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Suggestions for the present perfect continuous. Present Perfect Continuous - features of use

Suggestions for the present perfect continuous. Present Perfect Continuous - features of use

There are difficult moments in the grammar of the English language. Time Present Perfect Continuous tense (Real Perfect Continuous) refers to such. But do not panic and be disappointed in advance, it is better to figure it out together.

Main question

If not all, then many have heard about the main difficulty of the English language - tenses. Therefore, in the first lessons of learning a language, the question of the number of tenses is raised. But, as they say, the devil is not so black as it is painted (the devil is not so terrible as he is painted). AT English language only three times Present (Present), Past (Past) and Future (Future). However, depending on what kind of action we have in front of us, four aspects are distinguished in each time - Simple (Simple), Continuous (Long), Perfect (Perfect), Perfect Continuous (Long Perfect).

Today we are talking about how it is formed and when to use Present Perfect Continuous.

Education formula

The Present Perfect Progressive is an unusual time. It combines the "incongruous" - the aspect of Perfect (Perfect) with the aspect of Continuous (Long) in Present (Present tense). From this follows the "double" formula of education: (have/has + 3rd verb) + (to be + verb + -ing) = have/has + been (3rd verb to be) + verb + -ing . In other words, this tense form is formed using the “double” auxiliary verb have/has been (not translated, but changes in persons and numbers) and the main verb with the ending - ing (translated but not changed).

How it "works" in practice can be seen in the table:

The verb form in Present Perfect Continuous Passive voice (Present Continuous Perfect in the passive voice) is built according to the formula “subjects + have / has + been + being + main verb in the 3rd form”, but is rarely used in speech and texts (This monument has been being built for 50 years - This monument has been built for 50 years)

Negation

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive are built according to the same formula, but with the addition of a negative particle not (not) between two auxiliary verbs: subject + have/has + not + been + main verb + -ing .

Question

Interrogative sentences in English are distinguished by the reverse word order. The formation of a question in Present Perfect Continuous also obeys this rule: Have/has + subject + been + main verb + -ing?

Use

Aspects of Perfect (Perfect) and Continuous (Long) affect not only the formula for the formation of Present Perfect Continuous time, but also the cases of its use. On the one hand, it describes an action with a result. On the other hand, it emphasizes its duration in time. So, despite the long and slightly intimidating name, it does not have too many functions and they are easy to remember:

To describe events that originate in the past and continue up to the present:

Alice has been swimming since morning - Alice has been swimming since morning (Alice started swimming in the morning and still continues to do this)

My grandfather likes news. He has been watching news on TV for two hours - My grandfather loves the news. He watches the news on TV for two hours.

To describe events that started recently, lasted for a while, just ended, and have a visible result in the present:

This time is characterized by pointer words that emphasize the duration of the action: recently (recently, the other day), lately (recently, recently), all day (all day), since (starting with), for (during).

A famous scientist has been recently developing new research programs - A famous scientist has recently been developing new research programs.

What have we learned?

The considered rules and examples of Present Perfect Continuous prove that appearances can be deceiving. The long formula of education and the confusing name of this temporary form are just an outer frightening shell. In fact, everything is much simpler: it has only two functions. The first is to indicate the completion of the action and its result in the present. The second is to emphasize duration.

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In this article, we will talk about the Present Perfect Continuous tense and consider its use with real life examples.

Time is quite difficult in education, but a little practice, exercises - and you will remember its shape. The Present Perfect Continuous form combines the signs of the times of the group Perfect(auxiliary verbs have/has + verb BE in the third form) and group tenses Continuous(semantic verb with the ending -ING).

Consider different types statements:

Statement

	have	been	Ving:
	has

Negation

have not

(haven't)

been

Ving:

has not

(hasn't)

Questions general and informational

(how long)

(what)

(when)

Have

been

Ving:

Has

Meanings of Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous combines the meanings of group tenses Perfect(action performed; action that has not yet completed) and Continuous(action in progress).

Present Perfect Continuous has three main meanings. You have probably read books, studied the rules, so I will not simply rewrite them once again, but will explain the use of Present Perfect Continuous time using examples of situations that we encounter in life.

