Present Perfect Continuous

What you’ll learn

Emphasize duration and recent ongoing activity.

សង្កត់លើរយៈពេលនៃសកម្មភាពដែលបានចាប់ផ្ដើមពីមុន។

Meaning and use

The present perfect continuous uses have or has been plus an -ing form. It often emphasizes how long an activity has continued or explains visible evidence of recent activity. The activity may still be continuing or may have just stopped. State verbs usually take the simple perfect instead.

Present perfect continuous សង្កត់លើរយៈពេលនៃសកម្មភាពដែលចាប់ផ្ដើមពីមុន ឬលទ្ធផលដែលមើលឃើញឥឡូវ។ សកម្មភាពអាចនៅបន្ត ឬទើបតែឈប់។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Ongoing duration	have/has been + verb-ing + for/since
Duration question	How long have you been waiting?

Examples

1. I have been waiting for twenty minutes.

   ខ្ញុំរង់ចាំអស់ម្ភៃនាទីហើយ។

2. She has been studying since breakfast.

   នាងរៀនតាំងពីញ៉ាំអាហារពេលព្រឹករួច។

3. Your shoes are muddy. Have you been gardening?

   ស្បែកជើងអ្នកប្រឡាក់ភក់។ តើអ្នកបានធ្វើសួនមែនទេ?

4. We have been looking for a bigger room.

   យើងបាននិងកំពុងស្វែងរកបន្ទប់ធំជាងនេះ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Why are you tired?

Maly: I have been preparing the presentation all morning.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
He has been work all day.	He has been working all day.	Been is followed by the -ing form here.
I have been knowing him for years.	I have known him for years.	Know normally takes a simple state form.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: They ___ (wait) since nine.
2. Make a duration question about learn English.
3. Must an activity in this tense still be happening?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. have been waiting

   Use have been + -ing to emphasize ongoing waiting.

2. How long have you been learning English?

   Put have before the subject and keep been learning.

3. No; it can have recently stopped.

   Recent activity can explain a present result, such as tiredness.

Quick recap

• Ongoing duration: have/has been + verb-ing + for/since
• Duration question: How long have you been waiting?