When to use the present perfect continuous. Present Perfect Continuous - rules for making sentences and examples. Rules for the formation of Present Perfect Continuous Tense
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Using Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Continuous) is used in two main meanings, that is, it means:
An action that started in the past has been going on for some time and is still going on.
. It uses the words for(during) or since(since since):
for example, for two weeks, for five minutes, for an hour, since yesterday, since 5 o'clock, since Wednesday.
I have been living in London for two years. — I have been living in London for two years.
I came to live in London, lived for a while and still live.
It has been raining since morning. — It has been raining since morning.
It started raining in the morning, it rained for a while and it's still raining.
Please note that in this meaning Present Perfect Continuous is translated into Russian as a verb that answers questions what do i do? what is he doing? what do they do? what do we do?
An action that began in the past, continued for some period of time, and has just ended, and the result of this action obvious . We can see, hear, feel that something has recently happened. The words are often used lately and recently(recently, lately).
I ran. Therefore, I am very tired. — I have been running. So I am very tired.
I ran for a while, but now I'm done, and as a result, I feel tired.
It was raining. The sidewalk is wet. — It has been raining. The pavement is wet.
It rained for a while, but ended, as a result - we see a wet sidewalk.
Look, in this meaning, Present Perfect Continuous is translated into Russian as a verb that answers questions what did you do? what have you been doing? what they were doing?
Education Present Perfect Continuous
An auxiliary verb is used to form Present Perfect Continuous have / has + been+ verb with -ing ending.have / has + been + verb-ing
Statement
I have been work ing since morning. — I have been working since morning.
We have been work ing since morning. We have been working since morning.
You have been work ing since morning. - You have been working since morning. (You have been working since morning.)
They have been work ing since morning. They have been working since morning.
He has been work ing since morning. - He has been working since morning.
She has been work ing since morning. She has been working since morning.
Note that the auxiliary verb has used only in 3 l. units h.(with pronouns he,she, it). How to add to a verb ending -ing, read .
Negation
Negation is formed using a particle not, which is placed after the auxiliary verb have / has:
I have not been work ing since morning. - I don't work in the morning.
We have not been work ing since morning. We don't work in the morning.
You have not been work ing since morning. You haven't been working since morning. (You don't work in the morning.)
They have not been work ing since morning. They don't work in the morning.
He has not been work ing since morning. He hasn't been working since morning.
She has not been work ing since morning. She hasn't been working since morning.
Auxiliary have / has in negative form is abbreviated as follows:
have not = haven't (I haven't been working = I haven't been working)
has not = hasn't (He hasn't been working = He hasn't been working)
The present perfect continuous/progressive is the present tense for activity up to now. It occurs recently or periodically repeats to the current speech moment. This activity has just been completed or is still in progress.
The present perfect continuous is formed as a personal present form have been+ real communion. It is often spliced to ‘ ve/sbeen. Real perfect continuous negation havenot / haven't, hasnot / hasn't.
I've been playing football - Ihereplayedinfootball
I've been reading that book - Iherewas readingthatbook
I've been thinking about your offer and I'm ready to accept it - Ithoughtaboveyourofferandreadyhisto accept
have/has been + -ing |
has sb been doing sth | sb has been doing sth | sb hasn't been doing sth |
Present perfect continuous values
- long/frequent recent activities
They've been going out a lot recently - Lasttimetheya lot ofhang out
She's been smoking too much recently - Shea lot ofsmokeslast thingtime
Sam has been talking on the phone for half an hour – SamHe speaksontelephonehalf an hour
- visibly effective actions
Shehasbeenwalkingallmourning - She is up all morning
Whathaveyoubeendoing? – What did you do just now?
I'vebeenrepairingthecar – I just fixed the car, see?
- intrusive actions (increased anger/irritation)
Somebody has been giving away our plans - Who-thennow and then gives outourplans
I've been looking for you for the last half hour - Iyoualreadyhalf an hourlooking for
Tim'sbeenwatchingTVallday - Tim stays on TV all day
neighboring times
As a result of the merging of the Present Perfect and the Present Continuous, the Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes both the effectiveness and the duration of the activity. with verbs live, work, teach, feel you can use the present perfect and present continuous interchangeably. However, as a longer tense than the perfect tense, the present perfect continuous avoids the rest of the static verbs. Therefore, this time is a dynamic version of the present perfect.
