3.7.1: Present Perfect Continuous Explanation and Formation

Present Perfect Continuous Explanation and Formation

       The present perfect continuous tense is basically the same as the present perfect tense.  Both of them talk about actions that began in the past, continue in the present, and will continue in the future.  The difference between them is that the present perfect continuous tense emphasizes that the action of the verb is “in progress” as the person is either writing or speaking.  Notice the difference between the following sentences.

I have typed many exercises in my life.
I have been typing this exercise for 10 minutes.

I have listened to the radio thousands of times in my life. 
I have been listening to the radio for 20 minutes.

It has always rained a lot in the Seattle area for thousands of years.
It has been raining all day today.

My son has studied Japanese ever since he was in middle school.
My son has been in his room all day today.  He has been studying Japanese ever since he got up this morning.

       Both sentences in each pair began in the past, continue in the present, and will continue into the future.  However, the difference is that the second sentence in each pair was “in progress” as I wrote the sentence.  That is the difference between the present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous tense.

 Present Perfect Continuous Form

I                                   studying for three hours.
You                               writing since noon time.
We     have      been      sitting in this chair all afternoon long.
They                             doing    this outline for 40 minutes.                                               
He                                studying for three hours.
She     has been            writing a letter to her mother for 20 minutes.
It                                  sitting on the porch all day.

 

       Notice that for the present perfect continuous, you must use either have or has AND been, plus the ing form of the verb.

Exercise 14:  Write five sentences in the present perfect continuous, please.

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Exercise 15:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, please.

1.  My friend ___________  (hold) his baby for 20 minutes.

2.  My sister ____________  (live) in Rhode Island for many years.

3.  My sons ____________  (play) video games all day long.

4.  My neighbor is an astronomer and _______________ (look) at stars all night long.

5.  I __________________  (drive) around Chinatown looking for a parking space for 10 minutes.

6.  Microsoft ___________  (sell) computer software since the early 1980s.

7.  The students­­­­­­­­ ­­­­­___________ (use) many books in the library for their research project all quarter long.

8.  People ______________  (record) their thoughts on paper for many centuries.

9.  Scientists ___________  (think about) going to Mars for a number of years.

10.  You _______________  (use) my handout in this class this quarter.

Exercise 16:  Write five sentences telling me about five places you have visited, but don’t tell me when you were there, please.

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5.

 

       Now write the same sentences, only now tell me when you went to these places.

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       Now write five other pairs of sentences using the present perfect tense to introduce an action and then the simple past tense to say when it happened. 

For example:  I have worn this shirt all day today.  I put in on at 6:10 AM.

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5. 

 

Exercise 17:  Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the past tense, please.  (Remember that I am now 70 years old and I am not dead yet.)

I ------------------- (do) many things in my life.  When I --------------- (be) a boy, I --------------- (do) all the things that normal kids still do today.  For example, in summer I --------------- (go) fishing almost every day.  Besides fishing, I also --------------- (play) baseball and --------------- (ride) my bicycle every day.  In winter, I --------------- (put) my bicycle, baseball glove and swim suit away and --------------- (take out) my sled and ice skates. Whenever it --------------- (snow), my sister and I always --------------- (get) dressed in our warm clothes and --------------- (take) our sleds to the hills which ------------ (be) near our house.  We --------------- (slide) down the hills all day long.  Sometimes if it --------------- (be) just very cold for a long time, we ----------- (wait) for the ice on the pond in back of our house to freeze, and then we --------------- (walk) down the hill to the pond and --------------- (skate) until our mother --------------- (call) us in for dinner.

I -------------------- (teach) many classes at this college for many years.  When I first ------------------ (start) here, I usually -------------------- (teach) low level classes because most of the students then -------------------- (not have) much experience with speaking English.  Because I already -------------------- (have) a lot of experience teaching beginning English, the dean -------------------- (choose) me to teach those classes.  It ------------------ (be) so much fun because the students -------------------- (work) so hard and -------------------- (make) good progress.  Lately, however, I -------------------- (teach) higher level grammar because it ------------------- (be) also a lot of fun.

