Scribd
Upload
12 views1 page

Understanding Present Perfect Continuous

The document discusses the present perfect continuous tense in English. It is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue in the present. Some key points: - It focuses on the continuation of a past action rather than a single action completed in the past like the present perfect simple. - Common time expressions that accompany it are "for" and "since" to indicate duration. - It allows contractions like "I've been" and "she's been." - Stative verbs like "know" or "like" are an exception and must use the present perfect simple rather than continuous form.

Uploaded by

Nuria
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views1 page

Understanding Present Perfect Continuous

The document discusses the present perfect continuous tense in English. It is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue in the present. Some key points: - It focuses on the continuation of a past action rather than a single action completed in the past like the present perfect simple. - Common time expressions that accompany it are "for" and "since" to indicate duration. - It allows contractions like "I've been" and "she's been." - Stative verbs like "know" or "like" are an exception and must use the present perfect simple rather than continuous form.

Uploaded by

Nuria
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Present Perfect Continuous

Even if it’s called ‘Present Perfect Continuous’, it’s not a time of the present, it’s a time of the past.

The Present Perfect Continuous it is mainly used to speak of actions that have begun in the past but CONTINUE in
the present.

In the ‘Present Perfect Continuous’, as opposed to the ‘Present Perfect Simple’, you don’t have to know the past
participle of each verb.

The ‘Present Perfect Continuous’ form is:

AFFIRMATIVE:

Subject + auxiliary verb ‘to have’ + ‘been’ + verb + ing

Pepe and Pepa have been playing

NEGATIVE:

Subject + ‘to have’ + ‘not’ + ‘been’ + verb + ing

Pepe and Pepa haven’t been playing

INTERROGATIVE:

‘To have’ + subject + ‘been’ + verb + ing + ?

Have Pepe and Pepa been playing?

Haven’t Pepe and Pepa been playing?

The ‘Present Perfect Continuous’ use is:

• To speak of actions that have begun in the past but continue in the present.

‘Pablo has been waiting for you all the day’

• For actions that have just ended and whose results we are interested in, that is, the consequence itself
matters. That is why it is usually visible in the present.

‘It’s been raining’ (No, it’s no longer raining, but the streets are crowed and you’re probably interested in
that information).

The ‘Present Perfect Continuous’ indicates an action over a period of time, it’s very common that it is
accompained by the prepositions ‘For’ (‘Desde hace’ / ‘Hace’) y ‘Since’ (‘Desde’).

‘Pablo has been waiting for you all the day’/ ‘She has been cooking since last night’

The ‘Present Perfect Continuous’ allow contractions with the auxiliary verb ‘To have’:

‘I have’ – ‘I’ve’; ‘I have not’ – ‘I’ve not’; ‘She has’ – ‘She’s; ‘He has not’ – ‘He hasn’t’.

We should note an exception, the ‘Stative Verbs’ that don’t admit the Continuous form, that’s why these verbs
have to be formed with the ‘Present Perfect Simple’

Have been talking

Hasn’t been studying

You might also like