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Present Perfect Simple: aspects of use. Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous and Present Continuous are two similar tenses in English; in both cases, when translated into Russian, we are talking about the present tense. To use Present Perfect Continuous and Present Continuous correctly, you need to understand what their differences are.

Grammatical construction

Statement

The predicate in the Present Continuous is formed from the auxiliary verb to be and the main verb. To be takes the form am, is or are depending on the person of the subject; the particle to is removed from the main verb and the ending -ing appears.

Formula: I am + verb-ing
Example: I am singing - I sing.

Formula: He/She/It is + ing verb
Examples: He is smiling - He smiles. She is lying - She is lying. It is shining - It shines.

Formula: We/You/They are + verb-ing
Examples: We are listening - We are listening. You are dancing - You are dancing. They are swimming - They are swimming.

Some verbs are transformed after adding the ending –ing:

  • For verbs ending in -e, the final vowel is removed: come – coming (to come), make – making (to do), write – writing (to write).
  • For verbs ending in -ie, the vowels -ie are replaced with -y: lie – lying, tie – tying, die – dying.
  • If a short verb ends in a vowel with a consonant, then this consonant is doubled: swim - swimming (swim), stop - stopping (stop), get - getting (receive).

Unlike the Present Continuous, the Present Perfect Continuous construction has a different form. The Continuous aspect is complemented by the Perfect aspect. Thus, the auxiliary verb be turns into the Present Perfect form (have been or has been depending on the person of the subject), and the semantic verb also acquires the ending –ing (according to the same rules as in the Present Continuous).

Formula: I/We/You/They + have been + verb-ing
Examples: I have been reading - I am reading. We have been waiting - We are waiting. You have been playing - You are playing. They have been working - They are working.

Formula: He/She/It + has been + verb-ing
Examples: It has not been running. - He is running. She has been laughing. - She is laughing. It has been working. - It works.

Have/has can be combined with a pronoun (short form).
Examples: You've been playing - You are playing. She’s been laughing - She laughs.

Negation

A negative sentence in the Present Continuous differs from an affirmative one only in that the particle not appears between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Formula: I am not + verb-ing
Example: I am not singing. - I don't sing.

Formula: He/She/It is not + ing verb
Example: He is not smiling. - He doesn't smile. She is not lying. - She's not lying down. It is not shining. - It doesn't shine.

Formula: We/You/They are not + verb-ing
Examples: We are not listening. - We don't listen. You are not dancing. -You don't dance. They are not swimming. - They don't swim.

In the Present Perfect Continuous, as in the Present Continuous, the particle not appears in a negative sentence, located between have (has) and been.

Formula: I/We/You/They + have not been + verb-ing
Examples: I have not been reading. - I do not read. We have not been waiting. - We don't expect it. You have not been playing. -You're not playing. They have not been working. - They do not work.

Formula: He/She/It + has not been + verb-ing
Examples: It has not been running. - He doesn't run. She has not been laughing. - She doesn't laugh. It has not been working. - It doesn't work.

Have/has can be combined with not (shorthand formula).
Examples: We haven’t been waiting - We are not waiting. He hasn’t been running - He doesn’t run.

Question

In order to ask a question in the Present Continuous, we put to be in first place, then we place the subject and after it the main verb.

Formula: Am I + verb-ing
Example: Am I singing? - I sing?

Formula: Is he/she/it + ing verb
Examples: Is he smiling? - He smiles? Is she lying? – Is she lying down? Is it shining? – Is it shining?

Formula: Are we/you/they + verb-ing
Examples: Are we going? - We are going? Are you dancing? - Do you dance? Are they swimming? - They are swimming?

As in the Present Continuous, in the Present Perfect Continuous, to form an interrogative sentence, the auxiliary verb comes first, but not in its entirety, but only part of it - have/has. Been remains with the main verb. In the first place we have (has), after it the subject, then been and then the main verb with the ending -ing.

Formula: Have + I/we/you/they + been verb-ing
Examples: Have I been reading? - I am reading? Have we been waiting? - We expect? Have you been playing? - You're playing? Have they been working? - They work?

