On the one side, Present Perfect Continuous Tense very simple time, as it is easy to understand. On the other hand, this is one of the most difficult times in terms of building.
Usually a group of these tenses (completed continued) 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 Present Perfect Continuous and other tenses of the English language
Rules for using Present Perfect Continuous in English
Present Perfect Continuous Tense translates as "real perfect continuous tense."
We use this time 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 ongoing
That is, the action began sometime in the past, lasted for some time and is still going on at the present moment.
We started building the house 2 years ago, have been building all this time and are currently (today) still building it.
Let's look at some more examples:
She has been with this company for 6 years.
She started working there 6 years ago, has worked all this time and currently continues to work there.
We stand in line for 2 hours.
We got in line 2 hours ago, we have stood all this time and at the moment we are 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 currently continues to watch it.
2. The action has now completed
That is, the action began sometime in the past, lasted for some time and ended recently or just now. In this case, despite the fact that the action has ended, we can see result this action.
We started building a house 2 years ago, have been building all this time, and by now we have a house built.
Let's look at a few more examples:
It snowed all night.
The snow started in the evening, it was falling at night, at the moment it has ended, but we see the result - snowdrifts.
She has been cleaning since morning.
She started cleaning in the morning, did it all day, at the moment she has already 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 it for an hour, by now I found them, but as a result, I was late for the meeting.
As you can see, remember when to use present time Perfect Continuous is not difficult. But in order to better understand it, let's analyze its difference from other tenses of the English language.
The difference between Present Perfect Continuous and other tenses of the English language
Now let's look at the difference between Present Perfect Continuous and times similar to it.
1. InhowdifferencebetweenPresent 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 offer you do focus on results- You have dinner ready. At the same time, it doesn’t matter to us how long you cooked it, only the result is important.
Now let's see how the sentence in 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 are focusing 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. InhowdifferencebetweenPresent Perfect ContinuousAnd 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 focus on the fact that something is now in the process.
Let's look at an example:
I am reading a book.
I'm 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 does not matter to us how long you have been reading, but it is important that you are doing it at the moment.
Compare with the sentence in Present Perfect Continuous:
I have been reading a book since morning.
I have been reading a book since morning.
In this sentence, we are focusing not so much on the fact that at the moment we are 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, during the hour, all evening, etc.).
3. InhowdifferencebetweenPresent 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 went on for some time. But notice this process has nothing to do with the present. For example, last week he went to visit his parents and drove the car all night.
And now let's see how the meaning of the sentence changes if we build it in Present Perfect Continuous:
He has been driving a car all night.
He drove the car all night.
As I said, Present Perfect Continuous shows that the action has recently or just ended, and we can see its result at the moment. For example, he now looks tired (result) as he has been up all night and driving.
Let's take another look at the comparison table of all these times:
| Time | Example | What do we focus on | |
| Present Perfect |
I have cleaned my room. |
We focus on the result - the room is now clean. How long the cleaning took, we are not interested. |
|
| Past Continuous |
I was cleaning my room. |
Expresses a long-term action in the past. But this action has nothing to do with the present. Once upon a time I cleaned (yesterday, last week), but now the room may be dirty. |
|
| Present Continuous | I am cleaning my room. I'm cleaning my room. |
I am doing this at the moment. It doesn't matter when exactly I started. | |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
1. I have been cleaning my room for two hours. 2. I have been cleaning my room for two hours. |
1. I am currently doing this. The emphasis is on how much time 2. Expresses not only a connection with the present, |
|
Now that we have figured out how to use this tense, let's look at how to build sentences in it.
The rule for constructing sentences in Present Perfect Continuous in English
The present perfect continuous tense is formed by:
- Auxiliary verb have/has
- Verb to be in the 3rd form - been
- Adding the ending -ing to the verb (the action itself)
The scheme of such a proposal would be as follows:
Actor + have/has + been + action ending -ing
When we talk about someone singular(he - he, she - she, it - it), we use has. In all other cases - have.
| I | |||
| You | |||
| We | have | cooking | |
| They | been | sleeping | |
| She | cleaning | ||
| He | has | ||
| It |
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 morning.
Abbreviations
We can abbreviate have and has as follows
has='s
have = 've
The rule for adding the ending -ing
There are several features when adding the ending -ing 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 - to sit
ban - banning - prohibit
Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and -w:
mix - mixing - mix
flow - flowing - flow
- If the verb ends in -ie, then we change this ending to -y
lie - lying - to lie
tie - tying - tie
Time markers Present Perfect Continuous
IN English language There are 2 words that are very often used in Present Perfect Continuous. This:
- for- inflow
for an hour/two hours/a month/a year/a long time
- 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 has been writing this book for a year.
