Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

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Index

Structure

Introduction

Video

TIP

Practice

Recent activies

Introduction

Unfinished actions and states To talk about activities or states that started in the past and are still going on: • We use the present perfect with state verbs: We've had this car for several years and it has never broken down. (We still have it.) She's known him since they were children. They're very good friends. (They met when they were children - they still know each other.)

Introduction

• We use the present perfect continuous with activity verbs: How long have you been waiting? I've been working on my essay since 6 o'clock. (I started at six o'clock-I'm still working on it.) He's been playing very well so far in this match. (He's still playing well.) With these tenses, we often use a duration expression (to show how long): for, since, so far, How long?

Introduction

• We use the present perfect continuous with activity verbs: How long have you been waiting? I've been working on my essay since 6 o'clock. (I started at six o'clock-I'm still working on it.) He's been playing very well so far in this match. (He's still playing well.) With these tenses, we often use a duration expression (to show how long): for, since, so far, How long?

Tip

Some verbs (e.g., work, live) can be used as activity verbs or state verbs with no important change of meaning: How long have you worked here?/ How long have you been working here?

Recent activities

• We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about an ongoing activity or repeated activity that started recently: I've been exercising a lot lately. (I started a few weeks ago.) I'm tired. I've been working on my essay all day. A What have you been doing recently? B Nothing much. I've been working a lot. I haven't been going out at all. With this meaning, we often use time expressions like lately, recently, all day.

Structure

Video

Practice