Explanation, practice and links to understand the main difference betweeen present perfect simple and continuous.

1. PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
Present perfect vs. continuous
UNIT 2 NEW ENGLISH FILE
INTERMEDIATE B1

2. Contents
Timeline explaining present perfect continuous
versus present perfect.( slide 3)
Video link+ links to exercises.( slides 4-6)
Explanation: (slides 7-15)

3. 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-I
Unfinished actions- present perfect continuous
I’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

4. 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/exercises
 Certain verbs:Exercise 3
 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex03
 Completion or duration: Exercise 4-
 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex04

5. 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

6. Do these tests online and check your
answers.
TEST 1:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-
up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/tests?test1
TEST 2:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-
up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/tests?test2

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.)

14. CONTINUOUS TENSES AND NON-ACTIONVERBS
Certain verbs
The 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

15. 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

16. 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