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 .
| Affirmative form | Negative form | Interrogative form | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | have been working | I | have not been working | Have | I | been working? |
| he she it |
has been working | he she it |
has not been working | Has | he she it |
|
| we you they |
have been working | we you they |
have not been working | Have | we you they |
|
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?
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:
| Time | Example | What do we focus on? | |
| Present Perfect |
I have cleaned my room. |
We focus on the result - the room is now clean. We are not interested in how long the cleaning took. |
|
| 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. I cleaned it a long time ago (yesterday, last week), but now the room may be dirty. |
|
| Present Continuous | I am cleaning my room. I'm cleaning my room. |
I'm currently doing this. 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'm currently doing this. In this case, the emphasis is on how long it is 2. Expresses not only a connection with the present, |
|
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.
| 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 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 - to 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 | ||||
| You | ||||
| We | have | cooking | ||
| They | not | been | sleeping | |
| She | cleaning | |||
| He | has | |||
| It |
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?
| I | |||
| you | |||
| Have | we | cooking? | |
| they | been | sleeping? | |
| she | cleaning? | ||
| Has | he | ||
| it |
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 smeared. 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.
When learning English, students can spend a long time learning about Perfect and Continuous tenses in order to learn to use them automatically. Therefore, you can imagine their feelings when they come to such a terrible topic as Perfect Continuous. This is two times at once, and not so simple at that! However, these fears are completely in vain, and now we will see this using the example of the Present Perfect Continuous tense (pronounced [present perfect continuus]).
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense (also known as the Present Perfect Progressive Tense) or the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a tense in English used to express actions that began and either lasted up to a certain point in the past or continue to last.
This time is used relatively rarely, since it is often replaced by Present Perfect, but it is still necessary to know it, because in certain situations it will not be possible to do without it. Moreover, the correct use of sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous will only confirm your high level of knowledge of the language, and therefore attract praise from native speakers. Let's look at how this time is formed and used.
The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is similar to the formation of the Present Perfect and. To form this tense, two verbs are needed: auxiliary and semantic. The auxiliary verb is to be in the Present Perfect form. It has 2 perfect forms depending on person and number:
| I | have been |
| He | has been |
Semantic verbs are formed using Participle I or the present participle. To form it, you must add the ending –ing to the verb.
| Infinitive / Infinitive | V+-ing |
| (to)blink | blinking |
| (to) strike | striking |
| (to) pressure | pressing |
| (to) blossom | blossoming |
| (to) heal | healing |
| (to)give | giving |
| (to) mumble | mumbling |
| (to) walk | walking |
| (to) compensate | compensating |
Actually, that's all. By adding both parts, you get a verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
Present Perfect Continuous: sentence forms
We've sorted out the formation of verbs, now let's see how to make sentences with them in various forms.
Affirmative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous
The affirmative form of the Present Perfect Continuous is, as always, standard: the subject is used first, followed by the predicate, expressed by auxiliary and semantic verbs. Any minor member can complete the sentence. Table for clarity:
This example is used in Active Voice or Active Voice. If you want to use Passive Voice, you may have difficulties.
- Firstly, to form the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect Continuous you need to try harder, because you will need to use 4 verbs in a row.
- Secondly, even if you can easily cope with the first task, you will agree that phrases in Passive Voice a la “have been being understood” sound at least unusual.
- Thirdly, Passive Voice is not used by native speakers these days, so even they will not be able to appreciate your efforts.
Yes, theoretically it is possible to construct a Continuous Passive, but in practice no one needs such proposals. In general, do not make English difficult for yourself or others and do not use the Continuous Passive. If you need to show that the action was not performed by a person/object, but was directed at it, use not the Continuous Passive, but the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect tense.
Negative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous
The negative form in Present Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by adding the negative particle not between have (has) and been:
Abbreviations are possible in both affirmative and negative forms:
| Full form | Short form | |
| +
statement |
I have been calculating. She has been studying. He hasn't been faking. It has been blowing. |
I've been calculating. She's been studying. He's been faking. It's been blowing. |
| —
negation |
We have not been skating. You have not been judging. They have not been watching. She has not been cleaning. |
We haven't been skating. You haven't been judging. They haven't been watching. She hasn't been cleaning. |
You may have noticed that has in an affirmative sentence is abbreviated in the same way as is. To understand what tense is used, keep the rules of education in mind. The present perfect continuous tense in English always requires the verb to be after has. If both of these verbs are in a sentence, then the speaker is using this particular tense.
