Difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous: rules and examples. Present Perfect Continuous - features of use

Differences in the use of tenses in English- one of the most problematic moments English grammar. Band Times Perfect always raise many questions and are difficult for us to understand. Therefore, it is quite possible that before reading the information in this article, you should refresh your knowledge about tenses and. In this article we will conventionally call the times under consideration P.P.S.(Simple) and PPC(Continuous).

So, now, in order, about the similarities and differences of these times.

1. Recent activity

Often, when talking about a recent action that has completed, we don't know what tense to use. The timing depends on which aspect of the action you want to emphasize. Remember a useful rule: if you want to emphasize the result of the action and the fact that the action is completed, use PPS if it is important to indicate that the action lasted for a while, was long- PPC:

I"ve been writing a new article. - I wrote a new article.
I "ve written a new article. - I wrote a new article.

She "s been cooking dinner. - She was preparing lunch.
She "s cooked the dinner. - She prepared dinner.

PPS expresses a quick action that just/recently happened and the result is visible in the present, and PPC expresses a long action that lasted/lasted for some time, has just/recently ended and in the present we see a clear result:

The boy has just fallen. He has scratched his knee. - The boy just fell. He scratched his knee.

Has fallen(fell) - a quick action that just happened.


He has been playing football. That's why he is dirty. - He played football. That's why he's so dirty.

Has been playing(played) - a prolonged action that caused a visible result: he got dirty and is now dirty.

I have tidied up the kitchen and now it"s clean. - I cleaned the kitchen, and now it's clean.

Have tidied(removed) - the action is over and it doesn’t matter to us how long it lasted. The result is important to us - now the kitchen is clean.

Why are you so tired? - I have been tidying up the kitchen.
- Why are you so tired? - I was cleaning the kitchen.

Have been tidying(removed) - the action is long, and we indicate that it lasted for some time, so the performer of the action was tired. We don't know if the cleaning is finished.

2. Action that continues up to the present moment

Both tenses can express an action that started in the past and continues to the present. The difference is that PPC cannot use , which is not used in Continuous tenses, but PPS is used with Stative Verbs.

For example: the verb know refers to the group Stative Verbs Continuous. Therefore, one cannot say: I have been knowing.

Let's look at another example:

We have believed her for a long time. - We for a long time they believed her.

The verb believe also belongs to the group Stative Verbs and is not used during group times Continuous: We have been believing.

In PPC you can only use Action Verbs, since this time places emphasis on duration of action. To emphasize duration and procedurality, time indicators are added: for, since, all morning/ day/ evening/ night, all week/ month/ year:

They have been playing day. - They play all day long.

She has been working all day. - She works all day.

We have been watching cartoon since midday. - We have been watching this cartoon since noon.

I have been sunbathing for an hour. - I've been sunbathing for an hour now.

3. Emotional attitude to action

PPS expresses an action that happened at an unspecified point in the past, and we report it as the event that happened. PPC expresses an action that happened at an unspecified point in the past and we want to express irritation, anger in connection with this action:

He has told me your secrets. - He told me your secrets.
Who has been telling them my secrets? -Who told them my secrets? (The speaker is irritated)

Somebody has eaten my sweets. - Someone ate my sweets.
Somebody has been eating my sweets! - Someone ate my candy! (The speaker is irritated)

With the verbs live, work, teach, feel, you can use both tenses without changing the meaning:

I have lived/ have been living this flat for five years. - I have been living in this apartment for five years.

He has taught English since 2000/ has been teaching English since 2000. - He has been teaching English since 2000.

Summarize:

PPC always emphasizes the duration of the action; state verbs should not be used in this tense (Stative verbs); PPS indicates the completion and result of an action.

Good luck in mastering English grammar and learning the English language!

Subscribe to our communities at

When learning English, students can take a long time to understand Perfect at times and Continuous in order to learn how to use them automatically. Therefore, one can imagine their feelings when they reach such scary topic How Perfect Continuous. This is two times at once, and not so simple at that! However, these fears are completely in vain, and now we will see this using the example of the Present Perfect Continuous tense (pronounced [present perfect continuus]).

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense (also known as the Present Perfect Progressive Tense) or the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is a tense in English used to express actions that began and either lasted up to a certain point in the past or continue to last.