Verbs not used in Present Perfect Continuous
As I said, Present Perfect Continuous is used when we talk about process. That is, the action began, lasted for some time, recently ended, or is still ongoing.
To be used in our continuous tense, the verb must be able to last. For example: sleep - you fell asleep once, slept for a while, just woke up or are still sleeping.
Exception verbs cannot last, so we cannot use them in this tense. We cannot start know (know) or understand (understand) and after some time finish this process.
The following verbs cannot be processes:
1. Verbs expressing feelings
hear - to hear
smell - to smell,
feel - feel, etc.
2. Verbs expressing a mental state
forget - forget,
know - to know
understand - 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 - possess, etc.
All these verbs cannot be processes. That is why we do not use such verbs in Present Perfect Continuous. In this case, the Present Perfect tense is used instead.
Not right:
I have been knowing him for a month.
I have known him for a month.
Right:
I have known him for a month.
I have known him for a month.
Formation of negative sentences in time Present Perfect Continuous
Negative sentences are constructed in the same way as affirmative sentences. Only after the auxiliary verb do we put the negative particle not.
The scheme of such a proposal:
Actor + have/has + not + been + action ending -ing
| I | ||||
| You | ||||
| We | have | cooking | ||
| They | not | been | sleeping | |
| She | cleaning | |||
| He | has | |||
| It |
I have not been study ing for two days.
I didn't work out for two days.
He has not been clean ing his room.
He doesn't clean his room.
Reduction
We can abbreviate have/has and not as follows:
have + not = haven't
has + not = hasn't
Formation of questions in time Present Perfect Continuous
To ask a question, we need to put have/has first in the sentence. The scheme of such a proposal looks like this:
Have/has + character + been + action ending -ing?
| I | |||
| you | |||
| have | we | cooking? | |
| they | been | sleeping? | |
| she | cleaning? | ||
| Has | he | ||
| it |
have have you been crying?
Have you been crying?
Has he been running?
Did he run?
I note that you must always remember that actions are connected with the present time. If we ask a person a question at this time, then we are now seeing something that may indicate the action we are asking about.
For example, you meet a friend who has red eyes and smudged makeup. Seeing this, you ask: "Did you cry?"
The answer to the question in Present Perfect Continuous
The answer to this question can be "yes" or "no". We can give it:
- in short form
- in full form
A short positive response contains the word yes, the protagonist and an auxiliary verb:
have have.
They slept? Yes.
Has have you been training? Yes, he has.
Did he train? Yes.
A short negative answer starts with no, and we add not to the auxiliary verb.
have have not.
They slept? No.
Has have you been training? No, he has not.
Did he train? No.
A full positive answer looks like an affirmative sentence, only at the very beginning we put yes.
have they been sleeping? Yes, they have been sleeping.
They slept? Yes, they were sleeping.
Has have you been training? Yes, he has been training.
Did he train? Yes, he practiced.
A full negative answer looks like a negative sentence, only at the very beginning we put no.
have they been sleeping? No, they have not been sleeping.
They slept? No, they didn't sleep.
Has have you been training? No, he has not been training.
Did he train? No, he didn't exercise.
So, we dismantled 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 has been waiting here for 4 hours.
2. Have they been playing since morning?
3. She has been living in Moscow for two years.
4. We have known each other all our lives.
5. I have not slept since yesterday.
6. He has been working here for 10 years.
The Present Perfect Continuous is a seemingly paradoxical phenomenon in English: how can an action be both completed and ongoing? Let's take a look at a specific example:
In the example above, we considered an action that had been going on for some time, starting at some point in the past, and had just ended. From the times of the Continuous group, this form received a mandatory duration of action, and from the times of the Perfect group - the presence of some result from the completed action (in our case, these are raw leaves, grass and soil).
However, situations are possible when an action that has lasted up to the present moment does not end, but continues further. In such situations, Present Perfect Continuous is also used, but the duration of the action is usually indicated up to the present moment, for example:
In this case, the indicated duration of action is a significant result for the present.
Affirmative sentence
The structure of the sentence in Present Perfect Continuous is based on a combination of elements of those temporary groups that are included in the name: present indicates that the first (and main) auxiliary will be in the present tense, Perfect- to the fact that this auxiliary verb will be, and then the third form of a certain verb will follow, and Continuous - to the fact that in the third form there will be a verb to be, followed by a semantic verb with the ending -ing. The result is the following construction scheme:
have/has been Ving
Here are some examples of affirmative sentences with the predicate in the present perfect continuous tense:
Negation
When constructing a negative sentence in this tense form, it should be remembered that the particle not added to the first auxiliary verb ( haven't/hasn't). Let's trace this phenomenon on specific examples:
Due to the specifics of this tense form, its use in negative sentences is somewhat limited by a narrow context.
