ADVANCED 1.

GRAMMAR SUMMARY: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND

PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUS

1. Present perfect simple (have/has worked)

(a) to taIk about past experiences when we do not indicate the precise moment in time in
Which something happened, e.g.

I have been to Paris (I do not specify when I travelled to Paris)

(b) To express finished actions which are connected in some way with the present, No
specific moment in time is mentioned, e.g.

My wife has had three babies

(c) to express unfinished actions especially with how long, for, and since with non-action
verbs. Unfinished actions are actions which started in the past but are connected with
the present. Non-action verbs are verbs that cannot be normally used in combination with
the present perfect continuous.

The most common non-action verbs are: agree, be, believe, belong, depend, forget,
hate, hear, know, Iike , love, matter, mean, need, prefer, realize, recognize, seem,
suppose, have (when it implies possession, e.g. I have a house) etc., e.g.

I have always believed in UFOs (The action is unfinished: I still believe in UFOs.)

How long have you known Peter? (The action is unfinished: I still know Peter.)

(d) to express how much/many of something we have done or how many times or how
often we have done something, e.g.

I have drunk two glasses of water this morning

I have eaten three cakes this morning
I have had breakfast twice this morning

(e) In combination with ever, never, already, yet, just, with superlatives, and with expressions
such as the first, second, last time, etc.

We normally use ever and never when talking about past experiences:

Have you ever been to Italy? I have never been to France

Just and already go after the auxiliary verb and before the main verb in affirmative sentences

I have just finished my homework (have is the auxiliary verb and finish the main verb)

I have already started to do my homework (have is the aux verb and start the main verb)

Yet is normally placed at the end in negative and interrogative sentences:

I haven't finished my homework yet. Have you finished your homework yet?

With superlatives: That was the most delicious meal I have ever had.

With expressions such as the first, second, last time, etc

 It is the first time I have cooked pasta
2. Present perfect continuous (have/has been working)

a) to express unfinished actions which started in the past and are still happening now,
especially with how long?, for and since, e.g. How long have you been cooking?
(you started cooking some time ago and you are still cooking)

I have been cooking for three hours (I am still cooking. For indicates the interval of
time in which the action takes place)

I have been cooking since three o' dock (I am still cooking. Since indicates the moment
in which the action started)

(b) for repeated actions, especially with a time expression such as all day, recentIy, etc, e.g

I have been sleeping weIl recently

(c) to express actions which have recently finished, e.g.

I am really tired, I have been shopping all morning (I have just finished my shopping so feel tired)

3. Present perfect simple or present perfect continuous?

a) without change in meaning with the verbs live, study, work, e.g.

I have been working / have worked for this company for 3 years

I have been living /have lived in this house for 4 years

(b) with change in meaning

The present perfect continuous emphasizes the activity itself

I've been washing my car (so I'm wet)

(the activity may not have finished or may have just finished, so I am wet because I am still
washing my car or because I have just finished washing my car).

On the other hand, the present perfect emphasizes that the action is completed and it also
emphasizes the result of the action

I've washed my car (I have finished washing my car and as a result the car is really clean now)

The present perfect continuous indicates that the action we are describing requires some time
(duration), e.g.

I have been painting the house for three hours (painting a house is a task which requires time)

However, the present perfect is used when the actions being described are more instantaneous,
e.g.

I have cut my finger

(cutting your finger is an instantaneous action, and we would not write: I have been cutting my
finger)