Using the present perfect continuous. The most understandable rules of the not entirely clear time Present Perfect Continuous
There are difficult moments in the grammar of the English language. Present Time Perfect Continuous tense (Present Perfect Continuous) is one of those. 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). IN 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
Present Perfect Progressive time refers to unusual times. 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 passive voice) is built according to the formula “subject + have / has + been + being + main verb in the 3rd form”, but is used in oral speech and texts extremely rarely (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 the word order is reversed. The formation of a question in Present Perfect Continuous also obeys this rule: Have/has + subject + been + main verb + -ing?
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Usually, special questions in Present Perfect Continuous begin with question words How long? (how long?) and Since when? (From which moment?). They are, one might say, time markers (How long has it been snowing? - How long has it been snowing?)
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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>> The Present Perfect Progressive Tense
Using the Present Perfect Progressive
The Present Perfect Progressive is used to express an ongoing action that began in the past, is still going on in the present, and in a certain way sums up the duration of this action.
Jeff and Emily haven"t been playing golf for three hours.
General Question (OB)
HasJeff been playing tennis for two hours? - Yes, he has.
Alternative question (AB)
| AB= OB + or + OB? |
In any tense belonging to the Perfect Continuous category, situations are used with those long-term actions that not only show the process at a certain moment of the action, but also how long this action lasts at a particular moment in the present, past and even future time.
General information
The Present Perfect Continuous time is quite common both in written speech and in spoken spoken language. It is used not exactly to show the completed action, as is the case with . Its essence is to reflect a situation that has been going on for a certain period by a specific moment and, very likely, will continue in the future, despite the fact that this is not always mentioned in the context.
For the situation with Present Perfect Continuous sentences, the following examples can be given in the form of examples:
· I have been thinking of Mary's proposal since we parted. (I've been thinking about Mary's proposal since we broke up)
· We have been seeking for you for hours. (We have been looking for you for many hours)
· Ann has been trying to make you believe her for all her life. (Anne has been trying her whole life to make you believe her)
Examples with such a translation show that this or that action has been going on for some, and sometimes very long, period of time. It is in such cases that the use of Present Perfect Continuous is relevant, a tense that combines the features of both perfection and continuity.
Formation of time Present Perfect Continuous
The formation of Present Perfect Continuous looks quite logical, given that this time has the features of both a completed and a long action. The auxiliary words here are verbs typical of perfection, and these are have and has (the second is typical for personal pronouns relating to the third person - “she”, “he”, “it”, i.e., according to the same principle as at Present Perfect time). Another feature that unites the perfect and the long is the presence of the verb to be, used in the form, i.e., in other words, in the form has been. Well, since we are talking about a process with duration, then one cannot do without, or simply the –ing form, as it is often called.
Present Perfect Continuous Scheme
Given the above formation rules, the Present Perfect Continuous formula can have the following conditional form:
have
Has + been + V(–ing)
Questions in Present Perfect Continuous
The Present Perfect Continuous, if the Present Perfect Continuous can be called that, certainly takes place not only in sentences with a statement, but can also be used in situations where the speaker is interested in something. Interrogative sentences are easy in their formation: to build this type of phrase, it is enough just to slightly change the word order and make it inverted, that is, reversed, when have (has) takes the position before the subject. Interrogative sentences in Present Perfect Continuous, in particular, questions of a general type, have the following form:
· Has she been learning her speech since yesterday's evening? (She has been learning her speech since yesterday evening?)
· Have you been spending your whole weekend in this way? (Do you spend your whole weekend like this?)
Negation in Present Perfect Continuous
Negative sentences with such a kind of temporary form of complexity in their formation, it would seem, should not carry. Here it would be logical to use only one negative particle not, which would be after the auxiliary words have or has. Such constructions are often abbreviated so that the whole structure looks like this: haven't (= have not) or hasn't (= has not). But in reality, everything is somewhat more complicated.
The principle of forming a sentence with negation
The fact is that in English certain norms prohibit the use of Present Perfect Continuous with negation, and therefore a negative sentence is not formed with this tense. This can probably be explained by the fact that there is no action, the duration of which should be shown to a certain point, and the situation becomes illogical. In such a situation, it is customary to use Time Present perfect.
