PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS AND PRESENT PERFECT
A. Pre-reading task. Choose the correct tense – Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous. What’s the difference between them?
1) To control blood pressure I ________ (not/smoke) for a week.
2) The weather is awful. Strong chilly wind _______ (blow) all day.
3) Has your brother had money problems recently? – He _______ (accumulate) cash to get out of debt since January.
4) I’ve _______ (swim) and I feel exhausted. Now I need to store up energy.
5) Bob is a friend of mine. I _______ (know) him for a long time.
6) We ________ (try) to persuade our father to have a break for ages, but he puts his heart and soul into the job.
7) All day the police _______ (stop) motorists inquiring them about the man who died in an accident.
8) Ipswich United _______ (win) only two matches this season and it will not reach even the quarter-finals.
9) The manager whose name we all know ______ (spend) more time on Spanish coasts than at work over the last few months.
10) Referee on the line indicates that the ball _______ (just/go) out of play.
B. Read the theory material about the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous.
As it was discussed in Unit 3, we use the Present Perfect to emphasize completion. The Present Perfect suggests a connection between events, it underlines our interest in the consequences of a situation: I’ve done my homework. Can I go out now? The Present Perfect shows that we are interested in something that happened in the past because that repeated event in the past may (or may not) happen again: You’ve forgotten your gloves! This is the second time this has happened. If we give a number, the Present Perfect is typically used, because it emphasizes completion/results: I’ve been to the gym three times this week. I’ve sent 3 e-mails so far today.
The Present Perfect Continuous is made by a form of the auxiliary verb ‘have/has’, the verb ‘been’ and a Present Participle (I) of the main verb (V+ing).
The Present Perfect Continuous is used in conversation to talk about:
1 Long repeated action or state: I’ve been going to the same café for ages.
2 Immediately visible reason: Have you been eating chocolate, dirty mouth?
3 Emphatic duration: I’ve been waiting for the bus for umpteen years.
4 Angry comment on someone’s behaviour: She’s been using my perfume without asking me!
Although continuous aspect in the Present Perfect Continuous suggests emphasis on an activity which is ongoing at the present moment: Joseph has been kicking a football against the wall all day, it is very important that the activity in Present Perfect Continuous can be ongoing or has just stopped. Usually there’s immediately visible evidence of the action described: Have you been crying? Your eyes are red.
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Both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous link the past and the present. Sometimes there is no important difference in meaning between them: He has been living here for a long time. / He has lived here for a long time. However, in most cases, there are differences in emphasis which mean we choose a particular form.
a) LONG/REPEATED ACTION AND ‘A MOMENT’. If an action lasts only for a moment or a very short time, the Present Perfect is used: Oh, no! I’ve broken my glasses! The Present Continuous emphasizes that the action continues for a period of time or repeated: Be careful! It’s been snowing. I’ve been phoning all my friends to tell the news.
b) COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE ACTIONS. If we see the action as completed, we tend to use the Present Perfect: I’ve finished my pizza, what about the dessert? The Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes that the action is incomplete or we could continue it later: She’s been working on her assignment.
c) STATE AND PROCESS. The Present Perfect is often used to describe a state: I’ve looked forwardto this holiday since March. The Present Perfect Continuous underlines a process: I’ve been looking forwardto this holiday for ages.
d) ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS. The Present Continuous often describes an activity. It answers the question ‘How have you spent your time?’: What have you been doing today? – I’ve been mending my bike. We use the Present Perfect form when we emphasize the result of an activity. It answers the question ‘What have you achieved?’: What have you done today? – I’ve fixed my bike!
To round up, we use the Present Perfect Continuous for very emotional statements when we want to underline the duration, which is often exaggerated: She’s been trying to pass her driving test for years. We use the Present Perfect Continuous to express anger, irritation or annoyance: My brother has been using my bicycle and has got the tire punctured. Also we use the Present Perfect Continuous when we draw a critical conclusion from what we can see or hear: Someone’s been messing around with my papers! They are all over the place!
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C. Answer the questions:
1) We use the Present Perfect to underline completion, don’t we?
2) What tense do we use when we speak about number of times?
3) How do we form the Present Perfect Continuous? Illustrate the point.
4) Can we use the Present Perfect Continuous when the action has stopped?
5) Do we use the Present Perfect Continuous if an action is momentary?
6) What tense do we use for incomplete actions which might continue later?
7) You want to describe a process. What tense will you use?
8) Your friend asks you ‘How have you spent your time today?’ In what tense will you answer?
9) The Present Perfect Continuous is used for emotional statements, isn’t it?
10) How can you formulate a critical comment to someone’s behaviour?
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