Present perfect continuous rules and examples. Present Perfect Continuous in English - what is it? What we learned

Education Present Perfect Continuous
(have/has been + …-ing)

Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Progressive) is formed with the help to be in the shape of ( have been, has been) and the present participle form of the semantic verb: I have been working.
When adding endings to verbs -ing sometimes there are changes in their spelling, for example have/hav ing. More about .

Abbreviated forms:

‘ve= have
's=has
haven't= have not
hasn't= has not

Using the Present Perfect Continuous

1. An action that began in the past, continued for some period before the present, and which is still ongoing at the present time. The period of time during which the action lasted is always indicated or implied: marker words ( for … hours/weeks/years – for … hours/weeks/years, since 10 o’clock – since 10 o’clock, since morning – since morning, since 2005 – since 2005). Often the Present Perfect Continuous is translated with an adverb already.

Examples: I have been working since 9 o'clock in the morning. – I work from 9 o’clock in the morning.
She has been living in Venice for 2 years. – She has been living in Venice (for) 2 years.

2. The action is ordinary, constant, i.e. happening in general, but indicating how long the action takes (used with marker words). If it is not indicated how long the action takes, then instead of the Present Perfect Continuous, use (action that was performed at the time of speech) or (usual, constant action).

Examples: It has been snowing for 2 days. – It has been snowing (already) for 2 days. (indicating how long the action takes - within 2 days)
It is snowing. - Snowing. (without specifying how long the action takes)
She has been studying French for 10 years. – She has been studying French (for) 10 years. (indicating how long the action takes place - within 10 years)
She is studying French. – She is learning French. (without specifying how long the action takes)

3. Sometimes the Present Perfect can be used instead of the Present Perfect Continuous. If the speaker wants to emphasize the duration of an action, the Present Perfect Continuous is used, and if the speaker wants to emphasize the fact of the action, the Present Perfect is used.

Examples: I have been working there since 1997. -I have been working here since 1997. (the goal is to emphasize the duration of action)
I have worked there since 1997. – I have been working here since 1997. (the goal is to emphasize the fact of the action)

4. Used in interrogative sentences with question words ( since when - from what time, since when, how long - how long, how much time), if we are talking about the period that precedes the moment of speech.

Examples:How long have you been sitting here? – How long have you been sitting here?

5. Not used with verbs that do not have the Continuous form ( to be, to have, to love, to hate). Instead of the Present Perfect Continuous, the Present Perfect is used. More about .

Examples: How long have you known her? – How long have you known her?

Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Progressive) – present continuous perfect tense. Present Perfect Continuous is not very popular in English for three reasons:

1. Long form.
2. Narrow aspect of use.
3. 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 its existence Present Perfect Continuous. Scope of use Present Perfect Continuous quite narrow, but this tense has its place in the English language, and it is sometimes impossible to replace it with another. Moreover, in speech Present Perfect Continuous sounds very impressive if you use it correctly.

How is the 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 V Present Perfect – have been(or has been for pronouns he, she, it and singular nouns). The main verb is verb + ending -ing.

Negation

A particle appears in negation not, which must be placed between have (has) And been.

We can use shortened 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.
• Hasn't been running.

Question

In an interrogative sentence have/has comes first, and been remains with the main verb. Thus, it turns out that in first place we have have (has), after it the subject, then been and the main verb closes this long chain.

To make it convenient for you to study this time, we have divided all its functions into three blocks: green (for entry-level), yellow (for intermediate), red (for high).

Using the Present Perfect Continuous

First level

Time Present Perfect Continuous looks like it 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.

1. We use Present Perfect Continuous, if the action began in the past, lasted for some time and is still ongoing in the present. This function shows a long-term effect; it comes from the aspect Continuous.

   As a rule, the proposal indicates the duration of the action, but without clear time boundaries. That is, we can know when the action began and how long it lasted, but we do not know when it will end. To show time we use the following words and expressions: lately(lately, recently) recently(recently, the other day), 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 TV all day. (Tom started watching TV in the morning, watched it all day and is still watching it now)

   It has been raining for 3 hours. - Rain goes within three hours. (the rain started three hours ago, continued for three hours and is still raining now)

   Since this function shows the duration, the question is Present Perfect Continuous usually starts with expressions how long(how long, what time) and since when(since when, starting from what moment).

