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Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous

Date: Oct 03 2007

Topic: Grammar

Author: rhyme_reason

Lesson

This tense is used to talk about an action or actions that started in the past and continued until recently or that continue into the future:
We can use it to refer to an action that has finished but you can still see evidence.

  • Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?
  • You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly?
  • I've got a a stiff neck. I've been working too long on computer.

It can refer to an action that has not finished.

  • I've been learning Spanish for 20 years and I still don't know very much.
  • I've been waiting for him for 30 minutes and he still hasn't arrived.
  • He's been telling me about it for days. I wish he would stop.

It can refer to a series of actions.

  • She's been writing to her regularly for a couple of years.
  • He's been phoning me all week for an answer.
  • The university has been sending students here for over twenty years to do work experience.

The present perfect continuous is often used with 'since', 'for', 'all week', 'for days', 'lately', 'recently', 'over the last few months'.

  • I've been wanting to do that for ten years.
  • You haven't been getting good results over the last few months.
  • They haven't been working all week. They're on strike
  • He hasn't been talking to me for weeks.
  • We've been working hard on it for ages.
  • I've been looking at other options recently.
  • He's been working here since 2001.

Comments

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mehdim2f

mehdim2f

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

thanks a 1000000

11:49 AM Jun 05 2009 |

rvd16738

rvd16738

Thailand

Thanks.

01:36 PM Jun 04 2009 |

SaD 4ever

Saudi Arabia

thank u alot

05:03 PM Jun 03 2009 |

marwa_fj

marwa_fj

United Arab Emirates

thanks !

07:42 PM May 29 2009 |

*souhila*

*souhila*

Algeria

thank youuuuuuuuuuuu

 

11:44 AM May 29 2009 |

sonia key

Algeria

i nderstand present cntinuous but a present perfect idon’t anderstand it can i help me

04:53 PM May 24 2009 |

mayusheth

India

thanks,it's very helpful…................Laughing

06:21 AM May 14 2009 |

^Farah^

^Farah^

Indonesia

im forget about this lesson, so its help me to remind me again, and to improvemy grammar, thanks a lot, its very usefull

01:25 PM May 10 2009 |

oyunbat

Mongolia

thanks again

10:53 AM May 10 2009 |

oyunbat

Mongolia

oh it is very easy to learn . thank you

 

10:48 AM May 10 2009 |

Bebby

Bebby

Turkey

It's really useful… Thank you so much Smile

12:37 PM May 04 2009 |

bharat90154

India

Thanks a lot

12:21 PM May 02 2009 |

slowly_1415

Myanmar

noor you're so sweet

04:13 PM May 01 2009 |

pans

Peru

Coolhiiiiii

 

01:49 PM Apr 29 2009 |

Noor-alhalabi

Jordan

Its useful.. thx

12:03 AM Apr 29 2009 |

Marzouq514

Saudi Arabia

Hi every body .

Wink

10:06 AM Apr 28 2009 |

shamsshaikh

India

Thanxxxxx it realy used me

03:15 AM Apr 28 2009 |

winter sonata

Morocco

thanks…..

05:25 PM Apr 27 2009 |

al-mouhajer

Sweden

thank you very mutch,it´s clear

02:14 PM Apr 27 2009 |

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