Sentences in the present perfect continuous. Present Perfect Continuous - present perfect continuous tense

Hello my beloved readers.

What is your favorite tense in English? I bet you haven't even thought about what we're talking about today we'll talk. A in vain, because the rules Present Perfect Continuous is the simplest of all 12 existing ones. Let's bet I can convince you of this today. We are waiting for rules and examples both for schoolchildren, for example 8th grade, and for those who are older.

How is it formed

There is nothing complicated in the order of formation of this time. The general principle is simple:

Subject + verb to have (has)+ been + predicate ending –ing + objects and circumstances.

Let's look at examples:

I have been helping at the golf competition the whole morning. - I've been helping at a golf competition all morning. (The action continued and only recently ended)

He has been preparing for the test for the whole evening. It's time to eat something. - She studied for the test all evening. It's time to get something to eat. (The action continued, but ended)

The most important feature in the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is the use of the auxiliary verb have.

1. When we are talking about the first and second person (I, we, you, you, they) - then we put in the sentence the form have.
2. When we are talking about third parties (he, she, it) - then have turns into has.

Let's look at this in detail in the table.

In the negative form, a particle is added to have not.

And to form a question, you need to move have to the very beginning of the sentence.

So, remembering the formation of this time is not so difficult. So let's move on to when it is used in practice.

When to use: beginner level

For beginners, the main thing to remember is two main uses.

• Imagine that the action has already started earlier. It lasted for some time, and by the time the conversation ended. This is one situation.

She has been preparing this cake for 3 hours. - She cooked this pie for 3 hours. (And already finished)

I have been practicing here for seven years. - I studied there for seven years. (But on this moment I do not work)

• The second use case is when the action has not completed by the time of the conversation, but continues further.

My sister has been decorating the house for a week already. - My sister has been decorating the house for a week now. (But still not finished)

My mother has been talking to my sister on skype for 2 hours already. - My mother has been talking to my sister on Skype for 2 hours. (And still continues)

Another important aspect to understand is that time is still connected to the past . Let's look at an example.

We have been driving since 6 a.m. and haven’t found the house yet. - We've been driving since 6 am and still haven't found the house.

We are driving around the village but cannot find their house. - We drive around the village, but cannot find their house.

In the first case, people started riding in the past and continue to ride today. From the second sentence we see no connection with the past. We're just learning the fact that they're driving around right now and can't find a house.

You may be wondering: how do you know when the action is over? I can only advise you one thing: look at the context of the sentence and the pointers. For or Since serve this time well. If even after this you still don’t understand, try inserting other tenses and take a closer look at the meaning. Most likely, no other tense will fit the meaning of the text.

When to use: “professional” level

• Often the Present Perfect Continuous can be replaced with the Present Perfect without affecting the sentence itself. But still, if you want to emphasize the duration of the action, use the first option.

I have lived there for 11 years. - I have been living there for 11 years. - I lived there for 11 years.

• And in one more sentence you can find both the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Simple. This usually happens when a conjunction appears in a two-part sentence. since .

I have been practicing yoga since I visited India. - I have been doing yoga since I visited India.

• In the Present Perfect Continuous we can express our dissatisfaction or share criticism, but only about an event that happened once.

She has been crying over him for a few months although he wasn’t such a great love of hers. “She’s been mourning him for several months now, even though he wasn’t that much of her love.”

Well, my dears, now do you understand this time better? Share in the comments what problems and questions you have - I will be happy to help solve them. And if everything is clear to you, then even more practice awaits you on the page where the test and tests are collected to test you.

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In any tense belonging to the Perfect Continuous category, situations with those continuous actions are used that not only show the process at a certain moment of the action, but also how long this action lasts at a particular moment in the present, past and even future tense.

General information

Present Perfect Continuous tense both in writing and in real life spoken language occurs quite often. It is not used exactly to show a completed action, as is the case with. Its essence is to display a situation that, at a particular moment, has now lasted for a certain period and, very likely, will continue to continue, despite the fact that this is not always mentioned in the context.

For the situation with Present Perfect Continuous sentences, the following examples can be given:

· I have been thinking of Mary’s proposal since we parted. (I've been thinking about Mary's proposal since we broke up)
· We have been seeking for you for hours. (We have been looking for you for many hours)
· Ann has been trying to make you believe her for all her life. (Anne spends her whole life trying to make you believe her)

Examples with this translation show that this or that action has been going on for some, and sometimes a very long, period of time. Exactly at similar cases and the use of the Present Perfect Continuous, a time that combines the features of both perfection and continuity, is relevant.

Formation of Present Perfect Continuous

The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous seems quite logical, taking into account the fact that this tense has the features of both a completed and a long-term action. The auxiliary words here are verbs typical of the perfective, and these are have and has (the second is characteristic of personal pronouns referring to the third person - “she”, “he”, “it”, i.e. on the same principle as in the tense Present Perfect). Another feature that unites perfect and long time- this is the presence of the verb to be, used in the form, i.e., simply put, in the form of being. Well, since we are talking about a process with duration, we cannot do without , or simply the –ing form, as it is often called.

