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LESSON 05 - Present Perfect Continuous

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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

The present perfect continuous is usually used to indicate that an activity is not yet completed, or to emphasise the length of time the action has lasted or stress the continuous, on-going nature of the activity.

"I have been working" is an example of the present perfect continuous .

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HAVE + BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

I have been working, You have been working, It / He/ She  has been working, We have been working, You have been working, They have been working

bt-attention-48x48Rule of thumb:

  1. Ue the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. I've been working for three hours. (I'm still working).
  2. The present perfect continuous is often used in conjunction with for or since phrases. I have been living here since 1995. I've been reading for five hours.

interrogation_badgeHint

1. Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning of "lately" or "recently."

 If you use the Present Perfect Continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy.

A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.

2. The following contractions are often used in spoken English: I've been working, You've been working,He's been working, She's been working, it's been working, We've been working, You've finished, They've been working.

edu_iconAdvanced learners
Present perfect or present perfect continuous? Both the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous relate a past action to the present, but the present perfect simple suggests a completed action and focuses more on achievements and results.relate a past action to the present, but the present perfect simple suggests a completed action and focuses more on achievements and results.
Note that the present perfect is often used in conjunction with adverbs such as: 'ever', 'never', 'already', 'just', ''still', 'yet'   I’ve already done my homework.

 


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