The Present Perfect Continuous

 

Photo credit: Freepik 

This is also a grammar point which ESL students struggle with, but let’s explain it in simple ways.

 When do we use the Present Perfect Continuous?

 1.     We use this sentence when we talk about an activity that stopped very recently or an activity that stopped just now.

 Let’s take a look at the following examples:

 Situation: Jack is breathing hard and he is sweaty.

 Jane: Why are you panting?

Jack: I have been jogging.

Jack is not jogging right now, but he has just stopped jogging, that’s why he says, “I have been jogging.”

 2.     We also use the Present Continuous for an activity that started in the past and it’s still happening. In this situation, we use two expressions, For and Since.

Examples:

It has been raining since yesterday. (It means, it started raining yesterday, and it is still raining. This is connected to now.)

I have been studying English since I was 5 years old.

I started studying English when I was 5 years old and I am still studying English. This is connected to now.

It has been raining for three hours. (It started raining three hours ago and it is still raining. This is connected to now.)

My sister has been doing her laundry for 30 minutes. (My sister started doing her laundry 30 minutes ago and she is still doing her laundry. This is connected to now.)

 Note:

We use Since when we use the starting point.

Example: since yesterday, since Monday, since I was 5 years old

 We use For when we talk about the length of time.

Examples:

For over a year, for two days, for 30 minutes

 

 

Japanese Translation by: Google Translate

 これはESLの学生が苦労している文法のポイントでもありますが、簡単な方法で説明しましょう。

 現在完了形はいつ使用しますか？

 

1.この文は、ごく最近停止したアクティビティまたは今停止したアクティビティについて話すときに使用します。

 次の例を見てみましょう。

 状況：Jack is breathing hard and he is sweaty.

Jane: Why are you panting?

Jack: I have been jogging.

 ジャックは現在ジョギングをしていませんが、ジョギングをやめたばかりなので、「私はジョギングをしています」と言います。

 2.過去に開始され、現在も継続しているアクティビティにも現在形を使用します。この状況では、ForとSinceの2つの式を使用します。

 例：

It has been raining since yesterday.

つまり、昨日雨が降り始めましたが、まだ雨が降っています。これは今接続されています。

 I have been studying English since I was 5 years old.

私は5歳のときに英語を勉強し始めましたが、今でも英語を勉強しています。これは今接続されています。

 It has been raining for three hours.

3時間前に雨が降り始めましたが、まだ雨が降っています。これは今接続されています。

My sister has been doing her laundry for 30 minutes.

姉は30分前に洗濯を始めましたが、今も洗濯を続けています。これは今接続されています。