We have lived / been living here for 20 years - Welivehereyears 20
Temporary indication
- prepositions
for(optional, except for negatives), since, howlong
They’ve been studying English for 3 years – TheyteachEnglish3 years
Sally’s been working here (for) 6 monthsworkshere6 months
What have you been doing since we last met? - Howyouwas engagedafterourlastmeetings?
John’s been looking for a job since he finished university – Johnlooking forworkWithgraduationuniversity
how longhave you been feeling so depressed? - For a long timeatYouthisdepression?
- adverbs (adverbial phrases)
lately/of late/recently, all morning/day/night/year, long
She's been working all day - Sheworksthe wholeday
I've been working really hard latelytimeIthe wholeinwork
Have you been waiting long? - For a long timeyouwaiting?
English Joke
The new soda clerk was a mystery, until he himself revealed his shameful past quite unconsciously by the question he put to the girl who had just asked for an egg-shake.
Light or dark? he asked mechanically.
In order to understand the difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous, let's look at the key points in the formation and use of each tense.
Education Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous
Using Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous
Main use case Present Perfect - expression of an action that has taken place so far, the result of which is available in the present tense. The action could take place immediately before the moment of speech, and at a more distant time in the past. When using the Present Perfect, the speaker pays attention to the result that follows from the completed action, and not to the time of its completion. The presence of the result connects the completed action, expressed in the Present Perfect, with the present. Present Perfect often used without indicating the time of the action, since the speaker's attention is drawn not to the time of the action, but to its result in the present.I have broken my pencil. I broke my pencil. (The speaker means to report a specific result of the action have broken, namely that the pencil is broken. He could also express this with the sentence: My pencil is broken. My pencil is broken.)
Main use case Present Perfect Continuous - an expression of an ongoing action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case the period of time during which the action is performed is always indicated (for an hour, for a month, for a long time, since yesterday, etc.) .
I have been waiting for my brother for a long time. I have been waiting for my brother for a long time.
He has been teaching English since 1999. He has been teaching English since 1999.
From the above examples, it can be seen that Present Perfect Continuous can express both an action taking place at the moment of speech (example one), and an action that is ordinary, constant, characteristic of the subject, i.e. happening in general (example two). If the examples did not indicate how long the action takes, then instead of Present Perfect Continuous, one should use Present Continuous (i.e. it would just be an action taking place at the moment of speech) or Present Simple (a normal action characteristic of the subject).
I am waiting for my brother. I am waiting for my brother.
He teaches English. He teaches English.
Present Perfect Continuous is also used for long-term expressions that began in the past and ended just before the moment of speech. In this case the period of time during which the action was performed may or may not be specified.
I feel tired as I have been working in the garden for several hours. I feel tired because worked in the garden for several hours.
Although the sun is shining, it is still cold as it is has been raining hard. Although the sun is shining, it is still cold, because it was raining heavily.
Let's put it all in the form of a table:
Can Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect replace each other?
When it comes to the action of the usual, permanent, characteristic of the subject, i.e. happening in general, then when indicating the duration of the action, along with the Present Perfect Continuous, the Present Perfect is used. The use of the Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration of the action, while the Present Perfect emphasizes the fact of the action.He has been living in London for five years. = He has lived in London for five years.
He has lived in London for five years.
He has been teaching English since 1999. = He has taught English since 1999.
He has been teaching English since 1999.
With verbs that are not used in the tenses of the Continuous group (to be, to love, to have, to know, etc.), Present Perfect is used instead of Present Perfect Continuous.
She has known him for two years. She has known him for two years.
(the first form of the semantic verb with the ending - ing).
Depending on the person and number in which the subject is in the sentence, one form or another of the auxiliary verb is used.
- I, We, You, They → have been(for 1st, 2nd person and plural forms)
- He, She, It → has been(for 3rd person singular)
- I have been watching this trick all this time.“I've been looking at this trick all this time.
- She has been waiting for you for half an hour. She has been waiting for you for half an hour.
- We 've been talking about our wedding. We were talking about our wedding.
