“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVE BEEN + -ING AND HAVE BEEN + PAST PARTICIPLE?”


Have been + ING form is the present perfect continuous.

It means an action that has started in the past and continues until the present.

  • I’ve been cleaning the house for the past hour.
    (I started cleaning 1 hour ago, and I’m still cleaning now)

Have been + past participle is the present perfect passive.

It means something was done to the subject of the sentence sometime in the past.

  • These machines have been cleaned.
    (The sentence doesn’t say who cleaned them, just that they have been cleaned already)

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