Value 1.

An action that began in the past and continues up to the present. Present Perfect Continuous is used to emphasize duration, duration of the action.

Situation 1.

You are about to go for a walk, but all of a sudden it starts to rain. You decide to wait until it ends, but an hour, two, three passes, and the rain does not stop. Are you complaining:

The rain started three hours ago and is still not over, the action is in progress, which you can watch from the window.

Situation 2.

You agreed to meet with a friend, and he is late. You've been waiting for half an hour and he's still gone. You lose patience, call him and say:

You came half an hour ago, and you are still waiting for your non-punctual friend, the action is still not completed.

Situation 3.

A teenager was bought a new computer game and he decided to play it to celebrate. The game turned out to be so exciting that after a while his parents began to worry:

You've been playing since morning! - You have been playing since morning!

Their son sat down at the computer in the morning, and until now his game is not over, he continues to play.

But not always we can observe the action right at the moment of speech. Sometimes Present Perfect Continuous denotes an action that we associate more with a habit than with a process. In this case, Present Perfect Continuous is often confused with. Let's look at situations.

Situation 4.

Anna celebrates every birthday with her friends. She started celebrating it with friends when she was a student and has been inviting friends every year since then. What time to use: sort of like a habit, but on the other hand it continues (repeated) for a while.

Ann always celebrates her birthday with her friends. Anna always celebrates her birthday with her friends.

Ann has been celebrating her birthday with her friends since she was a student. Anna has been celebrating her birthday with friends since she was a student.

Look, we used the Present Simple when we were just talking about this habit (or rather tradition). But as soon as it was necessary to indicate the period of time during which this habit exists, we use Present Perfect Continuous.

Present Perfect Continuous may be mistakenly associated exclusively with an action, the continuation of which we can observe at the moment of speech. The Present Perfect Continuous is used to emphasize the duration of an action or habit.

Situation 5.

Your friend started learning English five years ago. He has been studying English for five years now and is not going to stop. He can say:

I learn English. I have been learning English for five years. - I learn English. I have been studying English for five years.

As you can see from the examples, the translation of the sentences is identical, except that the period of time is indicated in the second sentence. Such an insignificant detail, and in English there are two completely different tenses!

Meaning 2.

Present Perfect Continuous can denote an action that has been going on for a while, has just ended, and the obvious result of this action is visible. Let's consider situations.

Situation 1.

You wake up in the morning and look out the window: the ground is wet, there are puddles everywhere, but the sun is already shining. Of course, you understand that it has recently rained.

He walked for a while (the action lasted for a while). You have not seen the rain itself, you have only seen its result. You can conclude:

It has been raining. - It's been raining.

Situation 2.

The student is late for class. The lesson is already beginning, and then he bursts into the audience: his hair is disheveled, he cannot catch his breath. It becomes clear to everyone that he fled:

He has been running. - He was running.

I hope that after analyzing the situations it became easier for you to understand and use Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Leave your comments, subscribe to our newsletter and join us in

Such a long tense name as Present Perfect Continuous Tense (the present perfect continuous tense) will undoubtedly frighten those who are just starting to learn English grammar. It immediately seems that such a long name hides a complex structure with many incomprehensible rules. In fact, the opposite is true. If you are already familiar with temporary Perfect forms and Continuous, then this time will seem like a trifle to you, because You will not find anything particularly new either in the design or in the rules of use. As you understand, Present Perfect Continuous Tense consists of a combination of elements from the Perfect and Continuous groups. So, let's figure out what Present Perfect Continuous Tense is.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense, in translation, the present perfect continuous tense, expresses an action or event that began at some point in the past and continues up to the present moment of speech, while it can continue at the moment of speech or it could end immediately before the moment of speech.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is translated into Russian either in the present or past tense, depending on whether the action ended before the moment of speech or is still ongoing.

Like all times of the Continuous group, the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is not used with static verbs (verbs that denote states, not actions). In such situations, it is replaced by Present Perfect Tense.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is rarely used in both colloquial speech and writing.