Abbreviations from have been and has been:
|
|
- Have you been watching this trick all this time? Have you been looking at this trick all this time?
- Has she been waiting for you for half an hour? She waited for you for half an hour?
- Have they been talking about our wedding? Did they talk about our wedding?
- We have been living here since 1980. We have been living here since 1980.
- I've been working here since I finished the university.“I have been working here since I graduated from university.
Anger, dissatisfaction, irritation
Present Perfect Continuous used to express anger, displeasure and irritation.
- His sister has been giving away a lot of our insider information, so she needs a good lawyer.“His sister gave away a lot of our confidential information, so she needs a good lawyer.
- Someone has been rummaging in my flat. I can't find my gold watch. Someone was rummaging through my apartment. I can't find my gold watch.
- He has been joking like an idiot all day. I hate his sense of humor. He joked like an idiot all day. I hate his sense of humor.
Time markers
Present Perfect Continuous is used with certain words and phrases that indicate the duration of an action or the moment the action was started.
- since 10 o'clock - from ten o'clock
- since yesterday - since yesterday
- since last month
- since 1991
- since... action in past simple- with ... action expressed in the past simple
- all day (long) - all day
- all morning / the whole morning- all morning
- all evening / the whole evening- all evening
- all night long - all night
- for half an hour - for half an hour
- for 2 hours - for two hours
- for 3 days - for three days
- lately - lately
- recently - recently
Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Progressive) is the present continuous perfect tense. Present Perfect Continuous is not very popular in English for three reasons:
- Long form.
- Narrow aspect of use.
- Interchangeability. In some cases Present Perfect Continuous can be easily replaced with Present Perfect without changing the meaning of the sentence.
But this does not mean that our article should be closed and forgotten about the existence Present Perfect Continuous. Scope of use Present Perfect Continuous rather narrow, but this time takes its place in the English language, and it is sometimes impossible to replace it with another one. Moreover, in speech Present Perfect Continuous sounds very impressive if you use it correctly.
How is Present Perfect Continuous formed?
Statement
The peculiarity of this time is that it combines two aspects - Perfect and continuous. Present Perfect Continuous formed with an auxiliary verb to be in Present Perfect – have been(or has been for pronouns he, she, it and nouns in the singular). The main verb is the verb + ending -ing.
| I/We/You/They + have been + verb- ing | He/She/It + has been + verb- ing |
|---|---|
| I have been read ing
. - I am reading. We have been wait ing . - We expect. You have been play ing . - You're playing. They have been work ing . - They work. |
He has been runn ing
. - He is running. She has been laugh ing . - She is laughing. It has been work ing
. - It is working. |
Negation
In negation, a particle appears not, which must be placed between have (has) and been.
| I/We/You/They + have not been + verb- ing | He/She/It + has not been + verb- ing |
|---|---|
| I have not been read ing
. - I do not read. We have not been wait ing . We don't expect. You have not been play ing . - You don't play. They have not been work ing . - They do not work. |
He has not been runn ing
. - He doesn't run. She has not been laugh ing . She doesn't laugh. It has not been work ing
. - It doesn't work. |
We can use abbreviated forms for the verb have (has). In an affirmative sentence have/has combined with the pronoun:
- You've been playing.
- She's been laughing.
In a negative sentence have/has merges with not:
- We haven't been waiting.
- He hasn't been running.
Question
In an interrogative sentence have/has comes first, and been stays with the main verb. Thus, it turns out that in the first place we have have (has), after which the subject, then been and closes this long chain of the main verb.
| have + I/we/you/they + been verb- ing | Has + he/she/it + been verb- ing |
|---|---|
| have I been read ing
? - I am reading? have we been wait ing ? - We expect? have you been play ing ? - You're playing? have they been work ing ? - They work? |
Has he been runn ing
? - He is running? Has she been laugh ing ? - She is laughing? Has it been work ing
? - It is working? |
In order to make it convenient for you to study this time, we divided all its functions into three blocks: green (for entry-level), yellow (for intermediate), red (for high).
Using Present Perfect Continuous
First level
Time Present Perfect Continuous looks like at the same time Present Perfect, and on Present Continuous. This time has two main functions: one contains the meaning of the aspect continuous, the second - aspect Perfect.