Interrogative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous
The interrogative form is built based on the type of question:
- For a general question, you need to move the auxiliary verbs have and has to the beginning of the sentence. Been remains in its original place:
- In an alternative question, some second member of the sentence is added for choice, which is supported by the conjunction or (or):
- Special questions are identical to general questions, only they use a question word before have (has):
- In a dividing question, you need to use an affirmative or negative sentence, followed by a short question:
Present Perfect Continuous: usage
Present Perfect Continuous Tense or present perfect continuous tense is used in the following situations:
- To express an action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case, the speaker knows when the action began and how long it has already lasted. He cannot say when the action will end.
Typically, such sentences contain indicator words: recently (the other day), lately (recently), quite a while (for a long time / a long time ago), these ... weeks (how many weeks), all my life (all my life), all day (long) / this month / this year (all day, month, year); as well as time markers for (during) and since (since), which are used as hints for the use of this time:
In the same case, time can be used to ask a special question. Such a question usually begins with the words: how long (how long) or since when (from when):
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense is also used in cases where an action began in the past, lasted for a certain time and ended recently. This option emphasizes the duration of the action that led to some result in the present. Markers in such sentences may be omitted:
- The Present Perfect Continuous is also used in cases where we mean that some action happened earlier. This conclusion is drawn from what is heard/seen. More often this option is used in a negative context:
- The present perfect continuous tense is also used in a complex sentence that has a subordinate clause. Temporal markers for entering subordinate clauses here are limited to one word since (since). This subordinate clause is used in the Past Simple, and most importantly, it is built in the Present Perfect Continuous:
- Do not forget that Continuous tenses are not used with state verbs or state verbs that express feelings, perception, mental activity, or possession of something. In this case, instead of the Continuous tense, the Present Perfect is used:
However, there are exceptions here. The use of Present Perfect Continuous is possible if it is necessary to highlight an action, to give it a more pronounced shade. So, for example, in the Present Perfect Continuous you can find the verbs wish (to desire), want (to want) and mean (to gather):
- Also pay attention to those verbs that are used in both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous. Such verbs include words that themselves imply a continuous action. For example: live (live), sleep (sleep), study (learn), teach (teach), work (work), run (meaning “manage”):
If the situation continues to last for a certain period, but is temporary or will soon change, use the Present Perfect Continuous:
| I’ve been studying here for 2 years but I’m going to transfer to another university soon. | I have been studying here for 2 years, but I am planning to transfer to another university soon. |
It is worth noting that, despite the similarity of features not only with the Present Perfect tense, but also, in some way, with the Present Continuous, you cannot use sentences replacing the Present Continuous with the Present Perfect Continuous and vice versa. These times have different meanings and cannot be interchanged.
Present Perfect Continuous translation into Russian
It is worth paying special attention to the Russian translation of Present Perfect Continuous. As you already know, this tense either indicates an action that lasted and ended, or an action that began and is still ongoing. Accordingly, based on the choice of one of the two mentioned cases, the translation is constructed. So, if we want to show that the action has already ended, when translating into Russian we use imperfective verbs in the past tense:
If the action is still ongoing, then the translation is carried out with verbs used in the same form, but in the present tense:
You can understand what tense is implied based on the context.
The present completed continuous tense, as you can see, is not as difficult as it looks at first glance. Since this time is limited to certain situations, it accordingly does not have a wide variety of uses. It is also quite simple to build, especially if you are already familiar with other times. So don't avoid the Present Perfect Continuous, use it correctly, and if you need to review any rules associated with it, come back to this page and re-read the examples. You can also consolidate your knowledge by going to the page
There are difficult points in English grammar. The Present Perfect Continuous tense is one of these. But don’t panic and be disappointed in advance; it’s 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 language learning, the question about the number of tenses is asked. But, as they say, the devil is not so black as it is painted (the devil is not as terrible as he is painted). There are only three tenses in English - Present, Past and Future. However, depending on what action is in front of us, four aspects are distinguished in each time - Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous.
Today we are talking about how the Present Perfect Continuous is formed and when to use it.
Education formula
The Present Perfect Progressive tense refers to unusual tenses. It combines the “incompatible” - the Perfect aspect with the Continuous aspect in the Present. This leads to the “double” formula of education: (have/has + 3rd form of the verb) + (to be + verb + -ing) = have/has + been (3rd form of the verb to be) + verb + -ing . In other words, this tense form is formed using a “double” auxiliary verb have/has been (not translated, but changed according to persons and numbers) and the main verb with the ending - ing (translated, but not changed).
How this “works” in practice can be seen in the table:
The form of the verb in the 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 used in oral speech and texts extremely rarely (This monument has been being built for 50 years - This monument was built over 50 years)
Negation
Negative sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive are built using the same formula, but with the addition of a negative particle not (not) between two auxiliary verbs: subjects + have/has + not + been + main verb + -ing .
Question
Interrogative sentences in English have reverse word order. The formation of a question in the Present Perfect Continuous also follows this rule: Have/has + subjects + been + main verb + -ing?