   – How long has she been learning French? – How long she teaches French?
   – She has been learning French for seven years - She teaches French during seven years old

   – Since when have you been learning German? – Since when You you teach German?
   –I have been learning German since yesterday. - I I teach German with yesterday.

   Pay attention to the translation. We are talking about an action that continues to last in the present, so when translated into Russian the verb will be in the present tense.

2. We use Present Perfect Continuous, if the action ended recently and its result is now visible. This function comes from the aspect Perfect. But using Perfect Continuous, we emphasize that the action lasted for some time in the past.
   

   Your clothes are dirty. What have you been doing? -Your clothes are dirty. What you did? (now it’s dirty, which means before that he did something where he 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 discussed this issue in the past)

   In this function, the duration 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 the Present Perfect Continuous found?

Average level

1. With verbs like work, live, feel, teach, are used as Present Perfect, so Present Perfect Continuous no difference in meaning. These verbs imply that the action takes a long period of time, that is, it becomes 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.

2. (state 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 emotionally highlight some action, we can use Present Perfect Continuous. Very often verbs are used in this function mean(to gather, to intend), want(want), wish(to desire), other stative verbs are less common.
   

   We 've been wishing to visit India for ages. - We we want have been visiting India for many years now.

   He 's been thinking it's over. - He is ponders. = He's been working on it for a long time ponders.

Complex cases of using the Present Perfect Continuous

High level

1. Present Perfect Continuous used together with Past Simple in complex sentences with a conjunction since. In a subordinate clause that begins 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 then, How to her turned ten. (she has been playing tennis since she was ten)

2. We use Present Perfect Continuous when we draw a conclusion from what we saw or heard, in most cases with a tinge 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, although he knows he is allergic!

   Present Perfect Continuous shows outrage over an action that happened once, while Present Continuous implies dissatisfaction with an action that is constantly repeated.

Present Perfect Continuous- a time with a terrifying name and a long form of formation. But appearances are deceiving; it has only 2 main functions in 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 it is formed Present Perfect Continuous, you can always look in the table. And in order not to forget anything, take the test.

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Test

Present Perfect Continuous - present continuous perfect tense in English

In the huge family of present tenses, the Present Perfect Continuous occupies a special place. Let's look at everything about the formation, use and changeable soul of this grammatical phenomenon in the article.

If you have reached the point of studying Present Perfect Continuous (progressive), then you will easily understand the word-by-word translation of each element from the name: present perfect continuous tense. But don't be put off by the long and cluttered title. The biggest difficulty is remembering education, because there are quite a few components. But the use is even simpler than the Present Simple.

Education

Present Perfect Continuous grammar, which is based on correct sentence construction, includes auxiliary verbs have/has, been and Ving . With pronouns he, she, it has is used, and with I, we, you, they- have. This is, in principle, not new. Even at the initial stage, it is necessary to become familiar with the peculiarities of the conjugation to have. The semantic verb or predicate is used with an ending ing, the form of which corresponds to participle 1. More information about exceptions in writing with such an ending can be found in the article “Countinuous tenses”. When forming a negation, you just need to insert the particle “not”, and in questions, you need to swap have / has and the subject.

Short forms are also important to know to ensure your writing is accurate.

You have = you've

He (she, it) has = he’s (she’s, it’s)

We have = we've

They have = they've

Have not = haven’t, has not = hasn’t.

I have been waiting for my brother for a long time.
I’ve been waiting for my brother for a long time.

I have not been waiting for my brother for a long time.
I haven’t been waiting for my brother for a long time.

Use

The Present Perfect Progressive has several uses, which distinguishes it from other tenses.

• If the action began in the past, lasted, is still continuing, or has just ended, then you can safely use the present perfect continuus.

My sisters have been watching TV for 3 hours. — My sisters watch TV for 3 hours.
He showed the picture he has been working on. — He showed the picture he was working on.

You can find out, determine this time, and accordingly put the correct form, if you ask question: How long? How much time?. Signal words that not only accompany the predicate, but also characterize it in this tense, can be called for - during(for a month, for a long time, for an hour). Or the conjunction is used since - since then, which serves as the starting point of action from which it all began. Sometimes none of the clues are used, which means you need to look at the context.

