PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

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UNIT 17
WONDERING – thinking about
something.

HANG OUT – spending time with

someone in the context of friendship.

DATE – two people getting

together for an activity when
the possibility of romance
between them has been
broached.

PICK UP – stop for

someone and take them
into one's vehicle.

POWDER – a soft dry

substance that is spread over
the skin.

SHARE - to have or use

something at the same
time as other person.

FALL IN LOVE – to like

another person very much
and be romantically involved.

LUCKY GUY – a person

who has good things happening
in his life.

FIND OUT - to discover something.

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01
I've been waiting…

u?
David: Ari, can I talk to yo
up? e
Ariana: Yeah, Dave. What's e ri gh t m om en t, I don't know if ther
waiting for th
David: Well.. I… I've been
en wondering if… I'm
is one, but… I've be ng e. I kn ew so m ething was wrong!
stra
you've been acting
Ariana: Actually,
listening… e.
yo u. .. m e. . w e co uld go out sometim
thinking if
David: I've been ther!
a: Bu t w e al ways hang out toge .
Ari an
n, yo u an d m e… just the two of us
David: No, I mea
an a: Aw n. Yo u mean on a date?! te.
A ri But… yes! On a da
t a da te , da te .
David: Well, no ve to ! W here are we going?
t! I'd lo ck
Ariana: That's so
swee
a m ov ie , to m or ro w evening? I can pi
t
y then! How abou
David: Yes?! Oka
you up around 7.
I can't wait!
Ariana: Perfect!

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I've been dreaming…

last fifteen min utes! Have you

I've been looking for my powder the
Ariana: mine is over and I
taken it? us in g it 'c au se
I've been
: I'm so rr y A ri. It's on the bed. one.
Loui se
ve n' t ha d th e ch ance to buy a new ne ed for you to buy anot
her.
ha it. Th er e is no
lem. We can share with us?
Ariana: No prob ar e yo u comin to the club
g
ks ! So ,
Louise: Than ct ua ll y, I have a date. en acting
Ariana: N ot re al ly . A
yo u te ll m e? Th at's why you've be ve you
Louise: No way
! Why didn 't
Yo u’ ve go t a bo yf riend! How long ha
e days!
mysteriously thes ng
been seeing this gu
y?
st ou r fi rs t da te ! And I've been acti
's ju
t my boyfriend. It
Ariana: He is no you've
normally. er to ge t dr es se d in the morning,
en taking long eone’s fallen in lo
ve!
Louise: You've be h m y go sh ! So m for
been eating less…
O
e be en dr ea m in g about this date
nervous I admit! I'v
Ariana: I've been !
the last few days
e lucky guy?
Louise: Who is th soon…
a: I gu es s yo u guys will find out
Arian

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Present Perfect Continuous

We use the Present Perfect Progressive to

PRESENT RESULT
FINISHED I've been running that's why I'm so thirsty

PRESENT PERFECT DURATION

I've been running for 30 minutes
CONTINUOUS UNFINISHED

TEMPORARY
I've been running

ACTION WITH EMPHASIS ON THE RESULT (Present Result)

1
David is tired because he has been writing.

HOW LONG THE ACTION LASTS (Duration)

2
David has been waiting for this moment for a long time.

EMPHASIZE THE CONTINUOUS COURSE OF AN ACTION (Temporary)

3 Ariana has been dreaming about that date.

Have| Has + verb + ING

Auxiliary Verb

HAVE | HAS + BEEN

AFFIRMATIVE He has been playing since 2 p.m.

NEGATIVE He hasn't been playing since 2 p.m.

INTERROGATIVE Has he been playing since 2 p.m?

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Present Perfect

Use the tense instead of the Progressive when:

GIVING EMPHASIS ON COMPLETION

1
1 I have done my homework. I've worked hard the last few weeks.

(my homework and my hard work is completed now.)

ACHIEVING DESIRED RESULT

2 (Result: The car is clean now.)
I have washed the car.

MEANING SINCE THE LAST TIME

3
I haven't played that game for years. (It's years ago that I last played that game.)

Present Perfect Continuous

Use the tense instead of the Present Perfect Simple when:

GIVING EMPHASIS ON DURATION

1
1 I've been doing my homework. I've been working hard the last few weeks.
(That's how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the homework
or the hard work is completed now.)
HAVING UNWANTED SIDE EFFECT
1
2 Why are you so wet? I have been washing the car.
(side effect: I became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter
whether the car is clean now.)
MEANING SINCE THE BEGINNING
1 I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10 minutes.
3
(It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that game.)

ATTENTION!!

Generally, “FOR” with Present Perfect Continuous, is used to express the duration of an
action that is still happening. While “For”, with Present Perfect, is often used to give emphasis
in the duration of an action that not necessarily goes on.
I have lived in London FOR 3 years, I have been living in London FOR 3 years.

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JOIN IN
1 Put the verbs into present perfect or present perfect progressive:

a. I (play) ______________________ football for five years. I had to quit!

b. Ariana's team (win) ______________________two matches so far.

c. The game (start) _____________already_____________.

d. David (work) ______________________ on this essay since two o'clock.

e. How long (wait) __________he________________for us?

2 Answer the questions completely:

a. What have you been doing the last few minutes?

______________________________________________________________________
b. How long have you been studying English?
______________________________________________________________________
c. Why are you so tired?
______________________________________________________________________
d. How long has your mother been waiting for her driver?
______________________________________________________________________
e. Why has she been studying for so many hours?
______________________________________________________________________

3 Match the sentences to their representation:

1. PRESENT RESULT 2. TEMPORARY ACTION 3. DURATION
a. ( ) David and Ariana have been waiting for hours

b. ( ) David an Ariana have been waiting

c. ( ) They are angry because they have been waiting for hours

d. ( ) How long have they been waiting?

e. ( ) Why are they angry?

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JOIN IN
4 Unscramble the words and formulate sentences in present perfect continuous:

a. you / the homework / copy

___________________________________________________________
b. Louise | on the task | pay attention | not
___________________________________________________________
c. to pick her up| Her father | wait
___________________________________________________________
d. live | I | in the U.S.A
___________________________________________________________
e. they | How long | drive
____________________________________________________________

5 Formulate sentences with present perfect simple or continuous using the given ideas:

a. GIVING EMPHASIS ON THE RESULT

______________________________________________________________________

c. HAVING UNWANTED SIDE EFFECT

______________________________________________________________________

d. GIVING EMPHASIS ON DURATION

______________________________________________________________________

e. ACHIEVING DESIRED RESULT

______________________________________________________________________

Done!

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NOTE

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