The Present Perfect Simple & The Present Perfect continuous

Both the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous talk about something which started in the past

The present perfect simple1. Emphasises the result:

• I’ve phoned all my friends and they’re coming to the party.

The present perfect continuous

1. Emphasises the activity:

• I’ve been(I have been) phoning my friends (that’s why I haven’t done my homework).

The present perfect simple2. Says how much you have done:

I’ve (I have) cooked ten pizzas

The present perfect continuous

2. Says how long you have been doing something:

I’ve been cooking all afternoon.

The present perfect simple3. May give the idea that

something is more permanent (and may be accompanied by a time expression which shows this):

He’s worked (he has) in this shop all his life. I’ve (I have always lived here).

The present perfect continuous

3. May give idea that something is temporary (and may be accompanied by a time expression which shows this): I’ve been working here for the last two months until I go to University. We have been eating dinner in the garden while the weather has been so warm.

The present perfect simple4. Is used when we want to say how many times something has been repeated:

I’ve invited (I have) her two or three times but she always says she is busy.

The present perfect continuous

4. When we want to emphasise the process of change over a period of time and that these changes are not finished:

Your English has been improving tremendously since you started doing your work.

Stative Verbs

• Verbs which describe states, not actions are not usually used in the continuous. These verbs describe:

• Thougths: believe, know, remember, think (meaning believe), feel (meaning believe), suppose etc

• Feelings: love, like, hate, want, prefer etc

Stative Verbs

• Senses: smell, hear, taste, see

• Possession: have, belong, own etc

• The verb to be

Revision Present Perfect Continuous

• FORM• [has/have + been + present participle]• Examples:• You have been waiting here for two hours.• Have you been waiting here for two hours?• You have not been waiting here for two

hours.

• USE 1 Duration from the Past Until Now• We use the Present Perfect Continuous to

show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.

Examples

• They have been talking for the last hour.• She has been working at that company for three years.• What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes? • James has been teaching at the university since June.• We have been waiting here for over two hours! • Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the

last three days?

USE 2 Recently, Lately• You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration

such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.

• Examples:• Recently, I have been feeling really tired.• She has been watching too much television lately.• Have you been exercising lately? • Mary has been feeling a little depressed.• Lisa has not been practicing her English. • What have you been doing?

Present Perfect Continuous Forms

Positive Negative Question

•I have been sleeping.•You have been sleeping.•We have been sleeping.•They have been sleeping.•He has been sleeping.•She has been sleeping.•It has been sleeping.

•I have not been sleeping.•You have not been sleeping.•We have not been sleeping.•They have not been sleeping.•He has not been sleeping.•She has not been sleeping.•It has not been sleeping.

•Have I been sleeping?•Have you been sleeping?•Have we been sleeping?•Have they been sleeping?•Has he been sleeping?•Has she been sleeping?•Has it been sleeping?