B2 COURSE

Unit 26 - Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

26.1. - Form

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Regular verbs: form of ‘have’ + infinitive + ed Form of have + been + verb in ‘ing’ ending

Example: Example:
I / You / We /They have talked I / You / We / They have been speaking
He / She / It has talked He / She / It has been speaking

Irregular verbs: form of have + past participle

Example:
I / You / We / They have eaten
He / She / It has eaten

VIDEO - Understanding the Present Perfect

26.2. - Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Emphasis on the RESULT Emphasis on the DURATION
of the action of the action

E.g. I've painted my living room E.g. I've been painting my living
room

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Unit 26 - Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

26.3. - Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just
finished.

In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning:
- We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise
the result.
- We use the Present Perfect Contiunous to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an
action.

Result or duration?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

RESULT DURATION

What / How much / How often How long?

Example: Example:
I have written 5 letters. I have been writing for an hour.
I have been to London twice.

Emphasis on completion or duration?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

EMPHASIS ON COMPLETIOIN EMPHASIS ON DURATION

Example: Example:
I have done my homework I have been doing my homework
(Meaning: my homework is now (Meaning: that’s how I’ve spent my time.
completed) It does not matter whether the
homework is completed).

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Unit 26 - Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

Result or side effect?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

DESIRED RESULT UNWANTED SIDE EFFECT

Example: Example:
I have washed the car. Why are you so wet? I have been
(Result: The car is clean now.) washing the car.
(Side effect: I became wet when I was
washing the car. It does not matter
whether the car is clean now.)

Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

SINCE THE LAST TIME SINCE THE BEGINNING

Example:
I haven’t played that game for years.
(Meaning: It’s years ago that I last
played that game)
Example:
I haven’t been playing that game for
an hour, only for 10 minutes.
(Meaning: it’s not even an hour ago
that I started to play that game)

Permanent or temporary?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PERMANENT TEMPORARY
Example: Example:
James has lived in the town for 10 years. James has been living here for a year.
(Meaning: He is a permanent resident of (Meaning: This situation is only
this town) temporary. Maybe he is an exchange
student and only here for one or two
years)

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Unit 26 - Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

26.4. - Certain verbs

The following verbs are usually only used in present perfect simple:

State Verbs: 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 three years.

Signal words:

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE: PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

How often How long

… time Since
For