UNIT
Present perfect continuous or Present perfect simple
5
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS Affirmative
I’ve been working / They’ve been travelling / He’s been reading / It’s been snowing.
Negative
You haven’t been waiting / He hasn’t been eating.
Interrogative
Have you been sleeping? / Has she been writing?
Short answers
Yes, I / you / we / they have. Yes, he / she / it has.
No, I / you / we / they haven’t. No, he / she / it hasn’t.
USAGE AND EXAMPLES • The Present perfect continuous is used for actions or events that started in the past and are still continuing in the present. • In sentences containing a duration form you typically find the following key words: how long (in questions), since (+ starting point) and for (+ duration of the action). For longer duration there are expressions like long, all day, all night, etc. How long has it been raining? My husband has been working all day. We’ve been doing Maths exercises for hours. Susie’s been teaching French since 2005. • The Present perfect continuous tense is also used when we focus on an action or event that has just stopped but its signs are visible now after lasting for some time; it also indicates that the action has been intensive. Study the examples: Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? (action going on for a while) Where were you?! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! (intensive action) • This tense is NOT used in negative sentences, with state verbs (have, be, know, etc) or for very long periods. In these cases you use Present perfect simple with the same function: I haven’t smoked since I had pneumonia. (because the action has NOT happened) How long have you known Farrah? (know is a state verb) Lucy’s lived here all her life. (she spent all her life here, it’s not a temporary situation, she still lives here) • However, when the action is only negative in part you can use the continuous form: study the examples: Don’t worry, I haven’t been waiting long. (I HAVE been waiting, but not for long) Tom hasn’t been eating much since you left. (he HAS been eating but not much) PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS or PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE? I’ve been reading this book all day. (focus on intensity and duration: how long)
I’ve read 20 pages of this book today. (focus on result: how much or how often)
He’s been saving money for a scooter. (focus on action in progress)
He’s saved some money for the scooter. (focus on completed action)
Why are you so wet? I’ve been washing the dog. (focus on the side effects of the action)
I’ve washed the dog. It’s clean now. (focus on result)
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