• The event began, lasted and ended before the moment of conversation, but affects it. In this case, the time indicator is not always used.

She has been looking for a rich man all her life and now she has found one. “She’s been looking for a rich man all her life, and now she’s found him.”
They have been living abroad, but now they are at home. — They lived abroad, but are now at home.

In order not to confuse this tense with other present tenses, for example, Present Simple and Present Continuous, carefully look at the following table and compare:

In order not to confuse the Present Perfect Continuous with the Present Perfect, it is important to take into account some details. Let's compare?

However, the rules of the Present Perfect Continuous do not end there. A very important point here is translation. So, in the first case we translate in the present tense: works, lives, reads. And in the second - the past, and it sounds like this: worked, lived, read.

Just like in other Continuous tenses, verbs of feelings, perception, and possession are not used in this tense. All this can be found out in great detail from the article “Verbs not used in the Continuous”.

The main thing that needs to be taken into account when translating the Present Perfect Continuous is the moment of conversation and the end of the action; when forming, do not forget all the components, and when using, pay attention to whether the duration is emphasized or you are simply informed about the fact of the accomplishment. Well! You have become familiar with the rule, go for it! It's time to move on to exercises and tests!

On the one side, Present Perfect Continuous Tense very simple tense as it is easy to understand. On the other hand, this is one of the most difficult times in terms of construction.

Typically, a group of these tenses (complete continuous) are studied at high levels of English. But I hasten to please you.

I have prepared a very detailed article where I will not only tell and show how this time is built, but also compare it with other times so that everything is clear to you.

In the article, I will explain to you:

• The difference between the Present Perfect Continuous and other tenses in English

Rules for using the Present Perfect Continuous in English

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is translated as “present perfect continuous tense.”

We use this tense when we talk about an action (process) that began sometime in the past and lasted for some time until the present moment or continues to last at the present moment.

Let's consider both cases in more detail:

1. The action is currently ongoing

That is, the action began sometime in the past, lasted for some time and is still ongoing at the present moment.

We started building a house 2 years ago, have been building it all this time and are currently (today) still building it.

Let's look at some more examples:

She has been working in this company for 6 years.

She started working there 6 years ago, has worked there all that time and is currently still working there.

We stand in line for 2 hours.

We joined the queue 2 hours ago, stood there all this time and are currently still standing there.

He has been watching this series since last year.

He started watching the series last year, has been watching it all this time and is currently still watching it.

2. The action has now ended

That is, the action began sometime in the past, lasted for some time and ended recently or just now. Moreover, despite the fact that the action has ended, we can see result this action.

We started building a house 2 years ago, we have been building all this time, and by now we have a completed house.

Let's look at a few more examples:

It snowed all night.

The snow started in the evening, fell at night, and has now stopped, but we see the result - snowdrifts.

She had been cleaning since the morning.

She started cleaning in the morning, did it all day, and has now finished cleaning, but the result is visible - a clean apartment.

I spent an hour looking for the keys to the apartment.

I started looking for the keys, did this for an hour, by now I had found them, but, as a result, I was late for the meeting.

As you can see, remembering when to use the Present Perfect Continuous is not difficult. But to understand it better, let's look at how it differs from other tenses in English.

The difference between the Present Perfect Continuous and other tenses in English

Now let's look at the difference between the Present Perfect Continuous and tenses similar to it.

1. BhowdifferencebetweenPresent Perfect ContinuousAndPresent 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.

Let's look at an example:

I have cooked dinner.
I cooked dinner.

In this sentence you do focus on results- you have dinner ready. At the same time, it doesn’t matter to us how long you prepared it, only the result is important.

Now let's see how the sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous will differ in meaning.

I have been cooking dinner for two hours.
I cooked dinner for 2 hours.

As you can see, in this sentence we focus on the result and duration of action. That is, we are talking not only about the result of the action (ready dinner), but also about how long this action took place before the result was obtained.

2. BhowdifferencebetweenPresent Perfect ContinuousAndPresent 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 something is currently in process.

Let's look at an example:

I am reading a book.
I am reading a book.