Formula: Has + he/she/it + been-ing verb
Examples: Has he been running? - He is running? Has she been laughing? - She is laughing? Has it been working? - It works?

The nature of the action in the context of the sentence

Present Continuous - present continuous tense. It shows the extent of action in the present. Unlike the Present Continuous, in the Present Perfect Continuous it is important not that the action is temporary, but the process of performing it in the past and, as a consequence, its result in the present - this is the aspect of the Perfect.

Present Perfect Continuous vs Present Continuous: table

Not long ago we looked at the Present Perfect Simple, but, as you already know, every Simple has a Continuous. First of all, the word “continuous” denotes the duration of an action, and “Present Perfect” hints at the result and unfinished time.

If we sum up it together, it turns out that Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a long action with a result, and the time is unfinished.

I’ve been reading an interesting book this week (and I’m still reading). - This week I am reading an interesting book (and I am still reading it).

Let's take a closer look at how the Present Perfect Progressive is formed. C"mon.

Education Present Perfect Continuous

Affirmative form formed using the auxiliary verb " be" in Present Perfect or " have been” (“has been” for pronouns “he”, “she”, “it” and singular nouns). The semantic verb is the present participle or Participle I (verb + ending “-ing”).

I have been reading.- I am reading.
We have been running.- We're running.
You have been playing.- You're playing.
They have been working.- They work.
She has been eating.- She's eating.
It has not been running.- He is running.
It has been working.- It works.

Negative form is formed if we put the particle “ not" between " have» (« has") And " been».

I have not been reading.- I do not read.
We have not been running.- We don't run.
You have not been playing.- You're not playing.
They have not been working.- They do not work.
She has not been eating.- She doesn't eat.
It has not been working. - It doesn't work.
He has not been smoking.- He does not smoke.

IN interrogative sentences auxiliary " have" or " has» taken out to the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject, then “ been" + Participle I.

Have I been reading?- I am reading?
Have we been running?- Are we running?
Have you been playing?- You're playing?
Have they been working?- They work?
Has she been eating?- Does she eat?
Has he been running?- He is running?
Has it been working?- It works?

And of course, don’t forget about abbreviations (“ contractions»):

I have been V+ing = I've been V+ing.
You have been V+ing = You've been V+ing (they've, we've).
He / she / it / John has been V+ing = He’s / she’s / it’s / John’s been V+ing.
Has not been V+ing = hasn’t been V+ing.
Have not been V+ing = haven’t been V-ing.

Using the Present Perfect Continuous

We use this time if:

  • the action began in the past, lasted for some time and is still ongoing in the present. This function shows a long-term action; it comes from the Continuous aspect.
She has been talking for more than an hour, my ears hurt!“She’s been chatting for over an hour, my ears hurt!”
I’ve been trying to call you all day!- I've been trying to reach you all day!
He’s been waiting for you for six hours.- He has been waiting for you for 6 hours (he started waiting 6 hours ago, and is still waiting).

Since this function shows the duration of an action, a question in the Present Perfect Continuous usually begins with the expressions “ how long"(how long, what time) and " since when"(since when, starting from what moment).

How long have you been learning English?- How long have you been learning English?
I have been learning English for four years.- I have been studying English for 4 years.
Since when have you been learning English?- Since when have you been studying English?
I’ve been learning English since I was 10.- I have been studying English since I was 10 years old.

Nota Bene: if we are talking about an action that continues in the present time, then the translation into Russian will be present.

  • The action ended recently, and now its result is visible. The influence of Perfect Simple is immediately apparent. But, using the Perfect Continuous, we emphasize that the action lasted for some time in the past.
You look so tired. What have you been doing?-You look so tired. What did you do?
Why is the pavement wet? Because it's been raining.- Why is the sidewalk wet? Because it was raining.
I have been smoking for 2 weeks, that’s why I’m so green.- I smoked for two weeks, that's why I'm so green.

Nota bene: if we are talking about completed long-term action with results in the present, then translate into Russian in the past time.