Present Perfect Continuous scheme

Taking into account the above rules of formation, the Present Perfect Continuous formula can have the following conditional form:

Have
Has + been + V(–ing)

Questions in the Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense, if the Present Perfect Continuous can be called that, certainly occurs not only in sentences with a statement, but can also be used in situations where the speaker is interested in something. Interrogative sentences are easy to form: to construct this type of phrase, it is enough to just slightly change the word order and make it inverted, that is, reverse, when the position in front of the subject is taken by have (has). Interrogative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous, in particular questions general type, have the following form:

· Has she been learning her speech since yesterday’s evening? (Has she been practicing her speech since last night?)
· Have you been spending your whole weekend in this way? (Is this how you spend your whole day off?)

Negation in Present Perfect Continuous

It would seem that negative sentences with this type of temporal form of complexity in their formation should not carry. Here it would be logical to use only one negative particle not, which would be located after the auxiliary words have or has. Such constructions are often shortened so that the entire structure looks like this: haven’t (= have not) or hasn’t (= has not). But in reality everything is somewhat more complicated.

The principle of forming sentences with negation

The fact is that in English certain norms prohibit the use of the Present Perfect Continuous with negation, and therefore a negative sentence is not formed with this tense. This can probably be explained by the fact that there is actually no action, the duration of which should be shown at a certain point, and the situation becomes illogical. In such a situation, it is customary to use the Present Perfect tense.

Below are examples of sentences with negation:

· I haven’t slept for 30 hours. (I haven't slept for 30 hours)
· He hasn’t worked in this sphere for 2 years already. (He has not worked in this field for 2 years)

Uses of the Present Perfect Continuous

The use of Present Perfect Continuous is typical for several cases, but first it should be noted that there is a division of this tense into two varieties: Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive and Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive. Therefore, you should dwell on each type separately and give examples of where the present perfect continuus of one or another variety is used:

Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive

This time displays classic application Present Perfect Continuous, where an action, the starting point of which is in the past, lasts until a specific moment associated with the present and, which is possible, will continue in the future. Popular markers in this form are prepositions such as since (shows the starting point, the action that started the process) and for (introduces a period, duration). For this type Present Perfect Continuous examples The following can be cited:

· Jack and Lucy have been searching for the key for the last 40 minutes. (Jack and Lucy have been searching for their key for the last forty minutes)
· Steve has been dreaming about her since he first met you. (Steve has been dreaming about her since he met her)

But these markers are not the only ones: there are other indicators indicating that the situation has been running for some time, for example, the constructions these three/four/five days, the whole morning/day /week (all morning/day/week), etc.:

· Fred has been training very hard these three days. (Fred trains very hard these three days)
· We have already been waiting for Joan the whole morning, it’s high time she came. (We've been waiting for Joan all morning, it's high time she came)

Using Present Perfect Inclusive

For this type of Present Perfect Continuous, the rules and examples of use should be made with the clarification that not all cases allow the use of such a tense form. As stated earlier, the completed continuous tense in English cannot be used in negatives; Instead, the correct one is the Present Perfect, to which it is customary to add the term Inclusive. In addition, situations used with Present Perfect Inclusive may be different:

1. With verbs whose use in Continuous is unacceptable

(emotions and feelings, desire and intention, sensory perception and some others):

· I have known you for the last 5 years - I have known you for the last 5 years
· She has been her since last Wednesday - She has been here since last Wednesday

Note: regardless of the fact that verbs illustrating desire and intention (wish, want, intend, etc.) are not usually used for a long time, in spoken English there is a tendency to still put such forms in the Present Perfect Progressive:

· I have been wishing to speak to Sam ever since you returned – I want to talk to Sam since he returned
· I’ve been wanting to see my sister for many months – I want to see my sister for many months

2. With non-finite verbs

With verbs that in English are called non-finite, i.e. those that do not have a time limit and can last an indefinite amount of time - work, travel, study, live, etc.

Note: In such cases, it is also possible to use the usual the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, but only when the focus is on the duration, and not on the result:

· We have worked at this issue for several weeks - We have been working on this issue for several weeks (the fact of work is emphasized)
· We have been working and working at this issue for weeks and I don't believe we are likely to deal with it - We have all been working and working on this issue for weeks, but it seems to me that we are unlikely to deal with it (attention is focused on duration)

Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive

Sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive are aimed at those cases where there is a need to show that an action was in progress, but is not continuing to the present; Now there is only the result of something that lasted a little earlier. Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous of this type could be the following:

· Susie has been weeping and now her eyes are red – Susie was crying and now her eyes are red
· You have a bruise on your face. Have you been fighting again? -You have a bruise on your face. Did you fight again?

