The continuous or simple form can be used for actions repeated over a long period.

I’ve been collecting / I’ve collected stamps since I was a child.

We use the Present Perfect Continuous for actions that have just finished, often when we can see the result.

The road is wet; it has been raining.

For actions that are temporary, unusual or continue for some time.

I have been staying with Aunt Olga this week as my mother is in Paris.

Remember that some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form. So instead of the Present Perfect Continuous, they are usually used in the Present Perfect.

I’ve been sitting here in the park for an hour, and I’ve met two friends of mine.

(Not; I’ve been meeting.)

Tom and I have known each other since we were at school.

8. The Present Perfect Continuous is used with for, since and How long…? to say how long something has been happening.

-How long have you been waiting for me?

-I’ve bee waiting for you since 8 o’clock / for two hours.

We use since when we say the beginning of the period (8 o’clock).

We use for when we say the period of time (two hours).

THE PAST PERFECT TENSE

I. The formation of the Past Perfect Tense.

The Past Perfect is formed by means of the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to have and Participle II of the notional verb.

In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.

II. The contracted affirmative forms are:

I’d worked

We’d worked

The contracted negative forms are:

I hadn’t worked

We hadn’t worked

The negative-interrogative forms are:

Had he not worked?

Hadn’t he worked?

Had you not worked?

Hadn’t you worked?

III. The use of the Past Perfect

The Past Perfect expresses an action accomplished before a given past moment and viewed back from that moment.

The porter said that our friend had just left the club.

The storm had died away but very far off the thunder was still muttering.

The past moment from which the accomplished action is viewed may be indicated:

a) By means of an adverbial expression: by four o’clock, by that time, by the end of the week, etc.

By that time the children had already gone to school.

By the end of the week we had already done half of the work.

By six o’clock they had already gathered in the hall.