When using verbs " work», « teach», « learn», « live» used as Present Perfect Simple(emphasizes the fact of the action), and Present Perfect Continuous(emphasizes the duration of action).

He has been living in London for 5 years. = He has lived in London for 5 years.- He has lived in London (for) 5 years.
She has been teaching English since 2010. = She has taught English since 2010.- She has been teaching English since 2010.
They have been working in this company since they moved here. = They have worked in this company since they moved here.- They have been working for this company since they moved here.
  • There are state verbs (“state verbs” - “be”, “have”, “know”, “love”, etc.), instead of the Present Perfect Continuous we use the Present Perfect Simple.
She has been in London for 2 years.- She has been in London for 2 years.
How long have you known him?- How long have you known him?
I’ve known him for 10 years.- I've known him for 10 years.

Although in colloquial speech you can often hear the following phrases:

I"ve been having problems with the car recently.- I recently had problems with my car.
I"ve been wanting to talk to you.- I want to talk to you.

If speak about Passive Voice(passive voice), then time Present Perfect Continuous Passive in English not used. Instead we use the usual one Present Perfect Simple Passive.

The author has been writing this book for 3 years.- The author wrote this book for 3 years.
This book has been written for 3 years.- This book took 3 years to write.

Differences of times

As you have already noticed, when translating from Russian into English, the question always arises: “What tense should I use?” Let's figure it out.

  • Present Perfect Continuous vs Present 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.

I have just cooked a cake.- I just made a cake.

In this sentence, you focus on the result - you have a finished cake. It doesn’t matter at all how much time you spent preparing it - only the result is important.

Now let's see how the meaning of the sentence in Present Perfect Continuous. I have been cooking a cake for three hours already. I've been preparing the cake for 3 hours already. As you can see, in this sentence we focus on the result and duration of the action. That is, we are talking not only about the result of the action (the finished cake), but also about how long this action took place before the result was obtained.

  • Present Perfect Continuous vs 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 emphasize that it (the action) is still in process.

I am cooking a cake.- I'm making a cake.

You say that you are currently in the process of cooking, that is, you started cooking some time ago and are still cooking now. At the same time, it doesn’t matter to us how long you’ve been cooking, what’s important is that you’re doing it at the moment.

Compare with the sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous:

I have been smoking since morning.- I smoke in the morning.

In this sentence, we focus not so much on the fact that we are currently smoking, but on the fact that it took us a certain time. That is why such sentences always contain time indicators (“ since morning», « In one hour», « all evening" etc.).

  • Present Perfect Continuous vs Past Continuous.

Past Continuous is translated as “past continuous” tense. We use this tense when we talk about an action in the past that lasted for some time.

He was reading a book all night.- He read a book all night.

In this sentence we are talking about a process in the past that lasted for some time. But note that this process has nothing to do with the present. For example, last week he had an exam and he spent the whole night studying for it. Now let's compare with the Present Perfect Continuous:

He has been reading a book all night.- He read a book all night.

As we have 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 reading a book.

Conclusion

Today we learned about Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense. We learned how to properly form and use this time. We were convinced that there is still a big difference in what time to use, although in the Russian version everything sounds almost the same. You may have thought that this topic was very complicated and incomprehensible, but now you are definitely aware.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language

Keep studying grammar and use your skills!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

It's been raining since morning.

I hope that you answered correctly and let's move on to comparing three times, namely Present Perfect Сontinuous, Present Perfect and Present Continuous.

Present Perfect Continuous and its difference from Present Continuous and Present Perfect

I. Comparison Present ContinuousAndPresent Perfect Continuous

Comparing Present ContinuousAnd Present Perfect Continuous V it's important to understand that

  1. Present Continuous is used WITHOUT INDICATING HOW LONG the action takes, while Present Perfect Continuous, on the contrary, it emphasizes HOW LONG the action takes

COMPARE.

  • I am waiting for my brother. (Present Continuous)
  • I have been waiting for my brother for 2 hours. (Present Perfect Continuous)

These sentences are translated into Russian almost identically! — I’ve been waiting for my brother (already) for 2 hours.

