English tenses | Present Perfect Continuous (have been doing) & Present Continuous (am doing)

What's the difference between I am doing something  and I have been doing something?

Are they interchangeable?

Hello and welcome everyone, this is Minoo at Anglo-Link.

In this lesson, we're going to review the difference between Present Continuous (I am doing),

and, Present Perfect Continuous (I have been doing).

A PDF version of this lesson is available for you to download in Anglo-Link's PDF Library.

You'll find the link to join the library in the description box.

Okay! let's start with Present Continuous (I am doing).

We use the Present Continuous tense (I am doing, he is doing they are doing)

for actions in progress or temporary situations.

For example: I'm currently working from home.

Some common time expressions for this tense are currently, now, at present, at the moment, etc.

So, what about Present Perfect Continuous?

We have been doing, she has been doing, etc.

We use this tense for an action that started in the past  and continues in the present.

For example:  I've been working from home for one month.

Common time expressions for this tense are 'for', which is plus the length of time.

'Since', which is plus the start point of the action.

And also, expressions like 'all day' or 'this week' etc.

A common question I get is: Are these two tenses interchangeable?

For example, can we say: I am working from home for one month or since April.

That is using the Present Continuous with 'for' and 'since'.

No! This is a mistake.

If you use time expressions like 'for', 'since', 'all day', etc.,

you must use Present Perfect Continuous:

I have been working from home for one month or since April.

What about the other way around?

Can we say: I have been working from home?

So, using Present Perfect Continuous without mentioning how long.

And the answer is...

Yes you can!

If you don't know how long or you don't want to mention it,

you can use this tense to indicate that the  action has continued for some time.

If you want, you can add the expressions 'for a while' or 'for some time'. But, you don't have to.

You can just say: I have been avoiding coffee.  Or: she has been thinking of quitting her job.

Right! There is one special case I need to mention to you, and that is when we use the Present Perfect Continuous without 'for' or 'since'

for an action that has just finished with an undesirable effect in the present.

For example:  Why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?

Or, someone may say: Why are your clothes wet? And the answer can be: I've been washing the car.

You're not washing the car anymore. You've just stopped.

But now the effect is that your clothes are wet.

And one last thing. As always, watch out for State Verbs.

A State Verb describes a mental or emotional state or a fact.

Make sure you don't put a State Verb in a Continuous tense.

For example, take the verb 'have'.

'Have' can replace 'eat', which makes it an Action Verb.

For example, you can say: I'm having lunch now.  Or: I have been having lunch for 10 minutes.

But the real meaning of 'have' is to own, which is now a State Verb.

And now you cannot use a Continuous tense with this verb.

You cannot say: I am having a headache.

You can only say: I have a headache.

And, you cannot say: I have been having a headache all day.

You need to say: I have had a headache all day.

Right! Let's finish by putting these two tenses together in a dialogue:

What are you doing?

I'm repairing my bicycle.

How long have you been doing that?

I've been doing it all morning.

Are you thinking of selling it?

No, I think it's too old to sell.

Notice that in the question, the verb 'think' is an Action Verb.

It's about are you thinking now of doing this thing.

Whereas, in the answer 'think' is a State Verb, which means I believe it's my opinion.

And therefore, it's not in the Continuous form. It's in the Simple form.

How long have you owned it?

I've had it for three years.

And now, both the verbs 'have' and 'own' are State Verbs.  So, you do not see the Continuous tense anymore.

Right! That's the end of this lesson.

If you'd like more examples of these two tenses, you can watch this lesson.

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Thanks a lot for watching, and I look forward to seeing  you in my next lesson very soon.

Goodbye for now.