Prepared by L.

Baranova,
teacher of English
1. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

2. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

3. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

4. Exercises

Literature
How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb

have
been base + ing
has
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   auxiliary verb main verb  

+ I have   been waiting for one hour.

+ You have   been talking too much.

- It has not been raining.  

- We have not been playing football.

? Have you   been seeing her?

their
? Have they   been doing
homework?
This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense.
There is usually a connection with the present or now. There
are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous
tense:
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action
that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a
result now.
Why is the grass wet [now] ? Has it been raining?

2. An action continuing up to now

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action
that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used
with for or since.
We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]
The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about
longer situations that continued up to the moment in the
past we are talking about.
How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous
Tense?
The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is:

auxiliary auxiliary main

subject + + +
verb HAVE verb BE verb

conjugated in present
past participle
simple past tense participle
     

had been base + ing

 auxiliar auxiliary main
  subject  
y verb verb verb
 

+ I had   been working.  

+ You had   been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you   been drinking?  

? Had they   been waiting long?

1. When talking about the duration of an
action up to a certain time in the past.
 By the time I arrived in Seoul, it had been
raining for 3 days.

2. When talking about the duration of an

action before another past action.
 Robert had been studying for 30 minutes
before he fell asleep.
 KIND OF
ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
SENTENCE
I (he, she, it, you, we, they)  

STATEMENT will have been asking.

(I (we) shall have been asking.)
Will I (he, she, it, you, we, they)
INTERROGATIVE have been asking? Not exist
(Shall I (we) have been asking?)
 

I (he, she, it, you, we, they)

NEGATIVE will not have been asking.
(I (we) shall not have been asking.)
Use the future perfect continuous
tense:
1. When talking about the duration of an event,
action, or situation up to a certain time in the
future. 
ByDecember, 2009 she will have been working for the company for 12
years.

2. When talking about the duration of an event,

action, or situation before another event in the
future.
 I will have been studying for 2 hours by the time the movie ends.

3. Sometimes the future perfect continuous and the

future perfect can be used to express the same
meaning.
When Professor Johns retires he will have taught for 19 years.
OR
When Professor Johns retires, he will have been teaching for 19 years.
 The future perfect continuous tense is used
when talking or writing about the duration of  
a continuing action or condition that will be
completed before a future point in time
or  before another action in the future.

By the time I get to France, I will have been

studying French for two years.
By the time I get married, I will have been looking
for a wife for a long time.
(Both of these examples indicate the action will continue
until (at least) a specific time in the future. )
 Ex.1
Write down the sentences with Present Perfect Continuous:
1.Surely you must have known that Mark took it. You can’t have been thinking all
this time that I did it.
2.And I have not been thinking about it. -I've been torturing myself with it.
No, I wasn't thinking of Smith's cottage. I must have been thinking of another one-
perhaps your own.
3.He has been coming here day after day for years.
4.I suppose you have been telling lies again.
5.I’ve been drinking too much.
6.The telephone has been ringing for five minutes, why don’t you answer.
7.He has been staying with them for a fortnight.

Ex. 2.
 Use in Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect, Past
Perfect Continuous:
1.He (to live) in Inverness for many years when the event took place.
2.I (to explain) this for hours: doesn’t even one of you understand it now?
3.“Where have you been?” “-I (to swim)”
4.I (to live ) in London and many other big cities that I hated.
5.I (to see) him several times this week.
6.After she(break) her promise, she was filled her remorse.
7.I (work) all the time where as he had been amusing himself.
8.I (hardly, leave) the house when it began to pour.
9.“You (do) too much recently. Take a rest”.
Ex. 3
Translate:
1.He will have been repairing his car for two weeks on Monday.
2.He will have been working on his books for a two year soon.
3.Tomorrow it will be a month as they have been working on this
project.
4.When the boss will see me, I will have been waiting for him for 2
hours.
5.They will have been sitting here for 20 minutes when I come.
6.n ten minutes time I shall have been hanging around here for exactly
four hours.
7.When they finish I will have been waiting for them for waiting for 30
minutes
I.Working in pairs, ask each other the following questions,
answering in the future perfect continuous  tense. Each partner
should ask and answer each question. Be sure to use complete
sentences in your answers. For additional practice, change the
words in parenthesis to make your own questions.

1.By the first of next month, how long will you have been (living in your present
home)?
2.By your next birthday, how long will you have been (reading the newspaper for
daily news)?
3.After you answer this question, how long will you have been (sitting in the
classroom today)?
4.By the next elections in your county, how long will your country have been
having democratic elections)?
5.If two people start (dancing right now and dance for two and a half days, how
many hours will they have been dancing by the time they quit)?
6.By January first, (how long will your favorite news anchor been reporting the
news on TV)?
7.By your next birthday, (how long will your favorite singer have been singing)?
8.By Friday of this week, (how long will you have been attending this class)?
9.By the end of this class, (how long will you have been sitting in your chair)?
10.By the year 2012, (how long will you have been living on this earth)?
II. Working in pairs, ask each other the following
questions, answering in the past perfect continuous
tense. Each partner should ask and answer each
question. Be sure to use complete sentences in your
answers. For additional practice, change the words in
parenthesis to make your own questions.

1.How long had you been (studying English before taking this class)?
2.How long had you been (sleeping before you woke up this
morning?
3.How long had you been (waiting in the classroom before the
instructor entered)?
4.How long had the (sun been up before you got out of bed this
morning)?
5.How long had the (longest running TV program in your country
been running before it was canceled)?
6.How long had you been (walking before you could tie your shoes)?
7.How long had you been (watching TV last night before you turned
it off)?
8.How long had you been (living in your previous house before you
moved into your current one)?
III. Working in pairs, ask each other the following
questions, answering in the present perfect
continuous tense. Each partner should ask and
answer each question. Be sure to use complete
sentences in your answers. For additional
practice, change the words in parenthesis to
make your own questions.

1.How long have you (been attending this English course)?

2.How has your favorite (sports team been doing this year-
winning or losing)?
3.Has your best friend been (asking you to lend him or her
money lately)?
4.How long has your (favorite singer been recording records)?
5.Have you been (purchasing any new clothes lately)?
6.How long (have you been driving)?
7.If you (exercise regularly, how long have you been doing it)?
8.Where have you been (going for entertainment over the last
month)?
9.How long has (you been working at your present job)?
10.How long have you been (enjoying your current hobby)?
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