Present perfect and present perfect continius. Rules and examples

Present perfect and present perfect continius belong to the present tense group. Present Perfect allows you to talk about what happened before the moment of speech.

With the help of Present Perfect Continuous, they talk about actions that have recently taken place and may be taking place now. The emphasis in this time on action and its duration.

Rules for the use of times

Present perfect and present continius are two ways to talk about actions that affect the present, starting in the past. With the help of perfection, they emphasize the result of the action, the continuum emphasizes the duration of the process. In addition, Perfect Continuous can continue in the present, and Perfect serves to uniquely indicate the past.

Features of use make it easy to distinguish between present perfect and present perfect continius. Proposal drawing schemes for two times are presented in the table.

What ended recently

Present Perfect is always used in connection with the moment of speech, while pointing to the past. This time is needed to describe:

• Long-term actions or situations that are relevant in the present: I have lived in Moscow since 1984 (I have been living in Moscow since 1984).
• Actions that took place in a period that has not yet ended: I haven't shaved today (I have not shaved today (today is not over yet)).
• Repetitive acts that took place indefinitely: I have visited UK nine times (I have been to the UK nine times).
• The actions that were completed just recently, right now: I have just learned.
• Actions that are not related to a certain period of time, for which only the result is important: I have added a brief conclusion.

Time is most often used to indicate the completeness to the present moment of what the statement says. For example, previous experience is emphasized. On the other hand, with the help of the same time, we can say that a person has never met or experienced.

Why complete?

It is easy to understand the logic of using time through literal translation: I have added a brief conclusion - I have added a brief conclusion. It turns out that the person talks about what experience he has accumulated to date and his experience includes the text he wrote.

The need to use this particular time is easiest to determine in context. Present Perfect formulates what led to the present state of affairs, or what affects the present.

Questions using this time make it possible to find out what a person has done so far and what is not yet. To determine whether it is worth using time, you can focus on adverbs (already, never, ever, yet). When it is possible to substitute “already” or “yet” in a sentence, the present perfect is most often used.

What recently lasted

In English, the present perfect continuum allows you to focus on the duration of the action, which began in the past, but significant in the present. It is relevant in statements like: I've been doing this for so long.

The Oxford Grammar Textbook illustrates the application of time. People in line are waiting for the bus, and the first person in line is thinking, "We have been waiting for twenty minutes." The emphasis in the proposal is on the duration of the wait.

This time is more specific and is used less often. For present perfect continuum rules and examples of use are limited to only two types of situations: finished and unfinished until the moment of speech.

Duration Indicators

The duration of the action is often directly indicated (through for and since) and is an indicator of the present perfect continuum. Rules and examples of proposal formation using how long, for, since, recently / lately and other features:

1. Questions about duration and nature of activity: How long have you been walking? (How long have you been walking?), What have you been discussing? (What are you discussing?).
2. For - indicates the exact time period when the action lasted: I've been calling you for an hour (I’ve been calling you for an hour).
3. Since - refers to a point in time in the past when the action began: I have been waiting since sun-up. (I have been waiting since dawn).
4. Signal expressions in Russian: all evening / all morning, until [...]; all day / evening, before [...].
5. Time is often used to express annoyance or surprise.
6. Not used with state verbs.

Time difference

Now you can formulate the main difference between present perfect and present perfect continuum: using Present Perfect they emphasize that something happened, implying a connection with the present moment, and with Present Perfect Continuous, that something was happening and is happening or has recently completed.

• He has already fixed this bike;
• He has been fixing the bike since Monday.

In addition, present perfect and present perfect continius are used with different durations of action. The first is often used with long-term, and the second - with short actions.

• The castle has stood on the hill for hundreds of years (The castle stood on a hill for hundreds of years).

• I've been avoiding him all weekend.

With the help of two times, it is possible to cover everything that relates to actions that are connected simultaneously with the present and the past. They are used with similar adverbs, but the present perfect can be used with state verbs and indicates a certain result.