he has been working

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "He has been working" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that someone has been doing a certain action for a period of time up until the present. Here is an example sentence: He has been working on his project for three months and is almost finished.

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He has been working on a memoir.

The New Yorker

He has been working in two areas.

The New York Times

He has been working really well.

The Guardian - Sport

He has been working the phones.

The New York Times

He has been working at Kermit Distribution since July , 1988

Columbia University

Since 2006, he has been working for Korean government.

Harvard University

Lately, he has been working on customer diversification.

The New York Times

His serve, generally, is something he has been working on.

The Guardian - Sport

He has been working with the Americans for 10 years.

The New York Times

He has been working overtime, seven days a week.

The New York Times

He has been working for a hardware supplier.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "he has been working" to emphasize the duration and continuity of an action, especially when the action is still ongoing or has recently concluded. It's also effective when you want to highlight the effort or progress made over time.

Common error

Avoid using the simple present tense ("he works") when you want to emphasize the ongoing nature of the activity. The simple present typically describes habitual actions or general truths, not ongoing efforts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he has been working" functions as a verb phrase in the present perfect continuous tense. It indicates an action that started in the past and is still ongoing or has recently finished. Ludwig confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Academia

30%

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "he has been working" is a grammatically sound and frequently used verb phrase in the present perfect continuous tense. According to Ludwig, it effectively communicates an action that began in the past and continues into the present or has recently concluded. Its usage spans various contexts, including academia, news, and science, indicating its versatility and wide acceptance. Ludwig's examples showcase the phrase's utility in emphasizing the duration, effort, and progress associated with an ongoing activity. While alternatives exist, such as "he has been engaged in" or "he has been busy with", the core meaning remains consistent, making "he has been working" a reliable and valuable part of the English lexicon.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he's been busy with

Offers a simpler and more direct way to express engagement in an activity.

he's been engaged in

Employs a more formal verb and preposition to suggest involvement in a project or task.

he has been active in

Indicates participation and involvement in a particular field or area.

he's been occupied with

Uses a more informal contraction and a different verb phrase to indicate engagement in an activity.

he has undertaken

Suggests the commencement and pursuit of a project or task.

he has dedicated his time to

Emphasizes the allocation of time and effort towards a specific purpose.

he has devoted himself to

Indicates a strong commitment and dedication to a particular task or goal.

he has invested effort in

Highlights the input of energy and resources into a particular endeavor.

he has labored at

Uses a more formal and less common verb to describe sustained effort or toil.

he's been toiling away at

Uses a more descriptive and slightly informal verb to emphasize persistent hard work.

FAQs

How do I use "he has been working" in a sentence?

Use "he has been working" to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing or has recently finished. For example, "He has been working on this project for six months."

What's the difference between "he has been working" and "he has worked"?

"He has been working" emphasizes the duration and ongoing nature of the work. "He has worked" focuses on the completion of the work at some point in the past, without necessarily emphasizing the duration. Compare "He has been working on the report all day" and "He has worked on many similar reports before".

What can I say instead of "he has been working"?

You can use alternatives like "he has been engaged in", "he has been occupied with", or "he has been busy with" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "he has been work" instead of "he has been working"?

No, "he has been work" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "he has been working", using the present participle form of the verb.