You say that you are currently in the process of reading, that is, you sat down to read some time ago and are still reading now. At the same time, it doesn’t matter to us how long you’ve been reading, but what’s important is that you’re doing it at the moment.

Compare with the sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous:

I have been reading a book since morning.
I read a book in the morning.

In this sentence, we focus not so much on the fact that we are currently sitting and reading a book, but on the fact that that it took us some time. That is why such sentences always contain time indicators (in the morning, within an hour, all evening, etc.).

3. BhowdifferencebetweenPresent Perfect ContinuousAndPast Continuous?

Past Continuous translated as “past continuous” tense. We use this tense when we talk about an action in the past that lasted for some time. You can read about this time in this article.

Let's look at an example:

He was driving a car all night.
He drove the car all night.

In this sentence we are talking about a process in the past that lasted for some time. But please note this process has nothing to do with the present. For example, last week he went to visit his parents and drove all night.

Now let's see how the meaning of the sentence changes if we construct it in the Present Perfect Continuous:

He has been driving a car all night.
He drove the car all night.

As I already said, the Present Perfect Continuous shows that the action has recently or has just completed, and we can see its result at the present moment. For example, he now looks tired (result) because he stayed up all night driving.

Let's take another look at the table comparing all these times:

Now that we've figured out how to use this tense, let's look at how to construct sentences using it.

The rule for constructing sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous in English

The present perfect continuous tense is formed using:

• Auxiliary verb have/has
• The verb to be in the 3rd form - been
• Adding an -ing ending to a verb (the action itself)

The outline of such a proposal would be as follows:

Actor + have/has + been + action ending -ing

When we talk about someone in the singular (he - he, she - she, it - it), we use has. In all other cases - have.

They have been do ing their homework for two hours.
They do homework for two hours.

She has been work ing since morning.
She has been working since the morning.

Abbreviations

We can shorten have and has as follows

has = 's
have = 've

The rule for adding the ending -ing

There are several features when adding -ing endings to verbs:

• If the verb ends in -e, then we remove the letter e and add -ing to the verb

dance - dancing - dance
move - moving - move

• If the verb is short, we double the last consonant:

sit - sitting - sit
ban - banning - prohibit

Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and -w:

mix - mixing - mix
flow - flowing - to flow

• If the verb ends in -ie, then we replace this ending with -y

lie - lying - lie
tie - tying - tie

Tense indicators Present Perfect Continuous

There are 2 words in English that are very often used in the Present Perfect Continuous. This:

• for- Vflow

for an hour/two hours/a month/a year/a long time - for an hour/two hours/month/year/long time

• since - since

since morning/yesterday/6 o’clock/1956 - since morning/yesterday/6 o’clock/1956

The following expressions are also used at this time:

• all my life - all my life
• all this day/week/year - all this day/week/year
• these two/three/four day/week/month - these two/three/four days/weeks/months

For example:

We have been living in this house all our lives.
We have lived in this house all our lives.

He has been writing this book for a year.
He writes this book over the course of a year.

Verbs that are not used in the Present Perfect Continuous

As I already said, the Present Perfect Continuous is used when we talk about a process. That is, the action began, lasted for some time, recently ended, or is still ongoing.

To be used in our continuous tense, a verb must be able to last. For example: sleep - you fell asleep once, slept for some time, just woke up or are still sleeping.

Exception verbs cannot last, so we cannot use them in this tense. We cannot begin to know or understand and end this process after some time.

The following verbs cannot be processes:

1. Verbs expressing feelings

hear - to hear,
smell - smell,
feel - feel, etc.

2. Verbs expressing mental state

forget - forget,
know - to know
understand - to understand, etc.

3. Verbs expressing emotions and desires

love - to love,
want - want,
like - like, etc.

4. Verbs expressing possession of something

have - to have,
possess - to possess, etc.

All these verbs cannot be processes. That is why we do not use such verbs in the Present Perfect Continuous. In this case, the Present Perfect tense is used instead.

Wrong:

I have been knowing him for a month.
I've known him for a month.

Right:

I have known him for a month.
I've known him for a month.

Formation of negative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous

Negative sentences are constructed in the same way as affirmative ones. Only after the auxiliary verb do we put the negative particle not.