This time is used relatively rarely, since it is often replaced by Present Perfect, but it is still necessary to know it, because in certain situations it will not be possible to do without it. Moreover, the correct use of sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous will only confirm your high level knowledge of the language, and therefore will attract praise from native speakers. Let's look at how this time is formed and used.

The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous is similar to the formation of the Present Perfect and. To form this tense, two verbs are needed: auxiliary and semantic. The auxiliary verb is to be in the Present Perfect form. It has 2 perfect forms depending on person and number:

I have been
He has been

Semantic verbs are formed using Participle I or the present participle. To form it, you must add the ending –ing to the verb.

Infinitive / Infinitive V+-ing
(to)blink blinking
(to) strike striking
(to) pressure pressing
(to) blossom blossoming
(to) heal healing
(to)give giving
(to) mumble mumbling
(to) walk walking
(to) compensate compensating

Actually, that's all. By adding both parts, you get a verb in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Present Perfect Continuous: sentence forms

We've sorted out the formation of verbs, now let's see how to make sentences with them in various forms.

Affirmative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The affirmative form of the Present Perfect Continuous is, as always, standard: the subject is used first, followed by the predicate, expressed by auxiliary and semantic verbs. Any minor member can complete the sentence. Table for clarity:

This example is used in Active Voice or Active Voice. If you want to use Passive Voice, you may have difficulties.

  • Firstly, to form the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect Continuous you need to try harder, because you will need to use 4 verbs in a row.
  • Secondly, even if you can easily cope with the first task, you will agree that phrases in Passive Voice a la “have been being understood” sound at least unusual.
  • Thirdly, Passive Voice is not used by native speakers these days, so even they will not be able to appreciate your efforts.

Yes, theoretically it is possible to construct a Continuous Passive, but in practice no one needs such proposals. In general, do not make English difficult for yourself or others and do not use the Continuous Passive. If you need to show that the action was not performed by a person/object, but was directed at it, use not the Continuous Passive, but the Passive Voice in the Present Perfect tense.

Negative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The negative form in Present Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by adding the negative particle not between have (has) and been:

Abbreviations are possible in both affirmative and negative forms:

Full form Short form
+

statement

 I have been calculating.

She has been studying.

He hasn't been faking.

It has been blowing.

 I've been calculating.

She's been studying.

He's been faking.

It's been blowing.
—

negation

 We have not been skating.

You have not been judging.

They have not been watching.

She has not been cleaning.

 We haven't been skating.

You haven't been judging.

They haven't been watching.

She hasn't been cleaning.

You may have noticed that has in an affirmative sentence is abbreviated in the same way as is. To understand what tense is used, keep the rules of education in mind. present perfect long time in English it always requires after has the verb been. If both of these verbs are in a sentence, then the speaker is using this particular tense.

Interrogative sentences with Present Perfect Continuous

The interrogative form is built based on the type of question:

  • For a general question, you need to move the auxiliary verbs have and has to the beginning of the sentence. Been remains in its original place:
  • IN alternative question some second member of the sentence is added for choice, which is supported by the conjunction or (or):
  • Special questions are identical to general questions, only they use a question word before have (has):
  • In a dividing question, you need to use an affirmative or negative sentence, followed by a short question:

Present Perfect Continuous: usage

Present Perfect Continuous Tense or present perfect continuous tense is used in the following situations:

  1. To express an action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case, the speaker knows when the action began and how long it has already lasted. He cannot say when the action will end.
    Typically, such sentences contain indicator words: recently (the other day), lately (recently), quite a while (for a long time / a long time ago), these ... weeks (how many weeks), all my life (all my life), all day (long) / this month / this year (all day, month, year); as well as time markers for (during) and since (since), which are used as hints for the use of this time:

In the same case, time can be used to ask a special question. Such a question usually begins with the words: how long (how long) or since when (from when):

  1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense is also used in cases where an action began in the past, lasted for a certain time and ended recently. This option emphasizes the duration of the action that led to some result in the present. Markers in such sentences may be omitted:
  1. The Present Perfect Continuous is also used in cases where we mean that some action happened earlier. This conclusion is drawn from what is heard/seen. More often this option is used in a negative context:
  1. The present perfect continuous tense is also used in complex sentence, which has a subordinate tense. Temporal markers for entering subordinate clauses here are limited to one word since (since). This subordinate clause is used in the Past Simple, and most importantly, is built in the Present Perfect Continuous:
  1. Do not forget that Continuous tenses are not used with state verbs or state verbs that express feelings, perception, mental activity, or possession of something. In this case, instead of the Continuous tense, the Present Perfect is used:

