continuous form based on the subject and verb specified (e.g., “[she / ask]” becomes “she has been asking”). Some answers may also be negative statements or questions.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• __________ [I / think] a lot about my future.
• __________ [she / work] for the company for a long time.
• __________ [my dog / not / behave] herself lately.
• __________ [researchers / investigate] this phenomenon since the 1980s.
• __________ [we / look forward] to meeting you!
• Where __________ [you / stay] while you’re in town?
• The auxiliary verb “Have” is used with the first-person subject “I”, and the present participle of “think” is “thinking”. It would also be fine to write the contraction “I’ve” in place of “I have”.
• “Has” is used with the third-person singular subject “she”. It would also be fine to write the contraction “she’s” in place of “she has”.
• “Has” is again used for the third person singular. Here, it’s contracted with “not” to create a negative statement. It would also be fine to write “has not” instead.
• The third-person plural subject “researchers” requires “have”.
• The contraction “we’ve” is used here to combine the subject with the auxiliary verb “have”. It would also be fine to write “we have”.
• To creature a question (interrogative), the word order is changed so that the subject (“you”) appears after the auxiliary verb (“have”).

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Possessive nouns
• Indefinite pronouns
• Relative pronouns
• Interrogative pronouns
• Present perfect tense
• Modal verbs
• Conditional sentences
• Subjunctive mood
• Imperative mood
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

The present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous can both be used to refer to the present consequences of a past action or situation:

• The present perfect can be used to refer to a past action that may continue in the present (e.g., “I have lived here for six months”).
• The present perfect continuous refers to actions or situations that began in the past and are definitely continuing in the present (e.g., “I have been arguing with him constantly”).

The ‘-ing’ form of a verb is called the present participle . Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., ‘a thrilling story’) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., the present continuous : ‘We are partying ‘).

Gerunds also use the ‘-ing’ form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., ‘I don’t enjoy studying ‘).

Present participles and gerunds look identical, but they have different grammatical functions:

• Present participles are used in various verb tenses (e.g., ‘I have been eating’ ) and as adjectives (e.g., ‘a laughing child’).
• Gerunds function as nouns (e.g., ‘I enjoy jogging’ ).

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Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is used to show that an action began in the past and has continued to the present. It is usually used to say how long that action has been in progress for, but it can also be used to say that an action has been taking place recently, or that the action has caused a noticeable result in the present. You can download this guide, as well as a number of present perfect continuous grammar activities, in PDF format using the links at the bottom of this page.

How to form the present perfect continuous

Actions that began in the past and continued to the present.

We use the present perfect continuous to say an action or activity began in the past and continued to the present.

We can state the duration of this action using the preposition for followed by a period of time:

• My baby has been sleeping for three hours.
• I’ve been living in this city for five years.
• They have been playing that game for weeks.

We can also say how long an action has been in progress for using since followed by a specific time in the past (including simple past clauses):

• I’ve been thinking about this since last week.
• Jamie has been working here since 2012.
• Helen and Sarah have been chatting since they arrived at the office.

We can also use all followed by a time word to show that the action has been in progress for the entirety of that time up until the present:

• He’s been eating cookies all week.
• Rachel hasn’t been feeling well all day.
• They’ve been building that bridge all year.

Note : If the focus of the sentence is on quantity rather than duration, use the present perfect:

• She ’s been sending five emails this morning . She ’s sent five emails this morning.
• We ’ve been visiting Rome twice in the last year . We ’ve visited Rome twice in the last year.
• They have been winning the cup seven times in the last 10 years . They have won the cup seven times in the last 10 years.

Note : If the action finished in the past and therefore does not connect to the present, use the present perfect:

• I’ve been reading Lord of the Rings. (but I still have a few chapters to go)
• I’ve read Lord of the Rings. (I’ve finished reading the book)
• He’s been fixing his car. (this action began in the past but is not yet complete)
• He’s fixed his car. (this action finished in the past)

Note : There is no real difference between the present perfect and present perfect continuous for duration (using for , since and all ) with the verbs live , study , teach , and work :

• I have lived here for three years. / I have been living here for three years.
• I have studied English for over a decade. / I have been studying English for over a decade.
• I have taught maths all my life. / I have been teaching maths all my life.
• They have worked here since 1990. / They have been working here since 1990.

New or recent activities

We can use the present perfect continuous to say that an activity was in progress in the recent past (although not necessarily in progress at the exact time of speaking). We often use this with adverbs such as recently or lately :

• I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz recently .
• She’s been visiting her mother a lot lately .
• John’s been eating more salads these days .