Exercise 18:  Combine the following sentences or ideas by using the present perfect continuous tense, please.

1.  The men are building a fence now.  They started building the fence early this morning.

 

2.  My wife is preparing for a party at our house tomorrow.  She started preparing for the party yesterday.

 

3.  My sons and I are trying to decide on which restaurant to go to for Mother’s Day.  We started talking about this last week.

 

4.  I started writing this exercise about ten minutes ago.

 

5.  The sun is shining today.  In fact, the sun was shining on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday, too.

 

6.  I am listening to some music as I write this exercise.  It started playing about two minutes ago.

 

7.  I put on a short sleeved shirt this morning.  I am still wearing it right now.  I won’t take it off until I get home this afternoon.

 

8.  My friend and his wife always argue.  Last week they were arguing about where to go during summer vacation.  They are still arguing about it today.

 

9.  A baby is crying in another room.  She started crying about ten minutes ago.

 

10.  I started teaching at this college in 1981.  I am still teaching here now.

 

11.  The boys outside are playing a game of baseball.  They started playing about two hours ago.

 

12.  I am typing this exercise.  I started it 15 minutes ago.

 

13.  My son is living in Japan.  He started living there in July 2009.

Exercise 19:  Answer the following questions, please.  Use either the present perfect tense or the present perfect continuous tense.  Don’t forget that the present perfect continuous tense is used when an action is in progress when the person speaks.

1.  How long have you been studying in ESL in this class?

 

2.  Have you ever driven a big truck?

 

3.  How many questions have I written so far?

 

4.  Where have you been sitting while doing this exercise?

 

5.  Where have you usually sat when you studied?

 

6.  What have you been wearing today?

 

7.  Have you worn traditional clothes this week?

 

8.  Has it been raining much in Seattle this week?

 

9.  How many times have you flown in an airplane?

 

10.  Have you ever ridden on an elephant?

 

11.  Have you studied anything besides English this quarter?

 

12.  Has the price of gas been going up or going down recently?

 

13.  Has the radio been playing while you have been doing this exercise?

 

14.  Whom have you loved all of your life? 

 

Exercise 20:  In the following sentences, choose between the simple past tense and the present perfect tense, please.

1.  My wife and sons (come) -------------------- into the room while I was studying last night.

2.  When we first (get) -------------------- married, my wife (shrink) -------------------- a sweater of mine when she (wash) -------------------- it in hot water.

3.  My son Alex (be) -------------------- in university in 2003.

4.  I (want) -------------------- to write an exam earlier in the week, but I (forget) ----------to do it.

5.  My friend (give) -------------------- me my car just before she (die) -------------------- last year, and I (drive) -------------------- it since then.

6.  My students (not enjoy) -------------------- taking tests for as long as I can remember.

7.  Many bombs (burst) -------------------- all around the world since the 20^th century.

8.  The shirt which I (buy) -------------------- yesterday (cost) -------------------- $25.00.

9.  Since the beginning of time, men (fight) -------------------- in wars.

10.  Once when my kids were young, they (hide) -------------------- my car keys.

11.  Last night my son (sweep) -------------------- the floors in my house.

12.  I have a friend who (be) -------------------- out of work for six months even though he (seek) ------------------- many jobs in that time.  (Two possible answers)

13.  My wife (need) -------------------- some money, so she (withdraw) -------------------- $200 from the bank last Friday.

14.  I (write) -------------------- many exams in the last 41 years.  I wonder when I will be finished.

15.  When I (be) -------------------- in college for my BA degree, I (study) ------------------- history as my major.

16.  I (wear) -------------------- a tie to school every day this quarter.

17.  My wife, as always, (prepare) ------------------------- a wonderful meal last night.

18.  You (finish) ------------------------- answering 18 questions so far.

19.  You (finish) ------------------------- answering 18 questions less than a minute ago.