TENSES MADE EASY
Present Perfect Continuous
We use the
present perfect continuous to express actions that started in the past and
continue in the present. This tense is also used to talk about actions which
began in the past and have recently stopped.
USE:
1. Actions that started in the past and
continue in the present
2. Actions that have recently stopped
Present
Perfect Continuous
|
||||
To Talk About actions that
started in the past, have continued until now and will probably continue in
the future.
|
||||
POSITIVE
|
SUBJECT
|
TO BE
|
BEEN
|
COMPLEMENT
|
I
He
|
Have
Has
|
Been
Been
|
Working
Working
|
|
NEGATIVE
|
SUBJECT
|
AUX. + NOT
|
VERB + ING
|
COMPLEMENT
|
I
He
|
Haven’t
Hasn’t
|
Been
Been
|
Working
Working
|
|
QUESTION
|
AUX.
|
SUBJECT
|
VERB + ING
|
COMPLEMENT
|
Have
Has
|
You
He
|
Been
Been
|
Working?
Working?
|
Remember
The difference between the present perfect simple and continuous
The difference is rather subtle; the present perfect focuses the
attention of a listener on the result of an action
And the present perfect continuous – on the duration of an activity.
I’ve bought a new car (The Present Perfect). I’ve been buying
cars for 10 years (The Present Perfect
Continuous) you can earn a nice living doing it.
In Positive Sentences
|
What’s distinctive for this tense are: the – ING ending and the 2
auxiliary verbs.
My friend has been sleeping
for 3 hours (Recently Stopped Actions)
(She is still sleeping or she has just woken up) (Recently Stopped Actions)
She’s (=she HAS) been crying in her room for half an hour now (Started
in past and continue present)
We’ve been waiting for a good offer to buy a car since
March (Started in past and continue present)
In Questions
|
Have you been running? (Recently Stopped Actions)
Has tom been walking the dong? (Recently Stopped Actions)
How long have you been learning English? (Started in past and continue present)
What have
you been doing there? I’ve been eating (1,
2)
In Negative Sentences
|
I haven’t been sleeping very well recently (Started in past and continue present)
I haven’t been waiting for 50 minutes (Recently Stopped Actions)
John hasn’t been using his A drive for a long time (Started in past and continue present)
Spoken Practice
|
Talk about
the activities you started in the past and still you are doing for example, I
have been studying English for 5 years. I have been living in Lahore for 20
years etc.
0 comments: