Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect progressive expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the action.

Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect continuous tense (also known as the past perfect progressive tense) shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past

Present or Past Perfect Continuous????

• 1. I left without him last night, but I told him to meet me early because the film started at 8:00. I (try)  to get tickets for that movie for months, and I didn't want to miss it.

• 2. By the time I finally left the coffee house where we were supposed to meet, I (drink)  three cups of coffee .....

• 3. Finally, They have already made up their minds. And I (wait)  over an hour.

• 4. I have to leave because I (arrange)  to meet John in front of the cinema.

• 5. When I arrived at the cinema, John (take, already)  the tickets and he was waiting for me.

Tips

There is no past perfect progressive for the verb to be.

Had been being is expressed simply as had been

Tips

Like every continuous, some verbs don’t take the continuous form:

- Verbs of perception: see – hear – smell – taste – feel

- Verbs relating to mental and emotional activity: agree – believe – imagine – love – promise – realise – recognise – think

- Verbs of possession and measurement: fit – suit – weigh – belong – possess – own – contain – consist

Questions for you

• 1. How long (we/wait) when the bus finally arrived?

• 2. When you got sick, (you/eat) enough?

• 3. How many times have you eaten / been eating out this month?

• 4. How much homework have you already done / been doing this week?

• 5. What TV programs have you watched / been watching this week?

• 6. What gifts have you gotten / been getting in the last year?

• 7. How long (he/play) football when he was injured?