Rules for the formation of Present Perfect Continuous

Affirmative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous Tense are formed using the auxiliary verb to be in Present Perfect Tense (have/has been) and the present participle of the semantic verb (verb + ending -ing → Present Participe).

Subl. + have / has been + Present Participe ...

Interrogative sentences are formed by putting the first auxiliary verb to have in the first place before the subject, the rest of the tense form remains in its place after the subject.

Have/ Has + Gen. + been + Present Participe ???

To form negative sentences, the particle not is used, which is placed after the first auxiliary verb to have.

Subl. + have / has + not + been + Present Participe ...

In colloquial speech, it is customary to use abbreviated forms. For example:

I have → I've
he has → he's
has not → hasn't [ˈhæzənt]
have not → haven't [ˈhævənt]

Conjugation table of the verb to try in Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Number	Face	affirmative form	Interrogative form	negative form
Unit h.	1 2 3	I have (I've) been trying He/ She/ It has (He "s/ She's) been trying	Have I been trying? Have you been trying? Has he/ she/ been trying?	I have not (haven't) been trying He/ She/ It has not (hasn't) been trying
Mn. h.	1 2 3	We have (We've) been trying You have (You've) been trying They have (They've) been trying	Have we been trying? Have you been trying? Have they been trying?	We have not (haven't) been trying You have not (haven't) been trying They have not (haven't) been trying

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used:

1. If you want to express a long-term action that began in the past tense and is still going on in the present. As a rule, in this case, it is necessary to indicate the period of time during which the action is performed. This period can be indicated by circumstantial expressions, prepositional phrases, etc.:

for an hour (a month, a week) - within an hour (month, week)
for a long time - for a long time, for a long time
since 4 o'clock (yesterday, morning) - from 4 o'clock (from yesterday, in the morning)
since he returned
lately - lately, recently
these two weeks
all this year (my life, day long) - all this year (all my life, all day)

Example using "for" and "since"

Translated into Russian, imperfective verbs are used in the present tense. Examples:

It has been raining since morning - It has been raining since morning
They have been waiting for the train for half an hour - They have been waiting for the train for half an hour
I have been thinking of you since I first saw you - I have been thinking about you since the first time I saw you

2. In special issues(if we are talking about the period immediately preceding the moment of speech) that begin with the words:

how long - how long, how long
since when

How long have you been waiting for us? - How long are you waiting for us?
Since when has she been learning Spanish? Since when has she been studying Spanish?

3. If you want to express a long action that began in the past tense and ended just before the moment of speech. Moreover, you want to emphasize the duration of the action and the presence of its result at the moment. The period of time during which the action took place may not be indicated. Translated into Russian, imperfective verbs in the past tense are used. Examples:

Come in! I've been looking for you all day - Come in! I've been looking for you all day
Why are you all silent? Have you been talking about me again? Why are you all silent? Are you talking about me again?
Her eyes are red. Has she been crying? - She has red eyes. She cried?
− Why are your lips black? - I "ve been eating blackberries - Why do you have black lips? - I ate blackcurrants

Remember that there are verbs that are not used in the continuous form. See the list in the article Present Continuous Time in English. In such cases, Present Perfect Continuous Tense replaces Present Perfect Tense. For example:

He has known her since his childhood - He has known her since childhood

As you have seen, it is not at all difficult to understand and remember the functions of Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Improve your English and stay with us!

Watch the following video lessons on the topic: "Present Perfect Continuous Tense - present perfect continuous tense in English."

Present Perfect Continuous is a time that is used to describe an action in a process that has been happening and is continuing to happen (or has just ended).

Keys to Understanding Time Present Perfect Continuous:

1. The action is in progress (hence the connection with the Continuous group).
2. The process began in the past and continues to the present (hence the connection with the Perfect group)

Examples.
I have been living in Kiev since 1975. - I have (already) been living in Kyiv since 1975.
I live and continue to live in Kyiv, the process has begun and continues!

How long have you been studying Spanish? - How long have you (already) been learning Spanish?

In these examples, the word is very important already, which is invisibly present in the constructions Present Perfect Continuous. Those. the process continues from the past to the present.