Note: the use of both types of Present Perfect Continuous is possible only in the Active form; there is no passive form of this tense.

It is important to take into account all these factors in the use of such tenses, and then even such a seemingly complex construction will not cause inconvenience and will be able to convey the speaker’s ability to display the desired situation in speech and writing.

There are difficult points in English grammar. The Present Perfect Continuous tense is one of these. But don’t panic and be disappointed in advance; it’s better to figure it out together.

Main question

If not all, then many have heard about the main difficulty of the English language - tenses. Therefore, in the first lessons of language learning, the question about the number of tenses is asked. But, as they say, the devil is not so black as it is painted (the devil is not as terrible as he is painted). There are only three tenses in English - Present, Past and Future. However, depending on what action is in front of us, four aspects are distinguished in each time - Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous.

Today we are talking about how the Present Perfect Continuous is formed and when to use it.

Education Formula

The Present Perfect Progressive tense refers to unusual times. It combines the “incompatible” - the Perfect aspect with the Continuous aspect in the Present. This leads to the “double” formula of education: (have/has + 3rd form of the verb) + (to be + verb + -ing) = have/has + been (3rd form of the verb to be) + verb + -ing . In other words, this tense form is formed using a “double” auxiliary verb have/has been (not translated, but changed according to persons and numbers) and the main verb with the ending - ing (translated, but not changed).

How this “works” in practice can be seen in the table:

The form of the verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Passive voice (Present Continuous Perfect in the passive voice) is built according to the formula “subjects + have/has + been + being + main verb in the 3rd form”, but is used in oral speech and texts extremely rarely (This monument has been being built for 50 years - This monument was built over 50 years)

Negation

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive are built using the same formula, but with the addition of a negative particle not (not) between two auxiliary verbs: subjects + have/has + not + been + main verb + -ing .

Question

Interrogative sentences are different in English in reverse order words The formation of a question in the Present Perfect Continuous also follows this rule: Have/has + subjects + been + main verb + -ing?

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As a rule, special questions in the Present Perfect Continuous begin with the question words How long? (how long?) and Since when? (From which moment?). They are, one might say, time markers (How long has it been snowing? - How long has it been snowing?)

Use

The aspects Perfect (Perfect) and Continuous (Continuous) affect not only the formula for the formation of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, but also the cases of its use. On the one hand, it describes an action with a result. On the other hand, it emphasizes its duration in time. So, despite the long and slightly scary name, it does not have many functions and they are easy to remember:

• To describe events that begin in the past and continue up to the present:

Alice has been swimming since morning - Alice has been swimming since morning (Alice started swimming in the morning and still continues to do this)

My grandfather likes news. He has been watching news on TV for two hours - My grandfather loves the news. He watches the news on TV for two hours.

• To describe events that have recently begun, have been going on for some time, have just ended and have a visible result in the present:

• This time is characterized by indicator words that emphasize the duration of the action: recently (recently, the other day), lately (in Lately, recently), all day (all day), since (starting with), for (during).

A famous scientist has been recently developing new research programs - A famous scientist has recently developed new scientific research programs.

What have we learned?

The discussed rules and examples of the Present Perfect Continuous prove that appearances can be deceiving. The long formula of formation and the confusing name of this temporary form are only an outer frightening shell. In fact, everything is much simpler: it has only two functions. The first is to indicate the completion of the action and its result in the present. The second is to emphasize the duration.

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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 finished long-term action with results in the present, then we 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 may 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 amount of 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 an action has recently or 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 made sure that it still exists a big difference in what tense 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

When learning English, students can spend a long time learning about Perfect and Continuous tenses in order to learn to use them automatically. Therefore, you can imagine their feelings when they come to such a terrible topic as Perfect Continuous. This is two times at once, and not so simple at that! However, these fears are completely in vain, and now we will see this using the example of the Present Perfect Continuous tense (pronounced [present perfect continuus]).

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense (also known as the Present Perfect Progressive Tense) or the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a tense in English used to express actions that began and either lasted up to a certain point in the past or continue to last.

This time is used relatively rarely, since it is often replaced by Present Perfect, but it is still necessary to know it, because in certain situations it will not be possible to do without it. Moreover, the correct use of sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous will only confirm your high level of knowledge of the language, and therefore attract praise from native speakers. Let's look at how this time is formed and used.

The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is similar to the formation of the Present Perfect and. To form this tense, two verbs are needed: auxiliary and semantic. The auxiliary verb is to be in the Present Perfect form. It has 2 perfect forms depending on person and number:

Semantic verbs are formed using Participle I or the present participle. To form it, you must add the ending –ing to the verb.

Actually, that's all. By adding both parts, you get a verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Present Perfect Continuous: sentence forms

We've sorted out the formation of verbs, now let's see how to make sentences with them in various forms.