However, there are exceptions here. The use of Present Perfect Continuous is possible if it is necessary to highlight an action, to give it a more pronounced shade. So, for example, in the Present Perfect Continuous you can find verbs wish(to desire), want (to want) and mean (to gather):

  1. Also pay attention to those verbs that are used in both the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous. Such verbs include words that themselves imply a continuous action. For example: live (live), sleep (sleep), study (learn), teach (teach), work (work), run (meaning “manage”):

If the situation continues to last for a certain period, but is temporary or will soon change, use the Present Perfect Continuous:

I’ve been studying here for 2 years but I’m going to transfer to another university soon. I have been studying here for 2 years, but I am planning to transfer to another university soon.

It is worth noting that, despite the similarity of features not only with the Present Perfect tense, but also, in some way, with the Present Continuous, you cannot use sentences replacing the Present Continuous with the Present Perfect Continuous and vice versa. These times have different meaning and cannot be interchanged.

Present Perfect Continuous translation into Russian

Worth paying Special attention Russian translation of Present Perfect Continuous. As you already know, this tense either indicates an action that lasted and ended, or an action that began and is still ongoing. Accordingly, based on the choice of one of the two mentioned cases, the translation is constructed. So, if we want to show that the action has already ended, when translating into Russian we use imperfective verbs in the past tense:

If the action is still ongoing, then the translation is carried out with verbs used in the same form, but in the present tense:

You can understand what tense is implied based on the context.

The present completed continuous tense, as you can see, is not as difficult as it looks at first glance. Since this time is limited to certain situations, it accordingly does not have a wide variety of uses. It is also quite simple to build, especially if you are already familiar with other times. So don't avoid the Present Perfect Continuous, use it correctly, and if you need to review any rules associated with it, come back to this page and re-read the examples. You can also consolidate your knowledge by going to the page

In order to understand the difference between the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous, let’s look at the key points in the formation and use of each tense.

Formation of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

Using Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

Main use case Present Perfect - an expression of an action that has taken place up to the present moment, the result of which is available in the present tense. The action could have taken place immediately before the moment of speech, and at a more distant time in the past. When using the Present Perfect, the speaker pays attention to the result arising from the action taken, and not to the time of its commission. The presence of a result connects the completed action, expressed in the Present Perfect, with the present. Present Perfect is often used without indicating the time of the action, since the speaker’s attention is drawn not to the time of the action, but to its result in the present.

I have broken my pencil. I broke my pencil. (The speaker means to report a specific result of the action have broken, namely, that the pencil is broken. He could also express this with the sentence: My pencil is broken. My pencil is broken.)

Main use case Present Perfect Continuous - expression of a long-term action that began in the past and is still taking place at the present time. In this case the time period during which the action is performed is always specified (for an hour, for a month, for a long time, since yesterday, etc.) .

I have been waiting for my brother for a long time. I've been waiting for my brother for a long time.
He has been teaching English since 1999. He has been teaching English since 1999.

From the above examples it is clear that the Present Perfect Continuous can express both an action occurring at the moment of speech (example one), and an action that is ordinary, constant, characteristic of the subject, i.e. what is happening in general (example two). If the examples did not indicate how long the action took, then instead of the Present Perfect Continuous one should use the Present Continuous (i.e., it would be simply an action taking place at the time of speech) or the Present Simple (an ordinary action characteristic of the subject).

I am waiting for my brother. I'm waiting for my brother.
He teaches English. He teaches English.

Present Perfect Continuous is also used for expressions of long-term action that began in the past and ended immediately before the moment of speech. In this case The period of time during which the action was performed may or may not be specified.

I feel tired as I have been working in the garden for several hours. I feel tired because... worked in the garden for several hours.

Although the sun is shining, it is still cold as it has been raining hard. Although the sun is shining, it is still cold because... It was raining heavily.

Let's present all of the above in the form of a table:

Can Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect replace each other?

When we are talking about an ordinary, constant action characteristic of the subject, i.e. happening in general, then when indicating the duration of an action, along with the Present Perfect Continuous, the Present Perfect is used. The use of the Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration of the action, while the Present Perfect emphasizes the fact of the action.

He has been living in London for five years. = He has lived in London for five years.
He has lived in London for five years.