A noticeable result in the present

We can use the present perfect continuous to show that a past action has caused a noticeable result in the present. This is usually something you can detect with your senses (see, smell, feel, etc). Be careful when asking a question in the present perfect continuous – you might offend someone!

• I’m sorry for the mess; we’ve been cleaning the house. (the mess is noticeable)
• Have you been smoking? (the smell of smoke is noticeable)
• Your hands are filthy! What have you been doing? – I’ve been gardening.

Avoid the continuous with stative verbs

We don’t generally use stative verbs with continuous tenses. Stative verbs represent states rather than actions, and include verbs such as be , have (for possession), know , want , need , believe , like , love , hate and prefer . If the state began in the past and continued to the present, use the present perfect:

• I have been knowing him for five years . I have known him for five years.
• We have been having this car for seven months . We have had this car for seven months.
• They have been belonging to this church for years . They have belonged to this church for years.

Download worksheets

Click on the links below to download a PDF version of this guide as well as a number of present perfect continuous activities:

Present perfect continuous – grammar explanation

Present perfect continuous activities:

Present perfect continuous activity – speaking activity 1 Present perfect continuous activity – speaking activity 2 Present perfect continuous activity – sentence structures Present perfect continuous activity – present perfect vs present perfect continuous 1 Present perfect continuous activity – present perfect vs present perfect continuous 2 Present perfect continuous activity – present perfect vs present perfect continuous 3

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the Present Perfect vs. the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Nov 04, 2014

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the Present Perfect vs. the Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Let’s review: -the forms of each -the difference in meaning between them. 1) the Present Perfect Tense. The Present Perfect has many uses and is very common in English.

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the Present Perfect vs.the Present Perfect Continuous Tense Let’s review: -the forms of each -the difference in meaning between them

1) the Present Perfect Tense The Present Perfect has many uses and is very common in English. Generally speaking, the Present Perfect is used to connect the past and the present; we often use this grammar for an action that started in the past, but is still happening today. Here is an Example . . . . .

1) the Present Perfect Tense I have lived in San Diego for 10 years. Meaning = I moved to San Diego 10 years ago and I still live here today. The Present Perfect connects the past and the present.

1) the Present Perfect Tense Another common use of the Present Perfect is . . . To talk about recently finished actions (often with just) Example: Susan has just mopped the floor, so don’t walk on it!

has or have past participle the Present Perfect Tense-Form- + Negative: Has NOT or Have NOT + Past Participle But . . . what does “past participle” mean?

Past participle for regular verbs: = the sameas the simple past tense. Regular verbs require –ed in the simple past tense. For these verbs, the past participle is the same. What is the past participle for these verbs? talk live work

Past participle for irregular verbs: = depends on the particular verb. Irregular verbs do not take –ed in the simple past. For these verbs, you must memorize the past participle form. Do you know the past participle for these verbs? know be get Note: The simple past and the past participle forms are the same for certain verbs. (i.e., teach, bring, have, send)

2) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense • The present perfect continuous is often very similar in meaning to the present perfect tense. • Just like the Present Perfect, we can use this grammar to talk about something that started in the past, but is still happening. • But the present perfect continuous focuses more on the continuous action. The emphasis is on the duration of the action.

Example: It began raining two hours ago. It is STILL raining now. *It has been raining for two hours. This is the present perfect continuous tense.

Difference in Meaning: UNLIKE the Present Perfect, the Present Perfect Continuous is never used to talk about recently finished actions. • Susan has mopped the floor. -present perfect -recently finished 2) Susan has been mopping the floor for 15 minutes. -p.p. continuous; not finished yet

Present Perfect Continuous Form: This grammar has 3 parts: verb in -ING HAS or HAVE BEEN + +

Negative Form: Has NOT been –ing Have NOT been –ing John has not been living in L.A. for very long. (or hasn’t been living) We have not been exercising very much recently. (or haven’t been exercising)

More Examples of P.P. Continuous: Jane started to work in her garden at 8:00 this morning. Now it is 12:00. She has been working in her garden for 4 hours! Wow! She must be tired now!

Where’s Kelly? She’s sleeping. She’s been sleeping for a long time. Sam and Paul are talking in the hallway. They have been talking since class ended.

Note! In English, we don’t usually use stative (non-action) verbs with continuous tenses. Example: Jean got a headache two hours ago. She still has a headache now. She has been having a headache for two hours. Because “have” is a stative verb, we don’t like to put it in continuous form; so instead, we use present perfect: Jean has had a headache for two hours.

Review: • The Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous can be often be used in the same circumstance. Example: 1) I have taught at ECC for many years. -present perfect 2) I have been teaching at ECC for many years. -present perfect continuous -In this case, both actions started in the past and continue up to the present time.