Affirmative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The affirmative form of the Present Perfect Continuous, as always, is standard: the subject is used first, followed by the predicate, expressed by auxiliary and semantic verbs. Any minor member can complete the sentence. Table for clarity:

This example is used in Active Voice or active voice. If you want to use Passive Voice(passive voice), you may have difficulties.

• Firstly, to form the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect Continuous you still need to try, because you will need to use 4 verbs in a row.
• Secondly, even if you can easily cope with the first task, you will agree that phrases in Passive Voice a la “have been being understood” sound at least unusual.
• Thirdly, Passive Voice is not used by native speakers these days, so even they will not be able to appreciate your efforts.

Yes, theoretically it is possible to construct a Continuous Passive, but in practice no one needs such proposals. In general, do not make English difficult for yourself or others and do not use the Continuous Passive. If you need to show that the action was not performed by a person/object, but was directed at it, use not the Continuous Passive, but the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect tense.

Negative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The negative form in Present Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by adding the negative particle not between have (has) and been:

Abbreviations are possible in both affirmative and negative forms:

You may have noticed that has in an affirmative sentence is abbreviated in the same way as is. To understand what tense is used, keep the rules of education in mind. The present perfect continuous tense in English always requires the verb to be after has. If both of these verbs are in a sentence, then the speaker is using this particular tense.

Interrogative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The interrogative form is built based on the type of question:

• For a general question, you need to move the auxiliary verbs have and has to the beginning of the sentence. Been remains in its original place:

• IN alternative question some second member of the sentence is added for choice, which is supported by the conjunction or (or):

• Special questions are identical to general questions, only they use a question word before have (has):

• In a dividing question, you need to use an affirmative or negative sentence, followed by a short question:

Present Perfect Continuous: usage

Present Perfect Continuous Tense or present perfect continuous tense is used in the following situations:

1. To express an action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case, the speaker knows when the action began and how long it has already lasted. He cannot say when the action will end.
   Typically, such sentences contain indicator words: recently (the other day), lately (recently), quite a while ( for a long time/ a long time ago), these ... weeks (how many weeks), all my life (all my life), all day (long) / this month / this year (all day, month, year); as well as time markers for (during) and since (since), which are used as hints for the use of this time:

In the same case, time can be used to ask a special question. Such a question usually begins with the words: how long (how long) or since when (from when):

1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense is also used in cases where an action began in the past, lasted for a certain time and ended recently. This option emphasizes the duration of the action that led to some result in the present. Markers in such sentences may be omitted:

1. The Present Perfect Continuous is also used in cases where we mean that some action happened earlier. This conclusion is drawn from what is heard/seen. More often this option is used in a negative context:

1. The present perfect continuous tense is also used in a complex sentence that has a subordinate clause. Temporary markers for entering subordinate clauses here are limited to one word since (since). This subordinate clause is used in the Past Simple, and most importantly, is built in the Present Perfect Continuous:

1. Don't forget that Continuous tenses are not used with state verbs or state verbs that express feelings, perception, mental activity, possession of something. In this case, instead of the Continuous tense, the Present Perfect is used:

However, there are exceptions here. The use of Present Perfect Continuous is possible if it is necessary to highlight an action, to give it a more pronounced shade. So, for example, in the Present Perfect Continuous you can find verbs wish(to desire), want (to want) and mean (to gather):

1. Also pay attention to those verbs that are used in both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous. Such verbs include words that themselves imply a continuous action. For example: live (live), sleep (sleep), study (learn), teach (teach), work (work), run (meaning “manage”):

If the situation continues to last for a certain period, but is temporary or will soon change, use the Present Perfect Continuous:

It is worth noting that, despite the similarity of features not only with the Present Perfect tense, but also, in some way, with the Present Continuous, you cannot use sentences replacing the Present Continuous with the Present Perfect Continuous and vice versa. These times have different meanings and cannot be interchanged.

Present Perfect Continuous translation into Russian

It is worth paying special attention to the Russian translation of Present Perfect Continuous. As you already know, this tense either indicates an action that lasted and ended, or an action that began and is still ongoing. Accordingly, based on the choice of one of the two mentioned cases, the translation is constructed. So, if we want to show that the action has already ended, when translating into Russian we use imperfective verbs in the past tense:

If the action is still ongoing, then the translation is carried out with verbs used in the same form, but in the present tense:

You can understand what tense is implied based on the context.

The present completed continuous tense, as you can see, is not as difficult as it looks at first glance. Since this time is limited to certain situations, it accordingly does not have a wide variety of uses. It is also quite simple to build, especially if you are already familiar with other times. So don't avoid the Present Perfect Continuous, use it correctly, and if you need to review any rules associated with it, come back to this page and re-read the examples. You can also consolidate your knowledge by going to the page