‫جمهوريه العراقية‬

‫وزاره التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي‬

‫جامعه البصرة‬
‫قسم الهندسة المدني‬

‫تقرير دراسي مقدم لقسم الهندسة المدني في جامعه البصرة في ماده (اللغة‬
‫اإلنكليزية) من ضمن مواد المرحلة األولى للسنه الدراسية‬
‫‪2020-2019‬‬

‫)‪(Present Perfect Continuous Tense‬‬

‫)‪(present perfect continuous tense‬‬

‫اعداد الطالبة‬

‫شوك علي راهي‬

‫الدكتور‬

‫عادل المنهوش‬
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
What is the present perfect continuous tense?
The present perfect continuous tense (sometimes called the present
perfect progressive tense) is formed by using the present tense of the
auxiliary verb have (or has, if used with third-person singular pronouns)
along with been (the past participle of the auxiliary verb be) and the
present participle (-ing form) of the “main” verb. For example:
 “I have been living in New York City.”
The present perfect continuous is very close in meaning to how we use
the present perfect tense. However, there are some key differences
that distinguish when and how the present perfect continuous is
preferable.
Generally, we use the present perfect continuous to talk about that
which began in the past and is still happening in the present; the focus
is on something that continues to happen, as opposed to something
which happened (finished) sometime in the past. We can also use the
present perfect continuous to emphasize the length of time that has
passed while something is happening, or that something is only
temporary. We can also use it to talk about something that has been
happening lately or only finished very recently.
That which began in the past and continues in the present
The present perfect continuous is often used to talk about something
that began happening in the past (anytime “before now”) and which is
still happening (unfinished) in the present. We usually specify the
duration of time involved, especially using the prepositions “for” or
“since.” Sometimes we can use different adverbials; sometimes we
don’t have to specify the duration at all. For example:
 “I have been living in New York City.”
 “I have been living in New York City for three years.”
 “I have been living in New York City since I was 18.”
 “I have been living in New York City all my life.”
In each of the above examples, it is understood implicitly that the
speaker still lives in New York City; the only thing that changes is the
duration of time. In this usage, the present perfect continuous is nearly
identical in meaning to the present perfect tense, and, indeed, most of
these examples would make perfect sense either way:
 “I have lived in New York City for three years.”
 “I have lived in New York City since I was 18.”
 “I have lived in New York City all my life.”
The only sentence that changes in meaning is the very first example: to
say “I have lived in New York City” without any further elaboration
gives the impression that the speaker used to live there, but no longer
does.
This distinction between something being completed as opposed to still
happening is important, because it highlights when you might choose
to use the present perfect continuous instead of the present perfect
simple in certain instances.
Let’s look at the very first example again, but this time using a different
adverbial:
 “I have been living in New York City while I finish my Ph.D.”
(correct)
 “I have lived in New York City while I finish my Ph.D.” (incorrect)
We can see that this sentence does not make sense at all in the present
perfect simple tense, because the adverbial “while I finish my Ph.D.”
requires the action to still be taking place. In cases like this, we must
use the present perfect continuous tense to get across the meaning
correctly.
This distinction can also be particularly useful when we are giving a
response to someone:
 Person A: “Let's take the longer trail when we're hiking back
down.”
 Person B: “But we have walked for three hours!” (present perfect)
 Person B: “But we have been walking for three hours!” (present
perfect continuous)
We can see that the response is more appropriate in the present
perfect continuous, because it lays emphasis on the continuous action
of walking. It also puts emphasis on the amount of time that the
speaker has been doing something.
Emphasizing length of time
The present perfect continuous is especially useful for putting emphasis
on the length of time that has passed while something is happening.
This is particularly true when the meaning of the sentence could
otherwise be expressed in the present perfect simple. Here are some
examples:
 “They have studied for three weeks for this exam.” (present
perfect)
 “They have been studying for three weeks for this exam.”
(present perfect continuous)
 “The girl has worked for five hours.” (present perfect)
 “The girl has been working for five hours.” (present perfect
continuous)
The difference between these is slight, but noticeable. In both sets of
examples, the present perfect continuous puts the emphasis on how
long the action has taken, as well as the fact that it is still happening.
The present perfect is simply reporting the completed result and how
long it took.
Let’s look at another example:
 “He has talked on the phone for almost an hour.”
 “He has been talking on the phone for almost an hour.”
The first sentence is merely reporting how long the person was talking.
With the present perfect continuous, the focus naturally shifts to the
fact that an hour is a rather long period of time—and that he might
continue talking for even longer!
That which is happening temporarily
Another subtle difference between the two tenses is that the present
perfect is better at indicating that something is permanent, while the
present perfect continuous is better at suggesting something is only
temporary. For example:
 “I have worked in the shop for three years.”
  “I have been working in the shop for three years.”
The first sentence simply reports the length of time the speaker has
been working in the shop. It does not suggest that he or she intends to
stop working there at any point. The second sentence, however, makes
the situation sound much less permanent. We can see the difference
more clearly if we add a bit more information:
 “I have worked in the shop for three years, but I hope to find
something else soon.”
 “I have been working in the shop for three years, but I hope to
find something else soon.”
The first sentence sounds less natural than the second, because the
new information specifically relates to the situation being a temporary
one. In this case, the present perfect continuous is preferable.
That which has been happening lately or finished very recently
The present perfect continuous can also be used to express that which
has been happening lately, but is not necessarily happening at the
present moment in time. For example:
 “Bill has been coming into work late a lot.”
 “Don't you think Mary has been spending too much time on the
computer lately?”
It can also be used without an adverbial to indicate that something was
happening until only recently:
 “My neighbors are angry because my dog has been barking.”
 “Sorry I'm so sweaty! I’ve been exercising.”
The action is not taking place at the exact moment of speech (in which
case we would just use the present continuous tense), but we can infer
that it had been happening until very recently.
Negative sentences
Present perfect continuous sentences can be made negative by using
the word not. It appears after have/has, and the two can be (and very
often are) contracted.
 “I have not been writing much recently.”
 “She hasn't been trying to find work since her divorce.”
  “I need to get up earlier, because I haven't been making it to
work on time lately.”
We generally do not use never with the present perfect continuous.
Interrogative sentences
Like the present perfect tense, an interrogative (question) sentence in
the present perfect continuous has the subject and the auxiliary
verb have inverted. For example:
 “Where have you been living lately?”
 “Has she been feeling OK?”
 “Why have you been lying to me?”
We can also make negative interrogative sentences in the present
perfect continuous by adding not between the subject and been. We
can also contract have/has and not:
 “Haven't you been writing a new book?”
 “Has she not been feeling well?”
 “Why haven't they been working on their homework?”
As we see in the first example, the meaning of the question can
become rhetorical, implying that the speaker expected the answer to
be “yes.”