The following are examples of negative sentences:
I haven't slept for 30 hours. (I've been awake for 30 hours)
· He hasn't worked in this sphere for 2 years already. (He has not been working in this field for 2 years)
Cases of using Present Perfect Continuous
The use of Present Perfect Continuous is typical for several cases, but first it should be noted that there is a division of this time into two varieties: Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive and Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive. Therefore, we should dwell on each type separately and give examples of where the present perfect continius of one or another variety is used:
Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive
This time reflects the classic application of Present Perfect Continuous, where an action whose starting point is in the past lasts until a specific moment associated with the present and, which is not excluded, will continue in the future. Popular markers in this form are prepositions such as since (shows the starting point, the action that started the process) and for (introduces a period, duration). For this type of Present Perfect continuous examples the following can be given:
· Jack and Lucy have been searching for the key for the last 40 minutes. (Jack and Lucy have been searching for their key for the last forty minutes)
· Steve has been dreaming about her since he first met you. (Steve has been dreaming about her since he met her)
But these markers are not the only ones: there are other markers that indicate that the situation has been running for some time, for example, the constructions these three / four / five days (these three / four / five days), the whole morning / day /week (all morning/afternoon/week), etc.:
· Fred has been training very hard these three days. (These three days Fred has been training very hard)
We have already been waiting for Joan the whole morning, it's high time she came. (We've been waiting for Joan all morning, it's time for her to come)
Using the Present Perfect Inclusive
For this type of Present Perfect Continuous, the rules and examples of use should be clarified that not all cases allow the use of such a temporary form. As mentioned earlier, the completed long tense in English cannot be used in negatives; instead, the correct one is Present Perfect, to which it is customary to add the term Inclusive. In addition, the situations used with Present Perfect Inclusive may be different:
1. With verbs, the use of which in Continuous is unacceptable
(emotions and feelings, desire and intention, sensory perception and some others):
I have known you for the last 5 years - I have known you for the last 5 years
She has been her since last Wednesday - She has been here since last Wednesday
Note: regardless of the fact that verbs illustrating desire and intention (wish, want, intend, etc.) are not usually used for a long time, in spoken live English there is still a tendency to put such forms in the Present Perfect Progressive:
· I have been wishing to speak to Sam ever since you returned - I want to talk to Sam since he returned
I’ve been wanting to see my sister for many months - I want to see my sister for many months
2. With indefinite verbs
With verbs that are called unlimited in English, that is, those that have no time limit and can last an indefinite amount of time - work, travel, study, live, etc.
Note: In such cases, it is also possible to use the usual the present Perfect Continuous Tense, but only in the case when the focus is on the duration, and not on the result:
We have worked at this issue for several weeks - We have been working on this issue for several weeks (the fact of work is emphasized)
We have been working and working at this issue for weeks and I don't believe we are likely to deal with it - We are all working and working on the case for weeks, but it seems to me that we are unlikely to cope with it (attention is focused on duration)
Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive
Sentences with Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive are aimed at those cases where there is a need to show that the action was in progress, but does not continue to the present; now there is only the result of having continued somewhat earlier. Present Examples Perfect Continuous of this type can be as follows:
Susie has been weeping and now her eyes are red - Susie was crying and now her eyes are red
· You have a bruise on your face. Have you been fighting again? - You have a bruise on your face. Did you fight again?
Note: the use of both types of Present Perfect Continuous is possible only in the Active form, the passive form of this tense does not exist.
It is important to take into account all these factors in the use of such time, and then even such a seemingly complex construction will not cause inconvenience and will be able to convey the speaker's ability to display the desired situation in speech and writing.
Hello, friends. Lately from the present group (Present) is Present Perfect Continuous. Consider education and rules for using the present perfect continuous. This is the longest of the present tenses, which always consists of 3 words.
Unit 9 Present Perfect Continuous
Video version of the lesson:
It has been raining - It was raining(translated into Russian in the past tense)
Consider the situation
The form of the verb in this tense is:
have (has) + been + verb-ing is the present perfect continuous
have (has) points to present - present
been indicates perfect
the verb ing indicates a process (continuous)
Let's look at the table.
When is the Present Perfect Continuous used (situation 1)?
We use it for activities that have recently ended or have just ended. At the same time, there is a connection with the present and a desire to show that the action lasted long enough.Examples
It has been raining for 2 hours - It has been raining for 2 hours(translated into Russian by the present)
Consider an example
It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining. — It started raining 2 hours ago and is still falling.
how long has it been raining? - How long has he been going?
It has been raining for two hours. - He's been walking for 2 hours.
When is the Present Perfect Continuous used (situation 2)?
We use this tense with words likehow long - how long
for - during
since - from such and such a time
An action that began in the past (we either know when it started, or we know exactly how long it has been going on) is still going on or ended at the moment of speaking.
Examples
You can use have/has been …-ing for actions that repeat periodically over time.
Examples
Debbie is a very good tennis player. She 's been playing since she was eight.- Debbie is a very good tennis player. She has been playing tennis since she was 8 years old.