He has been teaching English since 1999. = He has taught English since 1999.
He has been teaching English since 1999.

With verbs that are not used in the tenses of the Continuous group (to be, to love, to have, to know, etc.), the Present Perfect is used instead of the Present Perfect Continuous.

She has known him for two years. She has known him for two years.

Co school desk Students are intimidated by difficult to understand parts of English, which must be crammed, otherwise you will not communicate and understand the language even at a minimal level. In fact, the prim English have only three times, just like in our great and mighty tongue: present, past and future. However, you should understand: each time has its own characteristics, in other words, types. In this article we will look at the present tense and its form Present Perfect Simple.

English present tense

The present tense in English has 4 types:

  1. Present Perfect.
  2. Present Simple.
  3. Present Perfect Continuous.

Exercises usually help to reinforce the complexities of using these forms. It should be understood that these are not isolated rules, they have a certain system. The main thing in studying is to understand the essence of each tense, when it needs to be applied in practice in writing, and when in live conversation.

Time formula

The name of the tense form Present Perfect Simple is translated as “present perfect tense”. The perfect form is one of the most used in communication by residents of England and America, although we hear it less often in the speech of the latter. Formed this type present tense according to the following formula: auxiliary + main verb in 3rd form.

The third form for regular verbs is formed by adding and for irregular verbs there is its own form, which is usually given in dictionaries.

For example:

I have already cleaned my room. - “I have already cleaned my room” (the verb clean is correct).

He has already drunk his tea. - “He has already drunk his tea” (the verb drink is incorrect).

Thus, we can say that the present perfect tense is quite simple to form; the main thing is to know whether you are using the correct form of the verb or not.

The third part of the table in dictionary publications and textbooks contains the third form of the verb. For example: the verb be (translated as to be, to exist) has the following forms: be/was (were)/been.

Using the present perfect tense

Present Perfect Simple is used when it is necessary to express exactly the result of an action that has already been performed. With the help of this tense, attention is focused on the result and thus it is clear that the action has already been completed. We also use Simple when we talk about an action that happened in an unfinished period of time. Remember that the main thing for understanding the perfect is the connection with the present moment and the fact of completion of the action. For example: " I have already eaten watermelon." - I have already eaten melon. That is, we mean the result of the action itself, the actual result.

These two tense forms refer to the present tense, but have different meanings. Present Simple is used when talking about events that happen usually and every day. The main indicators for it are the following words: always (always), usually (usually), rarely (rarely), often (often). The Present Perfect expresses an action that has already been performed and has a certain result at the time of the speaker’s speech. Also these two times have different formulas education. The simple tense is used in live communication much more often than the perfect tense. He has many words - pointers, that is, words that directly say that it is necessary to use the perfect tense.

Difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple

When learning English, the question always arises of when to use the Present Perfect and when to use the Past Simple. It is necessary to understand the basic postulates of using these forms of time. The most important thing to remember is that “Past Simple” is the past tense, it talks about events that have already happened. “Present perfect” is the present tense, it talks about something that was started earlier and not yet finished, or finished, but has a relationship with today. Sometimes you can understand from the meaning of the text itself that it is the perfect that needs to be used. The time should be chosen depending on what needs to be said to the speaker, based on the situation that has arisen.

Timing Rules

If the situation or time period in question has ended and has no connection with the present, then “Past Simple” should be used. When using the Past Simple tense, this may mean that the person in question can no longer carry out any action. If you do not say in more detail in a conversation about the reason for choosing this time, then you might think that the person is no longer alive.

She always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (meaning that she doesn’t watch TV anymore because she died).

She has always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (she loved it before and still loves it).

Etymology of the word

The word perfect comes from Latin language and is translated as “completion”, and the meaning of “perfection”, in the sense of the absence of shortcomings, acquired much later. In fact, the word perfect acquired the meaning of “flawless” by expanding its previous meaning, because something created is completed when it no longer has flaws. Perfect tenses are so called because they refer to actions that are complete relative to the present tense. For example: “I ate bread” is an action that is this moment completed. However, not every use of the present perfect tense is associated with the idea of ​​completion. In fact, the perfect form exists in many European languages, including our Russian language.

English is not difficult. The rules are easy to remember and there are not many of them.

The differences between Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect are one of the most difficult points in English grammar. Their meaning refers to “similar” tenses, they are translated into Russian by past tense verbs, but the main thing is that they have no correspondence in the Russian language. Comparative analysis of these times will help you figure it out and dot the i’s.

