Present Perfect Continuous is a rather incomprehensible topic for a Russian layman. The period of time is already completed, but also extended. How can that be? But in English it can! If we are talking about a period of time when an action began in the past (continued action) and continues to the present moment or is now ending (complete action). But in any case, the result is visible from this action.
Present Perfect Continuous in English
The literal translation of the name of this tense is the present perfect continuous. This tense is suitable for expressing an action that began in the past (a certain moment), lasted for some period of time and continues until now, or has just ended and the result is visible.
Create this interesting time with the followingdesigns:
have (or has in the 3rd person singular) - been - the fourth form of the semantic verb
The form of the main semantic verb here is used with the ending of the gerund -ing.
Example usage
1) The sun is shining outside and there are no clouds in the sky (the action has just ended), but the grass underfoot is wet (the result), and drops are dripping from the leaves of the trees. It was raining.
It has been raining.
That is, it rained for some time in the past and continued to the present, and this action left the result.
2) The sun is shining brightly (the end of the action), but the whole ground is covered with snow, and there is white snow on the trees and bushes (the result of the action going on for some time).
It has been snowing for five hours - It has been snowing for five hours.
That is, it snowed for a certain period of time, ended, and now the result of the completed action is visible.
You can say that this is a mixture of tenses in English - Present Simple, Continuous, Perfect. Perfect Continuous (like other tenses in English) has its own forms of use: affirmative, negative and interrogative.
Different shapes
As in other English tenses, to create an interrogative sentence from an affirmative one, you only need to rearrange the auxiliary verb before the subject in the sentence. And it doesn't matter here whether a special question is used or not.
That isput the form have or has in the first place:
- You have been cooking. - You (you) cooked (a) (whether)?
- Have you been cooking? - Did you cook?
- She has been sleeping. - She was sleeping.
- Has she been sleeping? - Was she sleeping?
- We have been walking. - We walked on foot.
- Have we been walking? - Did we walk?
As you can see from the translation into Russian, the words do not change places - only the intonation of the speaker and the meaning of the sentence change.
To make a statement a negation, the particle not is added after the auxiliary verb in English:
You have not been sleeping - You (you) did not sleep (a) (whether).
We have not been walking - We have not been walking.
How to tell?
It can be difficult to distinguish between present simple and present perfect continuous. To simplify this task, you need to get acquainted with additional words characteristic of each tense.
The present simple tense is used to express a known fact (phenomenon) or a repetitive action that characterizes an object or animate being.
She always speaks Russian at home. - She always speaks Russian at home.
He often comes to the library with his friends. - He always comes to the library with his friends.
The typical words for this time are:
- every week (day, month, year, hour, minute) - every week (day, month, year, hour, minute);
- often - often;
- always-always;
- usually - usually;
- never - never;
- seldom - rare.
You can simply focus on these words and their meaning to reveal the present simple tense.
The Present Perfect Continuous has other prepositions:
- since - from any time, from any time;
- for - for any period of time.
It is with the help of these prepositions that one can express both perfection and at the same time the continuation of the action.
Lisa has been living there since 1989.
My turtle has been swimming for several minutes. - My turtle swims for a few minutes.
Exercise
1) Translate the sentences into English using the Present Perfect Continuous:
- It has been snowing for hours now.
- It rained for two hours.
- Tom didn't learn Spanish for three years.
- She's been waiting for you for a week now.
- They play until the evening.
- My cat has been walking in the park for several hours now.
- You have been writing this letter for three days.
- We have lived in this village since 2001.
- Katya hasn't celebrated the New Year since she became an adult.
- Lisa drinks coffee and eats her breakfast early in the morning.
- Anna has been reading books since morning.
2) Present Perfect Continuous. Repetition exercises. Try to translatesentences from English to Russian:
- Kate has been working her new text for three hours already.
- Here they are at last! We have been waiting for them for an hour.
- Mother has been writing her the letter since morning.
- Our aunt has been making pancakes for half an hour.
- Your friends have been walking at the park for a minute.
- My father has been writing poems since evening.
Answers:
- Katya has been working on her new text for three hours already.
- Finally you are here! We are waiting for you within an hour.
- Mom has been writing her letter since morning.
- Our aunt makes pancakes for half an hour.
- Your friends have been walking in the park for a minute.
- My father has been writing poetry since the evening.
3) Distinguish the tenses in the examples: Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Past Continuous. Pay close attention to the translation of sentences - there is also present perfect continuous.
How long has my mother been looking for a job? - How long has my mom been looking for a job?
How long has it been snowing? - How long does it snow?
You have already done your homework. - You already did your homework.
At two o'clock yesterday we were reading a poem. - At two o'clock yesterday we were reading a poem.
At the end of September I was preparing for my holiday. - At the end of September, I was preparing for my vacation.
Were they speaking Japanese? - Do they speak Japanese?
He had asked about our clothes. - Heasked about our clothes.
She had written the book and was eating her breakfast when you come. - She was writing a book and eating her breakfast when you (you) came in (walked).
Tomas has written a book about children. - Thomas wrote a book about children.
She has lost her car. - She lost her car (that is, the time of the loss is not important, but only the result - the car is lost).
My mother has lived in England. - My mother lived in England (I mean, she used to live there, but she doesn't live there now).
