Present Perfect Continuous: For Habitual Actions

1 The Big Idea

A New or Temporary Habit

📘 Level 2 — Present Perfect Continuous — Lesson 3

The Present Simple tells a habit that is always true. It is part of normal life: She goes to the gym every morning.

The Present Perfect Continuous tells a habit that is new or temporary. It happened again and again in a recent time, up to now: She has been going to the gym every morning this month. The speaker notices the habit.

Present Simple (always true):
She goes to the gym every morning. (This is her normal life.)
He takes the bus to work. (This is his normal routine.)
I drink coffee every day. (I always do this.)

Present Perfect Continuous (new or temporary):
She has been going to the gym every morning this month. (This is new.)
He has been taking the bus every day this week. (He usually drives.)
I have been drinking tea every day lately. (This is a change.)

2 Two Clues

A Repeat Word + a Recent Time

Look for two clues together:

1. A word that shows repeating: every day, every morning, every week, every evening, all the time
2. A recent time: lately, recently, this week, this month, these days, since Monday, for the past few weeks

She has been practicing the piano every day this month.
They have been arguing every evening lately.
He has been leaving the office early every Friday recently.

More Examples

New habit

My brother has been waking up at five every day this month.

Noticed habit

Our team has been meeting every Monday lately.

Repeated habit

The children have been playing in the yard every afternoon this week.

Temporary habit

I have been eating lunch at my desk every day this week. I am too busy.

Habit with a goal

She has been working extra hours every week since January. She wants a new car.

3 The Speaker's Feeling

Surprise, Approval, Worry, Annoyance

Often the speaker has a feeling about the habit. The feeling can be surprise, approval, worry, or annoyance. The Present Perfect Continuous shows that the speaker noticed the habit.

"Tom has been visiting his neighbor every weekend lately." (approval)
"My son has been getting up late every day this week." (worry)
"My boss has been reading my emails every day." (annoyance)
"Lisa has been bringing cake to work every Friday recently." (surprise)

4 Compared With Present Simple

Side by Side

Present Perfect Continuous	Present Simple
She has been eating lunch outside every day lately.	She eats lunch at her desk.
A new or temporary habit	An always-true habit
The speaker notices the habit	The speaker only gives information
Needs a recent time: lately, this week	Needs no special time

5 Common Mistakes

What Learners Get Wrong

❌ Mistake 1 — Present Continuous with lately, recently, or since

✗ She is learning Spanish every evening lately.

✗ They are visiting us every weekend recently.

✗ I am waking up early every day since January.

✓ She has been learning Spanish every evening lately.

✓ They have been visiting us every weekend recently.

✓ I have been waking up early every day since January.

Lately, recently, and since mean "from the past until now." For this, use have/has been + verb-ing. Do not use the Present Continuous.

❌ Mistake 2 — Present Perfect Continuous for an always-true habit

✗ She has been taking a shower every morning — it is her normal routine.

✗ My father has been reading the news every morning — he always does.

✓ She takes a shower every morning — it is her normal routine.

✓ My father reads the news every morning — he always does.

If the habit is always true, use the Present Simple. Ask: is the habit new, temporary, or recent? If not, use the Present Simple.

❌ Mistake 3 — Missing have/has, or the wrong verb form after "been"

✗ The kids been playing outside every afternoon lately.

✗ She has been wake up early every day.

✗ He been working late every night.

✓ The kids have been playing outside every afternoon lately.

✓ She has been waking up early every day.

✓ He has been working late every night.

This tense has three parts: have/has + been + verb-ing. Do not forget have/has. After been, always use the -ing form.

6 Practice

Try It Yourself

Exercise A — Which Tense?

Click the tense that the sentence uses.

1

Jim has been walking to work every morning lately — he wants more exercise.

✓ Correct — "lately" shows a new habit.
2

My sister calls our mother every Sunday — it is their tradition.

✓ Correct — "their tradition" shows an always-true habit.
3

Ana drives to work every day — it is her normal routine.

✓ Correct — "her normal routine" shows an always-true habit.
4

They have been eating out every weekend recently — something changed.

✓ Correct — "recently" and "something changed" show a new habit.
5

He has been coming home late every night this week — I wonder why.