Every morning they meet in the same cafe. They 've been going there for years. Every morning they meet in the same cafe. They have been going there for many years.
So that you do not confuse Present perfect continuous and present continuous, let's compare them.
Present Perfect Continuous, like any Continuous, is associated with the period during which something happened or is still happening. Accordingly, it is translated into Russian either past or present.
How to understand that it is necessary to apply this temporary form? - There is a connection with the present (it can be either in this sentence, or in another sentence closely related to this) - It is known when the action began, lasting until the current moment - It is known how much time the event took place up to the present.
Expression form: have (has) + been + verb-ing Most often in a sentence with a given tense, the words since and for are used.
English tests for self-examination and consolidation of knowledge on the topic
ok-tests.ru/unit-9-blue/
The more examples with Present Perfect Continuous you analyze, the faster you will “feel” and learn how to use this time.
More related examples
We've been reading the whole day. We read all day.
I have been thinking about it recently. I've been thinking about this lately.
We've been dancing since 10 o'clock. We have been dancing since 10 o'clock.
I've been studying it all term. I've been studying this all semester.
I've been practicing it all week. I practice this all week.
How long have I been sleeping? How long do I sleep?
How long have you been writing? How long have you been writing?
Hello my beloved readers.
What is your favorite tense in English? I can bet that you have not even thought about the one that will be discussed today. And in vain, because the Present Perfect Continuous rules are the simplest of all 12 existing ones. Let's bet I can convince you of that today. We are waiting for the rules and examples for both schoolchildren, for example, grade 8, and for those who are older.
How is formed
There is nothing difficult in the order of formation of this time. General principle simple:
Subject + verb to have (has) + been + predicate with the ending -ing + additions and circumstances.
Let's look at examples:
I have been helping at the golf competition the whole morning. - I helped in the golf competition all morning. (The action continued and only recently ended)
He has been preparing for the test for the whole evening. It's time to eat something. She has been preparing for the test all evening. It's time for something to eat. (The action continued, but ended)
The most important feature in the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is the use of the auxiliary verb have.
- When it comes to the first and second person (I, we, you, you, they), we put the form in the sentence have.
- When it comes to third parties (he, she, it), then have turns into has.
Let's break it down in detail in a table.
In the negative form, a particle is added to have not.
And to form a question, you need to move have to the very beginning of the sentence.
So, remembering the formation of this time is not so difficult. So let's move on to when it is applied in practice.
When used: beginner level
For beginners, the main thing to remember are two main use cases.
- Imagine that the action has already started earlier. It lasted for some time, and by the time the conversation was over. This is one situation.
She has been preparing this cake for 3 hours. She cooked this cake for 3 hours. (And already finished)
I have been practicing here for seven years. “I worked there for seven years. (But on this moment I do not work)
- The second use case is when the action has not completed by the time of the conversation, but continues further.
My sister has been decorating the house for a week already. My sister has been decorating the house for a week now. (But still not finished)
My mother has been talking to my sister on skype for 2 hours already. - My mother has been talking to my sister on Skype for 2 hours. (And continues to this day)
Another important aspect to understand is that time is connected to the past . Let's look at an example.
We have been driving since 6 a.m. and haven't found the house yet. - We have been driving since 6 am and still have not found a house.
We are driving around the village but cannot find their house. - We drive around the village, but we can't find their house.
In the first case, people started riding in the past and continue to ride until now. From the second sentence, we do not see a connection with the past. We're just getting to know the fact that they're driving right now and can't find a home.
You may be wondering: how do you know when an action is over? The only advice I can give you is to look at the context of the sentence and the pointers. For or Since serve this time well. If even after that you still don’t understand, try inserting other tense options and take a closer look at the meaning. Most likely, no other time will fit the meaning of the text.
When used: "professional" level
- Often Present Perfect Continuous can be replaced by Present Perfect without prejudice to the sentence itself. But still, if you want to emphasize the duration of the action, use the first option.
I have lived there for 11 years. - I have been living there for 11 years. - I lived there for 11 years.
- And in one sentence you can find both Present Perfect Continuous and Past Simple. This usually happens when a conjunction appears in a two-part sentence. since .
I have been practicing yoga since I visited India. - I have been doing yoga since I visited India.
- In Present Perfect Continuous, we can express our dissatisfaction or share criticism, but only with an event that happened once.
She has been crying over him for a few months although he wasn't such a great love of hers. She's been mourning him for months now, even though he wasn't that big of a love.
Well, my dears, do you understand this time better now? Share in the comments what problems and questions you have - I will be happy to help solve them. And if everything is clear to you, then even more practice awaits you on the page where the test and are collected to test you.
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