Education Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous formed with an auxiliary verb to be in Present Perfect ( have been, has been) and forms - ing semantic verb.

Present Perfect Continuous Forms

Examples.

He has been playing football all day. - He plays football all day long.
I've been waiting for you for two hours. - I'm waiting for you for two hours.

Using Present Perfect Continuous

1. The action began in the past, continues to the present, and may continue in the future.

Example
I've been doing my work for three weeks. - I've been doing my job for three weeks now.
Those. I did and continue to do.

2. The action has recently completed or just completed.

Example

I've been looking for you a whole hour. - I've been looking for you (already) for an hour.
I was looking for you, but now I found you, so I'm not looking anymore. The action has just ended.

The difference between Present Perfect Continuous and Present Continuous

The difference is that Present Continuous there is no connection with the past, and Present Perfect Continuous started in the past and continues to the present.

The difference between Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous shows how long the action takes, and Present Perfect- how many times.
For Present Perfect Continuous process is important, Present Perfect- result!

Not so long ago we analyzed the Present Perfect Simple, but, as you already know, every Simple has a Continuous. First of all, the word "continuous" refers to the duration of the action, and "Present Perfect" alludes to the result and unfinished time.

If we sum up it together, it turns out that Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a long action with a result, and the time is not over.

I've been reading an interesting book this week (and I'm still reading). - I am reading an interesting book this week (and I am still reading it).

Let's take a closer look at how the Present Perfect Progressive is formed. C "mon.

Education Present Perfect Continuous

affirmative form formed with the help of the auxiliary verb " be» in Present Perfect or « have been"("has been" for pronouns "he", "she", "it" and singular nouns). The present participle or Participle I (verb + ending "-ing") acts as a semantic verb.

I have been reading.- I am reading.
We have been running.- We're running.
You have been playing.- You're playing.
They have been working.- They work.
She has been eating.- She eats.
He has been running.- He is running.
It has been working.- It is working.

negative form is formed if we put the particle " not" between " have» (« has") and " been».

I have not been reading.- I do not read.
We have not been running.- We don't run.
You have not been playing.- You don't play.
They have not been working.- They do not work.
She has not been eating.- She doesn't eat.
It has not been working. - It doesn't work.
He hasn't been smoking.- He does not smoke.

AT interrogative sentences auxiliary " have" or " has» taken out to the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject, then " been» + Participle I.

Have I been reading?- I am reading?
Have we been running?- Are we running?
Have you been playing?- You're playing?
Have they been working?- They work?
Has she been eating?- Does she eat?
Has he been running?- He is running?
Has it been working?- It is working?

And of course, do not forget about abbreviations (" contractions»):

I have been V+ing = I've been V+ing.
You have been V+ing = You've been V+ing (they've, we've).
He/she/it/John has been V+ing = He's / she's / it's / John's been V+ing.
Hasn't been V+ing = hasn't been V+ing.
Have not been V+ing = haven't been V-ing.

Using Present Perfect Continuous

We use this time if:

The action started in the past, lasted for some time, and is still going on in the present. This function shows a continuous action, it was inherited from the Continuous aspect.

She has been talking for more than an hour, my ears hurt!- She has been talking for more than an hour, my ears hurt!
I've been trying to call you all day!- I've been trying to get through to you all day!
He's been waiting for you for six hours.- He has been waiting for you for 6 hours (started waiting 6 hours ago, and still waiting).

Since this function shows the duration of the action, the question in Present Perfect Continuous usually begins with the expressions “ how long' (how long, what time) and ' since when(since when, since when).

How long have you been learning English?- How long have you been learning English?
I have been learning English for four years.- I have been studying English for 4 years.
Since when have you been learning English?- Since when do you study English?
I've been learning English since I was 10.- I have been studying English since I was 10 years old.

Nota Bene: if we are talking about an action that continues in the present time, then the translation into Russian will be present.

The action ended recently, and now its result is visible. You can immediately see the influence of Perfect Simple. But, using the Perfect Continuous, we emphasize that the action lasted for some time in the past.

