Present Perfect Progressive
- The Present Perfect Progressive connects the past and the present together by relating to an action that originated in the past and continues until now\just stopped.
- Let’s examine the following sentence: “I have been working for this company for 3 years”. By using this structure the speaker wishes to indicate that they are either experienced or know plenty about the company or maybe want to change positions. The employee started working for this company in the past and is still working there. (The origin of the action is in the past and it continues until the present).
We use the Present Perfect Progressive to talk about:
- An extended process\activity that has just stopped which has a result in the present (American and British English)
- Ongoing recent processes\activities\actions that effect the present. (American and British English)
- How long an activity has been going on from the past until the present.(American and British English)
- Guessing a recent activity that’s been going on or has just stopped from what we can see, hear, smell etc. (American and British English)
I’ve been walking on the Blvd. all morning, I’m exhausted. (extended activity with result) | She’s been working in the garden since 14:00, her back hurts. (extended activity with result) |
He’s been working hard on the website, it is looking great. (ongoing recent activities with effect) | She’s been exercising a lot recently, she’s in great shape. (ongoing recent activities with effect) |
I’ve been working for Bright English for 3 years. (activity – how long) | He has been speaking to Jack for half an hour now. (activity – how long) |
He smells of alcohol and he’s walking funny; I think he has been drinking. (guessing activity) | It smells of food and there are pots on the stove, somebody has been cooking. (guessing activity) |
Present Perfect Progressive Structure:
I have been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | I haven’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Have I been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
Yoni and I (we) have been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | We haven’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Have we been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
You have been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | You haven’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Have you been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
The men (they) have been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | They haven’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Have they been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
Ben (he) has been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | He hasn’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Has he been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
Maya (she) has been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | She hasn’t been studying at Bright English for 3 months. | Has she been studying at Bright English for 3 months? |
The computer (it) has been studying for 3 months. | It hasn’t been studying for 3 months. | Has it been studying for 3 months? |
Present Perfect Progressive Rules:
Subject + have\has + been + verb.ing (I have been talking)
- We do not use the Present Perfect Progressive with verbs such as understand, own, dis(like), belong, know which describe unchanging states. (I have been liking pizza since I was a kid × incorrect)
- We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasize that an activity is ongoing and repeated, while in the Present Perfect Simple the activity happened only once, or on a specified number of occasions.
Present Perfect Progressive common time expressions
Recently, lately, so far, until now, up until now, up to date, for, since