Review: 2. However, we DON’T use the Present Perfect Continuous with stative(non-action) verbs; instead, we prefer to use the Present Perfect. Example: 1) I have been knowing Maria for many years. -INCORRECT 2) I have known Maria for Many years. -CORRECT

Review: 3. Present Perfect is often used for actions that were recently completed. We often use “just” in these cases. -Mark has just finished his English essay. 4. Present Perfect Continuous is preferred when we want to emphasize the duration of an action that is NOT YET FINISHED. -Mark has been studying for three hours!

Practice makes Perfect! For additional practice, visit these websites: http://www.quia.com/cb/530111.html You can also go to our class website: www.ecc6.blogspot.com -Under Important Websites for Class, click on WEEK 16 Grammar Practice.

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PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUS

I've been phoning you all day.She has been feeling ill for over a week.

Emphasise a repeated action

He has been waiting for an hour for you. You're late!He has been waiting for an hour. You still aren't here.

Action in progress from the past

Recently finished actions

When to use it

We' ve been studying Russian for three years.I've been doing homework since five o´clock.

VERBS -ING:WALKINGFINISHINGSTAYINGWORKING

HAVE'VEHAS'S

Present Perfect Continuous Affirmative

IYOUWETHEYHE/SHE/IT

HAVE + NOTHAVEN'THAS + NOTHASN'T

Present Perfect Continuous Negative

WHAT orHOW LONG

VERBS -ING:DOINGWALKINGSTAYINGWORKING

Present Perfect Continuous Questions

I have been studyingI haven't been studying Have you been studying?

I have been studyingI haven't been studying (What/How long)Have you been studying?

Period of time until now

Point in time in the past

I've bee living here for 10 years.My dad has been driving for hours.

For and Since

I've been living here since 2011.I've been living here since I was a kid.

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Nursing students' capstones present clinical research

Published 04.25.2024

Photos by Jennifer Cline, writer/magazine editor

Penn College nursing students presented their capstone projects on Tuesday, researching a variety of health conditions they saw while completing clinical education experiences in area hospitals, and exploring ways to improve a process they witnessed.

The 23 students – all preparing to complete their bachelor’s degrees after final exams next week – are enrolled in three courses that, in tandem, resulted in their capstone projects: Adult Health Nursing III, taught by Pamela W. Baker, associate professor of nursing (with labs co-taught at clinical sites by Baker and nursing instructors Gina L. Bross, Jessica A. Confer and Steve C. Sofopoulos); Leadership & Management in Nursing, taught by Donnamarie Lovestrand, assistant professor of nursing; and Research & Theory in Clinical Practice, taught by Barbie D. Harbaugh, assistant professor of nursing.

As the nursing industry – like others – seeks continuous improvement, the research, leadership and presentation skills practiced will be vital in the students’ work.

Four student groups addressed:

Research: Preventing Skin Breakdown Using Wedges vs. Pillows in Intubated Intensive Care Unit Patients Process improvement: Improve communication and team building by instituting shift huddles Students: Monica I. Boone, of South Williamsport; Hesakya Hoover, of Williamsport; Shelby Pyatt, of Frenchtown, N.J.; Miranda Schneider, of Williamsport; Kaelynn N. Sheetz, of Elizabethtown; and Allison M. Troup, of Huntingdon.  

Research: Liver Transplants with Healthy Liver vs. Liver with a Comorbidity Process improvement: Provide more education to nurses regarding organ donation Students : Felicia J. Baney, of Mill Hall; Maria Berardelli, of Montoursville; Jenna Hickok, of Williamsport; Nina Miller, of Pottsville; Austin J. Spotts, of Dalmatia; and Megan S. Twigg, of Montgomery.  

Research: Urinary Tract Infection Risk Assessment of Foley Catheters vs. External Catheters: A comparison Process improvement: Standardize the method for cleaning Foley catheters and provide consistent training to nurses Students: Madison C. Branstetter, of Tyrone; Kendra L. Rager, of Williamsport; Vanessa Reddick, of Sligo; Lisa Sever, of Montoursville; Aubrey Stetts, of Jersey Shore; and Madison S. Wells, of Muncy Valley.  

Research: Decreasing Alarm Fatigue in the ICU Setting (The alarms are those on monitoring equipment, such as ventilators and cardiac monitors.) Process improvement: Improve response time to reduce the stress of nurses and improve patient outcomes.  Students: Dana P. Clements, of Cleona; Sadie V. Kerstetter, of Loganton; Ashlyn R. Leo, of Benton; Katharine M. Noss, of Shickshinny; and Krysta Windnagle, of Addison, N.Y.

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