You look so tired. What have you been doing?- You look so tired. What did you do?
Why is the pavement wet? Because it's been raining. Why is the sidewalk wet? Because it was raining.
I have been smoking for 2 weeks, that's why I'm so green.- I smoked for two weeks, that's why I'm so green.

Nota bene: if we are talking about completed long-term action with results in the present, then translate into Russian in the past time.

When using the verbs work», « teach», « learn», « live' is used as Present Perfect Simple(emphasizes the fact of the action), and Present Perfect Continuous(emphasizes the duration of the action).

He has been living in London for 5 years. = He has lived in London for 5 years.- He has been living in London for (already) 5 years.
She has been teaching English since 2010. = She has taught English since 2010.– She has been teaching English since 2010.
They have been working in this company since they moved here. = They have worked in this company since they moved here. They have been with this company since they moved here.

there are state verbs (“state verbs” - “be”, “have”, “know”, “love”, etc.), instead of Present Perfect Continuous we use Present Perfect Simple.

She has been in London for 2 years. She has been in London for 2 years.
How long have you known him?- How long have you known him?
I've known him for 10 years.- I've known him for 10 years.

Although in colloquial speech you can often hear such phrases:

I "ve been having problems with the car recently.- I recently had problems with the car.
I"ve been wanting to talk to you.- I want to talk with you.

If speak about Passive Voice(passive voice), then time Present Perfect Continuous passive in English not used. Instead, we use the usual Present Perfect Simple Passive.

The author has been writing this book for 3 years. The author has been writing this book for 3 years.
This book has been written for 3 years. This book has been written for 3 years.

Time differences

As you have already noticed, when translating from Russian into English, the question always arises: “What tense should I use?”. Let's figure it out.

Present Perfect Continuous vs Present Perfect.

Present Perfect translated as "present perfect (completed) tense". We use it when we talk about an action that happened in the past, but we see the result of this action now.

I have just cooked a cake.- I just made a cake.

In this sentence, you focus on the result - you have a finished cake. At the same time, it does not matter at all how much time you spent to prepare it - only the result is important.

Now let's see how the sentence will differ in meaning in Present Perfect Continuous. I have been cooking a cake for three hours already. I've been making the cake for 3 hours now. As you can see, in this sentence we focus on the result and the duration of the action. That is, we are talking not only about the result of the action (the finished cake), but also about how long this action took before the result was obtained.

Present Perfect Continuous vs Present Continuous.

Present Continuous translated as "present continuous tense". We use it when we say that an action started some time ago and is still going on. At the same time, we emphasize that it (the action) is still in the process.

I am cooking a cake.- I'm making a cake.

You say that you are currently in the process of cooking, that is, you started cooking some time ago and are still cooking now. At the same time, it doesn’t matter to us how long you have been cooking, what matters is that you are doing it at the moment.

Compare with the sentence in Present Perfect Continuous:

I have been smoking since morning.- I smoke in the morning.

In this sentence, we focus not so much on the fact that we are currently smoking, but on the fact that it has taken us some time. That is why in such sentences there are always time indicators (" since morning», « In one hour», « all evening" etc.).

Present Perfect Continuous vs Past Continuous.

Past Continuous is translated as "past continuous" tense. We use this tense when we talk about an action in the past that lasted for some time.

He was reading a book all night.- He read the book all night.

In this sentence, we are talking about a process in the past that went on for some time. But note that this process has nothing to do with the present. For example, last week he had an exam and spent the whole night preparing for it. And now let's compare with Present Perfect Continuous:

He has been reading a book all night.- He read the book all night.

As we have already said, Present Perfect Continuous shows that the action was completed recently or just now, and we can see its result at the moment. For example, he now looks tired (outcome) as he has been up all night and reading a book.

Conclusion

Today we got acquainted with Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense. We learned how to properly form and use this time. We made sure that there is still a big difference in what time to use, although in the Russian version everything sounds almost the same. It may have seemed to you that this topic is very complicated and incomprehensible, but now you are definitely aware.

We offer you to get acquainted with other tenses of the English language

Keep studying grammar and use your skills!

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