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As a rule, special questions in the Present Perfect Continuous begin with the 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
The aspects Perfect (Perfect) and Continuous (Continuous) affect not only the formula for the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, 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 scary name, it does not have many functions and they are easy to remember:
- To describe events that begin 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 have recently begun, have been going on for some time, have just ended and have a visible result in the present:
- This time is characterized by indicator words that emphasize the duration of the action: recently, lately, all day, since, for.
A famous scientist has been recently developing new research programs - A famous scientist has recently developed new scientific research programs.
What have we learned?
The discussed rules and examples of the Present Perfect Continuous prove that appearances can be deceiving. The long formula of formation and the confusing name of this temporary form are only 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 the duration.
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In any tense belonging to the Perfect Continuous category, situations with those continuous actions are used 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 tense.
General information
The Present Perfect Continuous tense occurs quite often both in written speech and in living spoken language. It is not used exactly to show a completed action, as is the case with. Its essence is to display a situation that, at a specific moment, has now lasted for a certain period and, very likely, will continue to continue, 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:
· 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 spends her whole life trying to make you believe her)
Examples with this translation show that this or that action has been going on for some, and sometimes a very long, period of time. It is in such cases that the use of the Present Perfect Continuous, a tense that combines the features of both perfection and continuity, is relevant.
Formation of Present Perfect Continuous
The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous seems quite logical, taking into account the fact that this tense has the features of both a completed and a long-term action. The auxiliary words here are verbs typical of the perfective, and these are have and has (the second is characteristic of personal pronouns referring to the third person - “she”, “he”, “it”, i.e. on the same principle as in the tense Present Perfect). Another feature that the perfect and continuous tenses have in common is the presence of the verb to be, used in the form, i.e., simply put, in the form of being. Well, since we are talking about a process with duration, we cannot do without , or simply the –ing form, as it is often called.
Present Perfect Continuous scheme
Taking into account the above rules of formation, the Present Perfect Continuous formula can have the following conditional form:
Have
Has + been + V(–ing)
Questions in the Present Perfect Continuous
The present perfect continuous tense, if the Present Perfect Continuous can be called that, certainly occurs 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 to form: to construct this type of phrase, it is enough to just slightly change the word order and make it inverted, that is, reverse, when the position in front of the subject is taken by have (has). Interrogative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous, in particular, questions of a general type, have the following form:
· Has she been learning her speech since yesterday’s evening? (Has she been practicing her speech since last night?)
· Have you been spending your whole weekend in this way? (Is this how you spend your whole day off?)
Negation in Present Perfect Continuous
It would seem that negative sentences with this type of temporal form of complexity in their formation should not carry. Here it would be logical to use only one negative particle not, which would be located after the auxiliary words have or has. Such constructions are often shortened so that the entire 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 sentences with negation
The fact is that in English certain norms prohibit the use of the 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 actually no action, the duration of which should be shown at a certain point, and the situation becomes illogical. In such a situation, it is customary to use the Present Perfect tense.
Below are examples of sentences with negation:
· I haven’t slept for 30 hours. (I haven't slept for 30 hours)
· He hasn’t worked in this sphere for 2 years already. (He has not worked in this field for 2 years)
Uses of the 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 tense into two varieties: Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive and Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive. Therefore, you should dwell on each type separately and give examples of where the present perfect continuus of one or another variety is used:
Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive
This tense reflects the classic use of the Present Perfect Continuous, where an action, the starting point of which is in the past, lasts until a specific moment associated with the present and, which is possible, 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, the following examples 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 indicators indicating that the situation has been running for some time, for example, the constructions these three/four/five days, the whole morning/day /week (all morning/day/week), etc.:
· Fred has been training very hard these three days. (Fred trains very hard these three days)
· 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 high time she came)
Using Present Perfect Inclusive
For this type of Present Perfect Continuous, the rules and examples of use should be made with the clarification that not all cases allow the use of such a tense form. As stated earlier, the completed continuous tense in English cannot be used in negatives; Instead, the correct one is the Present Perfect, to which it is customary to add the term Inclusive. In addition, situations used with Present Perfect Inclusive may be different:
1. With verbs whose use 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 English there is a tendency to still 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 non-finite verbs
With verbs that in English are called non-finite, i.e. those that do not have a 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 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 have all been working and working on this issue for weeks, but it seems to me that we are unlikely to deal with it (attention is focused on duration)
Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive
Sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive are aimed at those cases where there is a need to show that an action was in progress, but is not continuing to the present; Now there is only the result of something that lasted a little earlier. Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous of this type could be the following:
· 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; there is no passive form of this tense.
It is important to take into account all these factors in the use of such tenses, 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.