The outline of such a proposal:

Actor + have/has + not + been + action ending -ing

I have not been study ing for two days.
I haven't worked out for two days.

He has not been clean ing his room.
He doesn't clean his room.

Reduction

We can shorten have/has and the particle not like this:

have + not = haven’t
has + not = hasn’t

Formation of questions in Present Perfect Continuous

To ask a question, we need to put have/has in the first place in the sentence. The outline of such a proposal looks like this:

Have/has + actor + been + action ending -ing?

Have have you been crying?
Have you been crying?

Has has he been running?
Was he running?

Let me note that you must always remember that actions are related to the present time. If we ask a person a question at this time, it means that we are now seeing something that may indicate the action we are asking about.

For example, you meet a friend, her eyes are red and her makeup is smudged. Seeing this, you ask: “Did you cry?”

Answer the question in the Present Perfect Continuous

The answer to such a question can be “yes” or “no”. We can give it:

• in short form
• in full form

A short positive answer contains the word yes, an agent and an auxiliary verb:

Have have.
They slept? Yes.

Has has he been training? Yes, he has.
Was he training? Yes.

A short negative answer begins with no, and we add the particle not to the auxiliary verb.

Have have not.
They slept? No.

Has has he been training? No, he has not.
Was he training? No.

A complete positive answer looks like an affirmative sentence, only at the very beginning we put yes.

Have have they been sleeping? Yes, they have been sleeping.
They slept? Yes, they were sleeping.

Has has he been training? Yes, he has been training.
Was he training? Yes, he trained.

A complete negative answer looks like a negative sentence, only at the very beginning we put no.

Have have they been sleeping? No, they have not been sleeping.
They slept? No, they weren't sleeping.

Has has he been training? No, he has not been training.
Was he training? No, he didn't train.

So, we've sorted out the theory. Now let's put it into practice.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.

1. He waited here for 4 hours.
2. Do they play since the morning?
3. She has been living in Moscow for two years.
4. We have known each other all our lives.
5. I haven't slept since yesterday.
6. He has been working here for 10 years.

Infographic: Present Perfect Continuous

The Perfect Continuous tenses are used infrequently, especially in colloquial speech. However, among these little-used times Present Perfect Continuous(present perfect continuous tense) is used more often than others. This picture shows the basic information about this time. Read more below.

Meaning of Present Perfect Continuous: rules and examples

The tense form Present Perfect Continuous combines the meanings of a long time (Continuous) and completed (Perfect), and is used to denote an action that:

• started in the past
• lasted for some time (not necessarily continuously),
• ended before the moment of speech or is still ongoing.

I will give examples of life situations that fall under this definition. For convenience, all examples will be in the first person.

I have been living in this house for ten years. – I have lived in this house for ten years.

In this example:

• the action began in the past (ten years ago, when I moved into this house),
• lasted for some time (ten years), and lasted continuously.
• still going on (I still live in this house).

Let me give you another example. Often the Present Perfect Continuous form is used with the verb to wait(wait).

I have been waiting for you for three hours. - I've been waiting for you for three hours.

In this example:

• the action started in the past (an hour ago, when I started waiting),
• lasted continuously for some time (an hour),
• ended immediately before the moment of speech (now I’m no longer waiting, because I’ve waited).

Let me give you another example. Here the action does not last continuously.

I have been working here for a week. – I’ve been working here for a week.

It is clear that the action “work” itself did not last continuously for a whole week, days and nights, 24 hours a day. This means that the action regularly, on an ongoing basis took place during this time.

Education Present Perfect Continuous

If you are familiar with other tenses (otherwise there is no point in studying the Perfect Continuosu tenses yet), the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous will be easy to remember. The form is formed using:

• in the shape of : have been, has been.
• present tense (-ing verb form): working, waiting.

Affirmative form

Example sentences:

I have been waiting for you for a long time. - I've been waiting for you for a long time.

She has been living in New Jersey for two years. – She has lived in New Jersey for two years.

Negative form

The negative form is formed using a particle not:

Example sentences:

I have not been sleeping well lately. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Leopold has not been working for the firm since the end of 2012. – Leopold has not worked for this company since the end of 2012.

Interrogative form

Verb in interrogative form have is placed before the subject.