UNIT 2 NEW ENGLISH FILE INTERMEDIATE B1

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Present perfect vs. continuous

Contents

Timeline explaining present perfect continuous versus present perfect.( slide 3)

Video link+ links to exercises.( slides 4-6)Explanation: (slides 7-15)

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

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 ( connection to the present)

2 main meanings:

PAST NOW FUTURE

I---1 h-----2 h-----3h-------4h-IUnfinished actions- present perfect continuousI’ve been painting the house for 4 hours ( emphasis on duration: it took

me 4 hours)I’ve been decorating the house this summer ( emphasis on action:

decorating)Completed actions- present perfect

I’ve painted the house blue ( RESULT: it’s blue---I’ve finished painting) finished

WATCH THIS VIDEO EXPLANATION OF THE PRESENT PERFECT AND CONTINUOUS

Listen to an interview about a musician //www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1-XMTx5fik

Thanks to Jennifer ESL.

NOW DO SOME EXERCISES AND THE TESTS. Exercises on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect

Progressive Result or duration: Exercise 1 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/ex

ercises Certain verbs:Exercise 3 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/ex

ercises?ex03 Completion or duration: Exercise 4- http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/ex

ercises?ex04

EXERCISES

Result or side effect: Exercise 6 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?

ex06 Mixed Exercises: Exercise 10, http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-

preperpro/exercises?ex10 Exercise 11 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?

ex11

Do these tests online and check your answers.

TEST 1:http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/

grammar/prepersim-preperpro/tests?test1TEST 2:http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/

grammar/prepersim-preperpro/tests?test2

REFERS TO: ACTION THAT HAS FINISHED BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE THE EVIDENCE

Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?

You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly?

I've got a stiff neck. I've been working too long on computer.

A: You look exhausted. What have you been doing?

B: I’ve been sightseeing in the town. I’ve been walking all afternoon.

REFERS 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.

REFERS 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.

ACTIONS THAT ARE STILL HAPPENING

How long have you been living here? For 3 months.

How long have you been working in your company? Since I was 25 years old.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS AND TEMPORAL PHRASES

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.

WHERE’S THE FOCUS?UNFINISHED ACTION VS. FINISHED

RESULT

1. The focus is on the ACTION – decorating – and the action is unfinished.

I’ve been decorating the bedroom all morning.

2. The focus is on the FINISHED RESULT. The activity is finished but we can see the result now.

I’ve decorated the bedroom this morning.

Result / Completion of action or duration? WHAT/ HOW MUCH/HOW MANY? VS. HOW LONG?

In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.RESULT:(What/How many) I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice. I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed now.)DURATION(how long)I have been writing for an hour.

I have been doing my homework ( Meaning: That’s how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the actino is completed or not.)

CONTINUOUS TENSES AND NON-ACTIONVERBS

Certain verbsThe following verbs are usually only used in

Present Perfect Simple (not in the progressive form).

state: be, have (for possession only) Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.

senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch Example: He has touched the painting.

brain work: believe, know, think, understand Example: I have known him for 3 years EXCEPTION: Work and live can be used with both tenses

SPEAKING: frequently used questions

How long have you been learning English? For ------years. ( For + period of time) Since + year, month,etc. ( Since+ point in time)

What have you been doing? The kitchen is a mess!

Hi. You look exhausted…What have you been doing?I‘ve been working in the garden

Resources

Adapted from:

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/present-perfect-simple-and-present-perfect-continuous

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro

Thanks to: The New English File intermediate