The Present Perfect Continuous

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Teach By Out Chanthea
Contents
I.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE(1)...................................................................2
I.
FORM:...........................................................................................................................3
II.
Time Expressions:..........................................................................................................4
III.
PRONUNCIATION:......................................................................................................4
IV.
PRACTICE:...................................................................................................................5
II.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (2).....................................................................5
I.
PRACTICE:...................................................................................................................5
III.
THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS (3)............................................6
I.
Definition.......................................................................................................................6
II.
Examples and Observations:..........................................................................................6
III.
FORM:...........................................................................................................................7
IV.
USE:...............................................................................................................................8
V.
EXERCISES:...............................................................................................................10
IV.
Important:....................................................................................................................13
VI.
Remember Non- Continuous Verb:..............................................................................13
VII.
Adverb Placement:.......................................................................................................13
V.
REFERENCE (4)...........................................................................................................14
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 1
I. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (1)

You can use present perfect to talk about unfinished action or situation.
Ive always known my best friend.

Ive never been to Africa.
Ive lived in my flat for five years.
Ive been a teacher since 2006.
You can also use the present perfect to talk about finished action which is important
now.
Ive just heard the news about the fire. Isnt it awful?
Weve painted the house. It looks lovely.
Dont use the present perfect which finished time in the past.
Use the past simple:
We painted our house last week.

He saw this film on Monday.
They went to Africa in 1999.
Time expressions:
You often use these time expression with present perfect:
For Since
Always
Never
yet
Recently
Just
Already
You can use:
GRAMMAR
Always and never to talk about the whole of your life until now.
For and since to talk about part of your life until now.
Recently and just to talk about the short time ago.
Ive just seen Sopheak. If you hurry you can go with her.
Yet to talk about something that you expect to happen.
Have you finished your homework? No, Ive started it yet.
Already to talk about something that happened sooner the expect.
Hes already seen this film.
Ever in question means at any time in your life.
Have you ever had Thai food?
2014-2015
Page 2
I.
FORM:
We can use present perfect:

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
Form
Example
Positive
S +Have/Has +Past
Participle
Ive lived in Siem Reap for

5 years
Negative
S +Have/Has +Not +Past

Participle
I havent lived in Siem Reap
Sentences
Question
Have/Has +S + Past
Participle
II.
How long have you live in

Siem Reap
Time Expressions:
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 3
Present perfect + Time expressions

In mid position:
Auxiliary Time
expression+
Past participle
.I has always known my

best friend.
.Ive never been to

Africa.
For +period of the time

Since +point in time
Ive live in my flat for

five years.
Hes live in his flat since
2005.
At the end of the

Sentences
I havent written the

essay yet.
We have seen her
recently.
.Ive just heard the news

.I has already written the
essay.
Note: some time expression can go in more than one position. Already can also go at
the end of the sentences. I have written essay already. Recently can also go in mid
position in positive sentences. Weve have recently seen her. It can go in mid position
in negative sentences. We havent recently seen her.
III.
PRONUNCIATION:
You usually stress the adverb in mid position and at the end of the sentence.
. Ive always known my best friend.

. I havent written the essay yet.
But you dont stress for or seen
. Ive lived the flat for five years.
. Hes live in his flat since 2005
IV.
PRACTICE:
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 4
Add these time expression to the sentences:

For Since Always Already Yet Just Never
1. You have done the homework, havent you? Could you help me? Youve already
done homework....
2. I havent finished the report for todays meeting. Im very worried.
3. Hes lived in the same house. He was born there.
4. Theyve had that car ten years. Its broken down.
5. Weve come back from safari in Kenya. It was an amazing experience.
6. We havent seen each other university, but it seems like yesterday.
7. Ive seen this film. I saw it years ago, when it first came out.
8. Ive liked spicy food. Its too hot for me.
II. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (2)

The basic purpose of the present perfect simple is to say something about the present by
describing something which happen or start in the past.it can be useful to thing about the
present perfect simple as having more three meaning uses:
1. Describing the period from sometime in the past until now.
Ive been to Singapore (For whole life)
Ive seen him a few times since July.
You can use the present perfect simple in this way to summaries experiences and
achievement
2. Describing an activity, state or habit which start in the past and is still going on.
Ive lived here since 1990.
Theyve learned with the same teacher for ten years.
You often use present perfect simple in this ways to answer the question How
long.....?
3. Emphasizing the present result of past events.
I thing Ive lost my key. (Now I lost it)
Ive leant a lot so now I can earn a lot of money. (Now Im rich)
Because the present perfect simple is about the present, you cant use it with
finished past time expressions. I have been to Thailand in 2000
I.
PRACTICE:
Make question and sentences. Use the present perfect simple.