- We use Present Perfect Continuous if the action started in the past, lasted for some time and is still going on in the present. This function shows a long action, it was inherited from the aspect continuous.
As a rule, the offer indicates the time of action, but without clear time limits. That is, we can know when the action began, how long it lasted, but we do not know when it will end. To show the time, we use the following words and expressions: lately(recently, recently) recently(recently, recently) quite a while(pretty long), all day(all day), as well as prepositions for(during) and since(beginning with).
Tom has been watching TV all day. - Volume looks television all day. (Tom started watching TV in the morning, watched it all day and is still watching it)
It has been raining for 3 hours. - Rain goes within three hours. (it started raining three hours ago, lasted for three hours and is still raining)
Since this function shows the duration, then the question is Present Perfect Continuous usually starts with expressions how long(how long, what time) and since when(since when, since when).
– How long has she have been learning French? - How long she is teaches French?
– She has been learning French for seven years. - She is teaches French during seven years old.– Since when have you have been learning German? - Since when you you teach Deutsch?
– I have been learning German since yesterday. - I I teach Deutsch co yesterday.Pay attention to the translation. We are talking about an action that continues in the present, so when translated into Russian, the verb will be in the present tense.
- We use Present Perfect Continuous if the action ended recently and its result is now visible. This function was inherited from the aspect Perfect. But using Perfect Continuous, we emphasize that the action in the past lasted for some time.
Your clothes are dirty. What have you been doing? - Your clothes are dirty. What you did? (now it is dirty, so before that he was doing something where you could get dirty)
I 've been talking to Sandy about the problem and she agrees with me. - I talked with Sandy about this issue, and she agrees with me. (in the present, Sandy agrees with me because we have discussed this issue in the past)
In this function, the action time may or may not be specified.
We are very tired. We have been walking in the mountains. - We are very tired. We walked in the mountains.
We are very tired. We have been walking in the mountains since early morning. - We are very tired. We walked in the mountains c early morning.
Pay attention to the translation. In this function, we are talking about an action that has already ended, so when translated into Russian, the verb will be in the past tense.
Where else is Present Perfect Continuous found?
Average level
- With verbs like work, live, feel, teach, are used as Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Continuous no difference in meaning. These verbs imply that the action takes a long period of time, that is, it becomes already a permanent state.
I 've worked here for 20 years. = I 've been working here for 20 years. - I working here for 20 years.
her family has lived in Moscow since 1781. = Her family has been living in Moscow since 1781. – Her family lives in Moscow since 1781.
If you want to emphasize that the situation is temporary, use Present Perfect Continuous.
- (status verbs) are most often not used in Present Perfect Continuous. But, as is often the case in English, there are exceptions. If we want to highlight some action emotionally, we can use Present Perfect Continuous. Verbs are often used in this function. mean(to gather, intend) want(to want), wish(to wish), other state verbs are less common.
We 've been wishing to visit India for ages. - We want visit India for many years.
He 's been thinking it over. - He is ponders. = He's been over it for a long time meditates.
Difficult cases of using Present Perfect Continuous
High level
- Present Perfect Continuous used together with past simple in compound sentences with conjunction since. In a clause that starts with since, we use past simple, it is the starting point for the action in the main clause. And in the main sentence it will be Present Perfect Continuous.
Silvia has been playing tennis since she was ten. – Sylvia plays tennis since, how her turned ten. (she has been playing tennis since she was ten years old)
- We use Present Perfect Continuous when we draw a conclusion from what we have seen or heard, in most cases with a touch of dissatisfaction or criticism.
Who has been messing around with my papers?! How should I work now?! - Who rummaged in my papers? How can I work now?
He has been eating chocolate though he knows that he is allergic to it! - He ate chocolate even though he knows he's allergic!
Present Perfect Continuous shows resentment by an action that happened once, while Present Continuous suggests dissatisfaction with an action that is constantly repeated.
Present Perfect Continuous- a time with a frightening name and a long form of education. But appearances are deceiving, it has only 2 main functions in the language: to show a long-term action and an action with a result. The remaining functions can be considered derivatives. If you suddenly forget how Present Perfect Continuous, you can always look in the table. And in order not to forget anything, take the test.
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Present Perfect Continuous - Present Continuous Perfect in English