Questions
General issues with a predicate in this tense form are built by transferring the auxiliary verb to the first place:
When building special question a question word is added to the same scheme, which will take the first place in the sentence:
Question to the subject also begins with a question word - Who (who) orWhat (what)- but in this case it replaces the subject, plays its role, so there can be no other subject in the sentence, and the words line up in the following scheme:
Alternative question provides for a choice between two or more options, expressed by conjunction o r/or and is constructed in the same way as the general question:
The question is a “label” necessary to express doubt about the content of a particular sentence, also called dividing question, is constructed using the auxiliary verb haven't/hasn't for affirmative and have/has for negative sentences, followed by the appropriate subject expressed by a personal pronoun:
| ... affirmative ...,haven't/hasn't +SP? | It has been snowing isn't it? | It's snowed, right? |
| Maria has been learning English for two years, hasn't she? | Maria has been learning English for two years now, hasn't she? | |
| Tom has been smoking too much recently, hasnt he? | Tom smokes too much Lately, is not it? | |
| …negative…,have/has+SP? | You haven't been looking for us have you? | You weren't looking for us, were you? |
| Ann hasn't been working for two hours, has she? | Ann hasn't been working for two hours, has she? | |
| The girls haven't been swimming, have they? | The girls didn't swim, did they? |
Use
As mentioned above, the predicate in Present Perfect Continuous expresses an action that began in the past, lasted for some time, and either ended just now or continues, but in such a situation its duration is indicated:
The need to use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in a sentence is often indicated by marker words - prepositions since(c; since) and for(during, during).
Often confusion is caused by controversial situations of choosing the use of the Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous tenses. In order to avoid misunderstandings, let's consider the difference in the use of these two similar tenses using specific examples:
| Present Perfect | Present Perfect Continuous |
| the action is completed, and this creates a certain result in the present | the action has lasted until now, and it is this duration that is important |
| The walls in the room were white. Now they are orange. Tom has painted them. | Tom's clothes are covered in paint. He has been painting his room. |
| The walls in the room were white. Now they are orange. Tom painted them. | Tom's clothes are covered in paint. He painted his room. |
| the result is important - painted walls, no matter how much time was spent on the painting process | it doesn’t matter if the room is painted to the end, that is, the result is not important, but the duration is important, which led to stained clothes |
The temporal form Present Perfect Continuous, although it is limited to a narrow context, is found in living English speech quite often, proving the fact that situations in which the duration of the action is important are quite widespread.
If you carefully study, you will notice that the main meaning of this time is to transfer the connection of a certain process with the present moment. To put it simply, a couple present perfect & present perfect continuous very similar to present simple & present continuous. One time in each pair serves to convey facts (results in the case of perfect simple) and the other indicates the process. But these "processes" are not similar to each other.
present perfect continuous rules and examples
So let's consider present perfect continuous rules and examples. There are 3 main cases when you can (and even need to) use present perfect continuous .
|
rule |
example |
translation |
|
To express a process that has been running for a period of time but has just ended. It is connected with the present, a certain result is visible. |
I have been tidy ing up the house for three hours so I look tired. |
I've been cleaning the house for three hours, so I look tired. |
|
To express an action that started some time ago and is still going on at the moment of speaking. |
look! She has been read ing that book since yesterday. |
Look! She has been reading that book since yesterday. |
|
To convey an action that happened regularly over a long period of time and is still happening. |
Every morning he drinks the same coffee. He has been do ing this for five years. |
He drinks the same coffee every morning. He has been doing this for five years. |
Features of the use of the present perfect continuous. Questions and negatives 
At consumption present perfect continuous very similar to the regular perfect tense. just for present perfect continuous not the 3rd form of the semantic verb is used, but the ing form. You probably noticed the ending –ing in every example. If you need to form a negation, use 'haven't been' And ‘hasn’t been’. The use of the present perfect continuous in questions it is limited by the need to put the auxiliary verb in front of the subject. Pay attention to the following examples.
(-) She hasn't been ask ing any questions for three days. She doesn't ask anything for 3 days.
(?) Has it been rain ing here? – Was it raining here?
How to train the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous?
We hope this article is about present perfect continuous rules and examples' helped you figure it out. We wish you success in conquering the heights of the English language and will be happy to help you learn it!