Present Continuous and Present Perfect Continuous. Exercises

Exercise 1. Consume verb VPresent ContinuousorPresent Perfect Continuous.

Exercise 1.1 Consume verb VPresent ContinuousorPresent Perfect Continuous.

Exercise 2. verb VPresent ContinuousorPresent Perfect Continuous.

Exercise 2.1. Translate into English using verb inPresent Continuous orPresent Perfect Continuous.

  1. What are you doing? Watching TV. How long do you watch TV? I've been watching TV since I came home.
  2. The students are now writing a dictation. How long do they take to write it? They've been writing it since 10 o'clock.
  3. Hurry up, your friends are waiting for you near the house. They've been waiting for you for 20 minutes.
  4. What have you been doing since we didn't see each other? I was looking for a job. Found something interesting. Not yet.

* * *

II. Comparison of Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect

Comparing Present Continuous and Present Perfect Continuous it is important to understand that

  1. Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes duration of action, while Present Perfect emphasizes the fact of an action.

ALSO Present Perfect Continuous is used when we want to say HOW LONG the action lasted, and Present Perfect- when we want to say HOW MUCH we have done or HOW MANY TIMES we have done it.

COMPARE.

  • Ann has been writing letters all day. She has written 10 letters today.
  • How long have you been reading this book? How many chapters of the book have you read?
  • Jim has been playing tennis since 2 o'clock. Jim has played tennis three times this week.

I have been the fan of The Beatles since I heard the song Yesterday.

Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect. Exercises

The most common verbs that are not used in continuous tenses are be, see, know, have, meet, etc.

Do you remember that, in addition to temporary pointers since & for Other pointers are often found, e.g. during summer, this month, recently, all day, the whole month, all the time.

Remember typical phrases in the Present Perfect Continuous:

  1. It has been raining all day.
  2. We have been friends for years.
  3. I have had these gloves for a year.
  4. I haven't seen you for ages.
  5. We haven't met for a long time.
  6. I have known him since childhood.
  7. I've lived here all my life. = I've been living here all my life.

Exercise 3. Consume verb VPresent PerfectorPresent Perfect Continuous.

  1. It… (rain) since early morning.
  2. You needn't take an umbrella. The rain... (stop).
  3. How long... you... (play) the piano?
  4. I... (play) the piano since I was five.
  5. Mary ... (choose) books in the library for half an hour.
  6. Peter... (choose) a book by R. Stevenson and is going to buy it.
  7. Victor… (travel) all over the world for ten years.
  8. He... (visit) seven countries. Lucky him!
  9. How long... you... (have) your watch? – For two years.
  10. How long … you … (have) your English lesson? - For half an hour.
  11. ... you ... (read) the book Treasure Island by Robert Stevenson?
  12. How long... you... (fish) in the river? – For three hours already.
  13. ... you ... (catch) anything? - Not a fish.
  14. Peter… (be) a soldier for two years.

Exercise 4. Translate the sentences into English using the verb inPresent Perfect orPresent Perfect Continuous.

  1. Mary has been studying English since the morning.
  2. She has already done 10 exercises.
  3. Anna learned 20 English words today.
  4. Anna has been writing poetry since she was seven years old.
  5. She has already composed 100 poems.
  6. Tom and Jerry have been playing darts for two hours.
  7. We have worked in the garden and now we can relax.
  8. It's been raining since morning.
  9. The rain has stopped and we can go outside.
  10. Father feels tired because he drove the car for six hours today.

* * *

Finally, CONCLUSION:

Present Perfect Continuous used

  1. with prepositions for, sinceand other temporary indicators for an action that has not yet ended at the moment;
  2. in questions starting with How long….? Since when…..?
  3. with some verbs, for example, to live and to work, You can use both the Present Perfect and the Continuous.
  1. Julia has been living in Paris for a long time. = Julia has been lived in Paris….
  2. ow long have you been working here? = How long have you worked here?