1. have / been/always/I/good at /playing football
2. a couple of degrees/done/in psychology and social work/have/I
3. recently/passed/my driving liecen /I/ have
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 5
III. THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS (3)

I.
Definition:
A verb construction (made up of has been or have been plus the present participle) that
emphasizes the ongoing nature of an action that began in the past and continues in the present.
(The decision to use has been or have been is determined by agreement with the subject.)
The present perfect progressive tense usually conveys the meaning of recently or lately. The
action reported by the present perfect progressive may or may not have been completed.
The present perfect progressive (continuous) is use for an action, which began sometime in
the past and it is still going on at the presence in the moment.
See Examples and Observations below. Also see:
Aspect
Present Perfect
Progressive Aspect
Present Progressive
II.
Examples and Observations:
Try to understand how hard he has been trying to make everything better for his family.
(Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, 1959)
I have been painting with a palette knife because I don't like to wash the brushes.
(Flannery O'Connor, summer 1953. The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor,
1979)
I have been waiting. I have been searching. I am a man under the moon, walking the
streets of earth until dawn. There's got to be someone for me."
(Henry Rollins, Solipsist, 1998)
The ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together."
(Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle, 1999)
[Even Jerry] Garcia might have been surprised by how many scholars have been
studying the cultural furniture in the Grateful Dead outback."
(Nicholas G. Meriwether, Studying the Dead. Scarecrow, 2013)
My friends and I are a little worried because Stacey hasn't been feeling too great lately.
But she seems to be coping."
(Ann M. Martin, The Baby-Sitters Club: Poor Mallory. Scholastic, 2014)
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 6
The PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates a continuous action that

has been finished at some point in the past or that was initiated in the past and continues to
happen. The action is usually of limited duration and has some current relevance: "She has been
running and her heart is still beating fast." The present perfect progressive frequently is used to
describe an event of the recent past; it is often accompanied by just in this usage: "It has just
been raining."
This tense is formed with the modal "HAVE" or "HAS" (for third-person singular
subjects) plus "BEEN," plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending): "I have been
working in the garden all morning. George has been painting that house for as long as I can
remember."
Singular
I have been walking
You have been walking
He /she /it has been walking
Plural
We have been walking
You have been walking
They have been walking
Singular
I have been sleeping
You have been sleeping
He/she/it has been sleeping
Plural
We have been sleeping
You have been sleeping
They have been sleeping
Singular
Plural
There is no present perfect progressive for the "to be" verb. "Have been being" is expressed
simply as "have been": "We have been being successful in the past."
III.
FORM:
1. The Form of Present Perfect Progressive (Continue) has or have + been + verbing
(Present Participle).
Subject
I / You / We / They
have/has + been + verb ing

have been watching TV
rest of sentence
for three hour
He / She / It
has been playing football
for two hour
IV.
USE:
A. Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)Which to use?
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 7
In general, use the present perfect simple when the action started in the past and is
relevant to the present.
Ex: This is the third time Ive written to you. (I wrote twice in the past and now I am writing
again in the present.)
If its an action that started in the past and that same action is still happening now, use the
present perfect progressive.
Ex: I have been meeting for you since 8 am.
Some actions can be expressed in either tense, especially those that started in the past and
still occur in the present on a habitual basis.
Ex: I have lived in this house for 20 years. / I have been living in this house for 20 years.
Both sentences are correct.
B. Contractions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