Education

Present Perfect or Present Perfect tense is formed using two verbs. First - auxiliary have/has, which changes according to persons. The form has is used for he (he), she (she), it (it), and have - for all other persons in the singular and plural. The auxiliary verb is not translated. The second is the main verb in the 3rd form, which does not change and carries the main semantic load. In the formation of the third form of regular verbs, the main role is played by ending -ed(to arrive - arrived, to punish - punished), and incorrect ones - 3rd column of the table irregular verbs(to put - put, to catch - caught).

The uniqueness of the Present Perfect Continuous or the Present Long Perfect tense is that two aspects “coexist” in it - Perfect (Perfect) and Continuous (Continuous). This distinguishing feature has a direct impact on the formula for the formation of a temporary form. It consists of three, or rather, two verbs. In the forefront auxiliary verb have been/has been. In fact, this is an auxiliary verb to be, inherent in the Continuous aspect, but in this construction it is in the Perfect aspect.

In second place is the main verb, to which is added the ending -ing, characteristic of the Continuous tense formula.

Present Perfect Simple vs Present Perfect Continuous

As can be concluded from the names of the times themselves, they largely coincide. First of all, this concerns the period of action: they belong to the class of present tenses (Present). In other words, the actions they describe occur in the present or are related to it. Then they “contact” in one of the aspects – Perfect. This suggests that the Present Perfect Continuous and the Present Perfect describe events that have ended at a certain point. This “kinship” in meanings leads to doubts and difficulties in their use. Comparison and identification of differences will help clarify the situation.

The temporary form Present Perfect Continuous (Present Continuous Perfect) is often given a negative meaning: it is used when the speaker wants to show his dissatisfaction or irritation.

Speed ​​or length

The task is to describe an action that happened not so long ago, but has now ended. Here a dilemma arises: Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous? The choice is difficult, but possible. It all depends on what needs to be emphasized - speed or duration of action. If you want to emphasize that the action began in the past, quickly came to an end and the result is visible in the present, then we use the Present Perfect Simple:

TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this

My husband has already washed the car. It is clean and its color is bright now. - My husband has already washed the car. She is clean and has a bright color now (for the speaker it does not matter when the event occurred and how long it lasted, the main thing is the result: she is clean)

When you need to pay attention to the fact that the “action” originates in the recent past, continues for some time, ends by the present moment and there is a visible result, then the Present Perfect Continuous is at our service:

My husband looks tired. Bob has been washing the car for three hours - My husband looks tired. Bob washed the car for three hours (the speaker draws attention to the duration of the action: it lasted three hours and led to the expected - fatigue)

Present Perfect

(Present perfect)

Present Perfect Continuous

(Present Continuous Perfect)

Describes events that began in the recent past, quickly came to an end and their result is visible in the present

Describes events that have recently begun, CONTINUED for some time, have just come to an end, and have a visible result in the present.

Time markers: never - ever, ever - ever, already - already, just - exactly, just, only, before - before, before, not...yet - not yet

Time markers emphasizing the duration of action: for - during, since since then, all morning/ day/ evening/ night - all morning/day/evening/night, all week/month/ year - all week/month/year

Dynamic or state verbs

Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous can denote an action that began not long ago in the past and continues up to the present moment. But there is one important point here - it all depends on what verb is in front of us. If it belongs to the group of dynamic verbs (Active verbs), denoting action in the literal sense, then the Present Perfect Continuous is used:

Students have been creating new equipment for laboratory for one year - Students created new equipment for the laboratory for one year;

My sister is so slow. Ann has been ironing her dress for half an hour - My sister is so slow. Anya ironed the dress for half an hour.

If the verb belongs to the group of state verbs (Stative Verbs), denoting interests, needs, desires, relationships, mental activity, then - Present Perfect Simple:

My parents have admired this black-and-white movie since my childhood - My parents admired this black-and-white film back in my childhood;

Steve has known about this new film for a long time - Steve knew about this new film for a long time.

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is not particularly popular in its homeland, since its construction is too long and can be easily replaced by the Present Perfect.

What have we learned?

The difference between the tense forms Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous is not very big. Comparative characteristics emphasized how one tense differs from another: the method of formation, the emphasis on the nature of the action (speed or duration), the group of verbs (dynamic or state verbs).

Test on the topic

Article rating

average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 223.