✓ Correct — "this week" and the speaker's question show a noticed habit.
6

The mailman comes at ten every day — that is his habit.

✓ Correct — "that is his habit" shows an always-true habit.
7

Mia has been practicing the piano for an hour every day — she has a concert soon.

✓ Correct — the concert shows a temporary habit with a goal.
8

I start work at nine every day — it never changes.

✓ Correct — "it never changes" shows an always-true habit.

Exercise B — Build the Verb

Type the correct Present Perfect Continuous form of the verb given. Write the full form: has been or have been.

1

She five miles every morning this month to get ready for a race. (run)
2

He every evening this week — the deadline is tomorrow. (work late)
3

The neighbors loud music every night this week — I cannot sleep. (play)
4

She a new recipe every weekend since she bought that cookbook. (cook)
5

He to work every day this week instead of driving. (walk)
6

I for twenty minutes every morning recently — it helps me relax. (read)
7

Dan the dishes every night since he moved in. His roommate is happy. (wash)
8

We our grandparents every weekend this month — they miss us. (visit)

Exercise C — Correct or Incorrect?

Click your answer for each sentence.

1

Lena has been learning to cook every evening lately.

✓ Correct — "lately" shows a new habit, and the form is correct.
2

Tom is taking the bus every day lately instead of driving.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Lately" needs "has been taking," not the Present Continuous.
3

Kim has been going to bed at ten every night — it is her normal routine.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Her normal routine" is always true, so use the Present Simple: "Kim goes to bed at ten every night."
4

We have been taking walks after dinner every day this month.

✓ Correct — "this month" shows a recent habit, and the form is correct.
5

She has been call her sister every day since they had that argument.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. After "been," use the -ing form: "She has been calling her sister."
6

The students have been talking in class every day this week.

✓ Correct — "this week" shows a noticed habit, and the form is correct.
7

My roommate been cleaning the kitchen every night this week.

✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. It needs "has": "My roommate has been cleaning the kitchen every night this week."
8

I have been forgetting my keys every morning this week.

✓ Correct — "this week" shows a recent habit, and the form is correct.

Exercise D — Write the Question

Use the words to write a question with have/has been + verb-ing. Write every word.

9

How long / you / take / the bus / to work
10

Mia / practice / the piano / every day / lately
11

they / eat / out / every weekend / recently
12

How long / your brother / come / home late / every night
13

she / call / her sister / every day / this week
14

the baby / sleep / badly / every night / lately
15

How long / the neighbors / have / parties / every weekend
16

you / wake up / early / every day / this month

7 Choose the Right Sentence

Apply What You Know

Read each question. Choose the sentence that matches.

Question 1 of 8

Select the correct sentence.

C is correct. A new habit with "lately" needs "has been" + the -ing form.

Question 2 of 8

Select the sentence that is wrong. It needs the Present Perfect Continuous.

B is correct. "Since the test" means "from the past until now," so use "has been studying."

Question 3 of 8

Select the sentence that is wrong. The habit is always true, so it needs the Present Simple.

D is correct. "My normal routine" is always true. Use the Present Simple: "I brush my teeth every morning."

Question 4 of 8

Select the correct question.

A is correct. "Has" goes before the subject. Then use "been" + the -ing form.

Question 5 of 8

Select the correct sentence.

C is correct. Use "has been" + the -ing form: "writing."

Question 6 of 8

Select the sentence about a new habit, not an always-true habit.

D is correct. "Has been taking" + "this week" shows a new or temporary habit.

Question 7 of 8

Select the correct sentence for an always-true habit.

B is correct. "He always does" shows an always-true habit, so use the Present Simple.

Question 8 of 8

Select the sentence about a habit that started recently.

A is correct. "Since March" shows a habit that started recently and continues now.

8 Summary

Present Perfect Continuous: For Habitual Actions Use this tense for a habit that is new, temporary, or noticed. Use the Present Simple for an always-true habit.

Structure: have/has + been + verb-ing.
Two clues: a repeat word (every day, every week) and a recent time (lately, this week, recently).
Always-true habit: use the Present Simple.
Feeling: the speaker often shows surprise, approval, worry, or annoyance.

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