PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSES

Present perfect continuous tenses:

Subject+ has/have been +verb(first form) +ing+object + time.

 This tense expresses an action that began some time ago and is continuing up to the present, e.g

1) It has been raining since morning

2) we have been working for two hours.

You have been waiting here for two hours.

Have you been waiting here for two hours?

You have not been waiting here for two hours.

We use the Present Perfect continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. For five minutes , For  two weeks and since Tuesday are all durations which can be used with the present perfect continuous.

Like:

They have been talking for last two hour.

James has been teaching at the university since june.

USE  RECENT , LATELY

We can also use the present perfect continuous without a duration such as for wo weeks . without  the duration , the tense has a more general meaning of” lately “.  We often use the words “lately”. Or recently to  emphasize the meaning.

Example :

Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

She has been watching too much television lately.

Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

Past perfect continuous tense:

Subject + had + been +verb(first form) + ing +object +time

 To show an action that had been going on at some point of time in the past, e.g

1) She had been living in this city for two years.

2) I had been visiting America for three years

3) She had been teaching in Ludhiana before coming to this place.

You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?

You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

We also use the Past perfect continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.” For five minutes” and” for two weeks” are both durations which can be used with Past perfect continuous.

Like:

They had been talking for over an hour before tony arrived.

She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.

How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?

We can also use Past perfect continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

Jason was tired because he had been jogging

Sam gained weight because he had been overeating .

 

Future perfect continuous tense

Subject + will/shall+ have been + verb( first form) +ing + object + time.

An action is shown that will have been taking place in the future,e.g

1) She will have been dancing for two hours

2) They will have been writing letters  since morning.

We also use the Future perfect continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. “ For five minutes”,” For two weeks” and” since Friday” are all durations which can be used with the Future perfect continuous .

They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.

She is going to have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.

James will have been teaching at that university for more than a year by the time he leaves for  Asia.

Future perfect continuous tense can also be used before another action in the future is good way to show cause and effect.

Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.

Claudia’s English will be perfect when she returns to Germany because she is going to have been studying English in the united states for over two years.