In general, we contract the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and form of have:
1.
I have > Ive Ive been thinking about you since you called.
2.
He has > Hes / She has > Shes / It has > Its Hes been singing for two hours.
3.
We have > Weve / You have > Youve / They are > Theyve Weve been helping her
out for a few months.
You may have noticed that the 3rd person singular (he, she, it) contractions look like those in
the present progressive. You can tell them apart by the use of been and from the context of the
sentence: he is > Hes eating now. / he has > Hes been eating for two hours.
C. Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe ()
has not > hasnt
When creating negative sentences, we use hasnt or havent together with been and the ing
(present participle) form of the verb. Save the long forms (has not, and have not) for when you
want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on not.
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 8
Subject
Axillary verb
Been verbing
Rest of sentence
I / We / You / They
havent (have not)
been lying
to you
He / She / It
hasnt (has not)
been sleeping
well since the accident
1.
I havent been feeling well lately.
2.
Simon hasnt been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3.
4.
The sales team hasnt been performing at the top of their game.
He has not been paying attention!
D. Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Have or
Has, (Havent or Hasnt for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that has
been doing the action) followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb and
only then add the rest of the sentence.
auxiliary Verb
Have
Has
Hasnt
Subject
I/you/we/ they
he / she / it
he / she / it
Been + Verbing
Been working
been earning
been helping
1.
Have you been keeping track of sales?
2.
Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?
Rest of Sentence
Since this morning
since this morning
you clean the house
E. Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 9
Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words
are what, where, when, why, which, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add have or has, then the subject (a person
or thing that has been doing the action), followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of
the verb, and only then add the rest of the sentence.
Wh-Word
Auxiliary Verb
Subject
Been+ verbing
What
Why
have
has
I/you/we/ they
he/she/it
Been doing
Been copying
1.
What have you been doing since I left?
2.
Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?
3.
How long has he been waiting?
V.
Rest
Sentence
Lately
Documents
day
of
all
EXERCISES:
Exercises Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Fill in the correct for of the Present Perfect Progressive as in the examples.
1.
Ive been gardening for three hours. (garden) My back is killing me!
2.
Tony has been listening to the news non-stop since the conflict began. (listen)
3.
Have you been saving the coupons for me? (save)
1.
Roger ______ at his mothers house since his divorce. (stay)
2.
How long _____ the dogs ________ like that? (bark)
3.
I _______ the football score. (not follow) Are we winning?
4.
The students ______ plans for the school party for several weeks. (make)
5.
Rachel ________ at that studio for very long. (not dance)
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 10
6.
_________ Tim _______ that book since January? (not read) Im waiting to borrow it.
7.
The project manager ________ us to finish the work since Tuesday. (push)
8.
________ you ________ TV all morning? (watch)
9.
I_________ to Paris twice a month since the project started. (travel)
10.
Jenny ________ customer deadlines since she arrived here. (not meet.) The boss may fire
her.
Answers:
1. has been staying
2. have/been barking
3. havent been following
4. have been making
5. hasnt been dancing
6. Hasnt/been reading
7. has been pushing
8. Have/been watching
9. Ive been traveling
10. has not been meeting
F. Examples Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

1. Positive:
1.
I have been living in this house for 40 years. (I started living in it 40 years ago and I am
still living in it today.
2.
I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours. (I started climbing up it two
hours ago and at this moment Im still climbing.)
3.
I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 11
4.
Ive been thinking about you since you called.
5.
Hes been singing for two hours.
6.
Weve been helping her out for a few months.
7.
Ive been gardening for three hours. My back is killing me!
8.
Tony has been listening to the news ever since the conflict began.
2. Negative:
1.
I havent been feeling well lately.
2.
Simon hasnt been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3.
The sales team hasnt been performing at the top of their game.
4.
He has not been paying attention!

3. Yes/No Questions:
1.
Have you been keeping track of sales?
2.
Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?
3.
Have you been saving the coupons for me?

4. Wh Questions:
1.
What have you been doing since I left?
2.
How long has he been waiting?
3.
Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?
Use 1 Duration From The Past Until Now
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 12
Past
Present
Future
We use the present perfect progressive to show that something started in the past and has
continued up until now For five minutes For two week and Since Tuesday are all
duration which are can be used with the present perfect progressive.
Example:
They have been talking for the last hour.
She has been working at that company for three years.
What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
Yamin has been teaching at the university since June.
We have been waiting here for over two hour.
Why has Nancy not been talking her medicine for the last three day?
Use 2 Recently lately
Past
Present
Future
You can also use the preset perfect continuous without a duration such as Without the
duration; the tense has a more general meaning of We after use the words Lately or
Recently to emphasize meaning.
Example:
Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
She has been watching too much television lately.
Have you been exercising lately?
Yamin has been feeling a little depressed.
Lisa has not been practicing her English.
What have you been doing?
VI.
Important
Remember that the present perfect progressive has the meaning of Lately or
Recently If you use the present perfect progressive in a question such as Have you been
feeling alright? it can suggest that the person look sick or Unhealthy. A question such as Have
you been smoking? Can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person. Using the tense in a
question suggest you can see, smell, hear, or feel the result of the action. It is possible to result
someone by using this tense on currently.
VII. Remember Non- Continuous Verb

GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 13
It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verb cannot be used in any continuous

tense. Also certain non-continuous meaning for mixed verb cannot be used in continuous tense.
Instead of using present perfect continuous with these verbs, you must use present perfect.
Example:
Sam has been having his car for two years.

= Not Correct
Sam has had his car for two years.
= Correct
VIII. Adverb Placement

The example below show the placement for grammar adverb such as: always; only;
never; ever; still; just; etc.
Example:
You have only been waiting here for one hour.
Have you only been waiting here for one hour?
Active/Passive
Example:
Recently, John has been doing the work. Active
Recent, the work has been done by John. Passive
Note: Present Perfect continuous is less commonly used in it passive for
IV. REFERENCE (4)

English Grammar For You By TUT BU In 2001
Cambridge Intermediate
Cambridge Upper-Intermediate
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/tenses/present_perfect_progressive.htm
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/the-present-perfectprogressive-tense/
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html
GRAMMAR
2014-2015
Page 14

The Present Perfect Continuous

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

The Present Perfect Continuous

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Teach By Out Chanthea

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE(1)...................................................................2

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (2).....................................................................5