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In any time belonging to the Perfect Continuous category, situations are used with those continuous actions that not only show the process in certain moment action, but also how long this action lasts to a particular moment in the present, past and even future tense.
General information
Time Present Perfect Continuous in both written and live spoken language occurs quite frequently. 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 that are typical for perfection, and these are have and has (the second is typical for personal pronouns related 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 a duration, then we 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 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 this situation, it is customary to use the Present Perfect tense.
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 go through with the clarification 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 present perfect is correct, 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 Present Perfect Continuous Tense, but only if 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. Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous of this type might 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 a similar and at first glance complex structure will not cause inconvenience and will be able to convey the speaker's ability to display the desired situation in speech and writing.
In a huge family of present tenses, the Present Perfect Continuous occupies a special place. Let's look at everything about the formation, use and changing soul of this grammatical phenomenon in the article.
If you have reached the study of Present Perfect Continuous (progressive), then you can easily understand the word-for-word translation of each element from the name: the present perfect continuous tense. But don't be put off by the long and cluttered title. The biggest difficulty is to remember education, because there are quite a few components. But the use is even simpler than Present Simple.
Education
Grammar Present Perfect Continuous, which is based on the correct construction of the sentence, 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 get acquainted with the features of the conjugation to have. The semantic verb or predicate is used with the ending ing, the form of which corresponds to participle 1. For more information about exceptions to writing with this ending, see the article “Countinuous Times”. When forming a negation, it is only necessary to insert the particle “not”, and questions - swap the have / has and the subject.
| narrative | negative | interrogative |
| I have been teaching | I have not been teaching | Have I been teaching? |
| She (he, it) has been teaching | She (he, it) has not been teaching | Has she (he, it) been teaching? |
| We have been teaching | We have not been teaching | Have we been teaching? |
| You have been teaching | You have not been teaching | Have you been teaching? |
| They have been teaching | They have not been teaching | Have they been teaching? |
Short forms are also important to know so that your written language is literate.
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
Present Perfect Progressive has several uses, which distinguishes it from other tenses.
- If the action began in the past, lasted, continues until now, or has just ended, then you can safely use the present perfect continius.
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 painting he was working on.
Find out, determine this time, and, accordingly, set correct form, it is possible if you set Q: How long? What time is it?. 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 union is used since - since then, which serves as the starting point of the action that started it all. Sometimes none of the hints is used, which means that it is necessary to peer into the context.
- The event started, lasted and ended up to the moment of the 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 has been looking for a rich man all her life, and now she has found him.
They have been living abroad, but now they are at home. They lived abroad, but now at home.
In order not to confuse this time with other present ones, for example, Present Simple and Present Continuous, carefully look at the following table and compare:
| Action currently taking place | |
| Present Perfect Continuous (it is necessary to indicate how long the action takes) | Present Simple and Present Continuous (no indication of how long the action takes) |
| I have been waiting for him for a long time. “I have been waiting for it for a very long time. | I am waiting for him. - I am waiting for him. |
| I have been cooking dinner since 2 o'clock. — I have been preparing dinner since 2 o’clock. | I am cooking dinner. - I cook dinner. |
| He has been living in Minsk for 5 years. – He has been living in Minsk for 5 years. | He lives in Minsk. — He lives in Minsk. |
| She has been teaching English since 1930. She has been teaching English since 1930. | She teaches English. - She teaches English. |
In order not to confuse Present Perfect Continuous with Present Perfect, it is important to take into account some details. Compare?
| Perfect Action | |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Present Perfect |
| duration is important | result |
| I have been doing the work. — I did the work. | I have done the work. - I've done the job. |
| unwanted result | desired result |
| Why are you so dirty? I have been working in the garden. - Why are you so dirty? I worked in the garden. | I have worked in the garden. Now, I'm free. — I worked in the garden. Now I am free. |
| beginning of action (starting point) | last time |
| I have been playing the piano since 10 o'clock. I have been playing the piano since 10 o'clock. | I haven't played the piano since childhood. I haven't played the piano since childhood. |
| answers to questions: How long? How long? | answers to questions: How? How often? What? |
However, the Present Perfect Continuous rules do not end there. It's very important point counts 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.
As well as in other Continuous, verbs of feelings, perception, possession are not used in this tense. All this in great detail can be found in the article “Verbs not used in Continuous”.
The main thing to consider when translating Present Perfect Continuous is the moment of the conversation and the end of the action, while forming, do not forget all the components, but when using, pay attention to whether the duration is emphasized or you are simply informed about the fact of accomplishment. Well! We got acquainted with the rule, go for it! It's time to move on to the exercises and tests!