From the school desk, students are intimidated by the difficult to understand parts of English, which must be crammed, otherwise you will not communicate and understand the language even at a minimal level. In fact, the prim Englishmen have only three tenses, as in our great and mighty language: present, past and future. However, you should understand: each time has its own characteristics, in other words, types. In this article we will look at the present tense and its form Present Perfect Simple.

English present tense

The present tense in English has 4 types:

  1. Present Perfect.
  2. Present Simple.
  3. Present Perfect Continuous.

Exercises usually help to reinforce the complexities of using these forms. It should be understood that these are not isolated rules, they have a certain system. The main thing in studying is to understand the essence of each tense, when it needs to be applied in practice in writing, and when in live conversation.

Time formula

The name of the tense form Present Perfect Simple is translated as “present perfect tense”. The perfect form is one of the most used in communication by residents of England and America, although we hear it less often in the speech of the latter. This type of present tense is formed according to the following formula: auxiliary + main verb in 3rd form.

The third form for regular verbs is formed by adding and for irregular verbs there is its own form, which is usually given in dictionaries.

For example:

I have already cleaned my room. - “I have already cleaned my room” (the verb clean is correct).

He has already drunk his tea. - “He has already drunk his tea” (the verb drink is incorrect).

Thus, we can say that the present perfect tense is quite simple to form; the main thing is to know whether you are using the correct form of the verb or not.

The third part of the table in dictionary publications and textbooks contains the third form of the verb. For example: the verb be (translated as to be, to exist) has the following forms: be/was (were)/been.

Using the present perfect tense

Present Perfect Simple is used when it is necessary to express exactly the result of an action that has already been performed. With the help of this tense, attention is focused on the result and thus it is clear that the action has already been completed. We also use Simple when we talk about an action that happened in an unfinished period of time. Remember that the main thing for understanding the perfect is the connection with the present moment and the fact of completion of the action. For example: " I have already eaten watermelon." - I have already eaten melon. That is, we mean the result of the action itself, the actual result.

These two tense forms refer to the present tense, but have different meanings. Present Simple is used when talking about events that happen usually and every day. The main indicators for it are the following words: always (always), usually (usually), rarely (rarely), often (often). The Present Perfect expresses an action that has already been performed and has a certain result at the time of the speaker’s speech. Also, these two times have different formation formulas. The simple tense is used in live communication much more often than the perfect tense. He has many words - pointers, that is, words that directly say that it is necessary to use the perfect tense.

Difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple

When learning English, the question always arises of when to use the Present Perfect and when to use the Past Simple. It is necessary to understand the basic postulates of using these forms of time. The most important thing to remember is that “Past Simple” is the past tense, it talks about events that have already happened. “Present perfect” is the present tense, it talks about something that was started earlier and not yet finished, or finished, but has a relationship with today. Sometimes you can understand from the meaning of the text itself that it is the perfect that needs to be used. The time should be chosen depending on what needs to be said to the speaker, based on the situation that has arisen.

Timing Rules

If the situation or time period in question has ended and has no connection with the present, then “Past Simple” should be used. When using the Past Simple tense, this may mean that the person in question can no longer carry out any action. If you do not say in more detail in a conversation about the reason for choosing this time, then you might think that the person is no longer alive.

She always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (meaning that she doesn’t watch TV anymore because she died).

She has always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (she loved it before and still loves it).

Etymology of the word

The word perfect comes from the Latin language and is translated as “completion”, and the meaning of “perfection”, in the sense of the absence of flaws, acquired much later. In fact, the word perfect acquired the meaning of “flawless” by expanding its previous meaning, because something created is completed when it no longer has flaws. Perfect tenses are so called because they refer to actions that are completed relative to the present tense. For example: “I ate the bread” is an action that is currently completed. However, not every use of the present perfect tense is associated with the idea of ​​completion. In fact, the perfect form exists in many European languages, including our Russian language.

English is not difficult. The rules are easy to remember and there are not many of them.

Many people do not understand the difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous. Students often get confused, not knowing when which tense is used. And although in some cases they can be interchangeable, there are still situations when the use of one or another construction can change the meaning of the sentence.

When Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous are interchangeable

First, let's consider a case where, regardless of what tense we use, the essence of what we said will not change.

– I have lived here for two months.

– I have been living here for two months.

Both sentences are translated into Russian as “I have been living here for two months.” Both tenses are appropriate here and there is no error in either sentence. The only thing is that in the second sentence the emphasis is more on the duration of the action.

Here's another example:

– I've waited for you for 20 minutes.

– I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes.

Both sentences mean that you waited for someone for 20 minutes. And the essence has not changed much over time. However, they can be translated in different ways:

– I've waited for you for 20 minutes. - I waited for you for 20 minutes.

– I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes. - I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes.

We can say both the first and second when our friend was 20 minutes late, but finally showed up. But, if a friend was 20 minutes late, and at the same time dialed us and said that he would be there in 5 minutes, it is appropriate to say “I’ve been waiting for you for 20 minutes.” The emphasis is on the fact that you have already waited 20 minutes and are still standing there waiting. And I’ve waited for you for 20 minutes, it’s more appropriate to say if you finally waited.

That is, when you want to say that some action lasts a certain period of time, you can use both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous, and this will not change the meaning of the sentence in any way. The only difference will be that the Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration of the action more strongly.

When there's a difference

Now let's look at cases where the use of the present perfect tense or the present perfect continuous tense affects the context. At the beginning of each point we will give examples, and then we will analyze what the difference is.

Case 1

– I've phoned Ann and she won’t go to the cinema with me.

I called Ann and she won't go to the movies with me.

– I've been phoning Ann, that’s why I’m late.

I called Ann, so I was late.

In the first case, we indicate the fact of the call and its result - I called her, and she will not come. There was an action in the past, and there is a result of this action in the present.

In the second case, the duration of action is important. I called the person, talked with him for a long time, and as a result, I was late. We emphasize that the action took us some time, which is why we have such a result (in our case, being late).

That is, in the case of I’ve telephoned, the result itself is emphasized. In the case of I’ve been phoning, the action itself is emphasized.

Case 2

– She's bought some food for this week.

She bought some groceries for this week.

– She's been buying food at the new supermarket lately.

Lately she has been shopping for groceries at a new supermarket.

From these examples, it follows that the Present Perfect is used when the action has already been completed and there is its result (the food is at her house). The Present Perfect Continuous shows an action that lasts for a certain period of time, and can continue at the moment of speaking.

Here's another example:

– They have improved working conditions. – They improved working conditions. (there is already a result)

– They have been improving working conditions. – They improve working conditions. (Some things have already been improved, and some are in the process of being improved. The action has not yet been completed).

Case 3

– I've written the essay and completed the reading task. — I wrote an essay and did a reading assignment.

– I've been doing my homework all evening. — I did homework all evening.

– She's called me three times today. — She called me three times today.

– We've been speaking for 30 minutes. -I talked for 30 minutes.

In these examples it is clear that the Present Perfect emphasizes how much has been done by the time of speaking. That is, the emphasis falls on the result. While the Present Perfect Continuous indicates how much time was spent on an action - the emphasis is on the amount of time.

For example, in this episode, the girl does not say exactly how many calls from her colleague she answered, but emphasizes how long it took her to answer calls that were intended for her colleague.

Case 4

– I've lived here since I was born. — I have lived here since birth.

– I've been living here since I entered university. — I have lived here since entering the university.

– He's worked at this company all his life. — He has worked for this company all his life.

– They've been working on this project for two weeks. — They have been working on this project for two weeks.

The Present Perfect is more often used in cases that reflect a constant situation. The Present Perfect Continuous will often be used to emphasize that a situation is temporary. I’ve been living here since I entered university - I won’t live here permanently, I’ll finish my studies and move out. They’ve been working on this project for two weeks – they won’t be working on this project all their lives, it’s just another work task.

Despite the fact that in certain cases the difference between the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous is insignificant, they still give a slightly different meaning to what is being said. And in some cases, you can even use only one of these tenses. The most important thing is to catch and understand this difference, then in practice there will be no problems.



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