04. The Tenses: Present Perfect Continuous www.gapol.

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FORM: Have/ has + BEEN + Vb.-ING

E.g. + I have been reading

You have been reading

He/ she has been reading

- I haven’t been reading

You haven't been reading

He/ she hasn’t been reading

? Have I been reading?

Have you been reading?

Has he/ she been reading?

USE:

1. Action which started in the past and is still continuing (Actiune care a inceput in trecut si inca mai

continua):

Adverbs: SINCE/ FOR/ ALL/ LONG/ LATELY/ RECENTLY/ OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS (de/ timp de/
toata, tot/ de mult/ recent/ in ultimele cateva luni)

E.g. We have been listening to music since noon. (Noi ascultam muzica de la pranz.)

He has been living in London for ten years. (El locuieste in Londra de zece ani.)

My father has been working in the garden all day. (Tatal meu a lucrat in gradina toata ziua.)

Have you been waiting here long? (Astepti aici de mult?)

My parents ... all day. (Parintii mei s-au certat toata ziua.)

a) have fought

b) fought

c) have been fighting

d) are fighting

2. A general activity in progress (no mention of time) (o actiune generala in progres fara mentionarea

timpului):

E.g. I have been thinking about moving. (M-am gandit sa ma mut./ Ma gandesc sa ma mut.)

She has been doing a lot of progress with her piano lessons. (Ea a facut multe progrese cu lectiile ei de
pian.)

3. Repeated action (actiune repetata):

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04. The Tenses: Present Perfect Continuous www.gapol.ro
E.g. He has been calling me a lot lately. (El m-a sunat mult in ultimul timp.)

She has been sending letters over the last few months. (Ea a trimis scrisori in ultimele luni.)

I have been trying to call you. (Am tot incercat sa te sun.)

Recently finished action which explains a present result (the effects of the action are still apparent)
4.

(actiuni terminate recent care explica un rezultat in prezent - efectele actiunii sunt inca aparente/
vizibile):

E.g. Her eyes are red. She has been crying. (Ochii ei sunt rosii. Ea a plans.)

You are all sweaty. You have been running. (Esti transpirat tot. Ai alergat.)

His eye is black: he has been fighting. (Ochiul lui este negru: el s-a batut.)

The pavement is wet. It has been raining./ It has been raining, the pavement is wet. (Trotuarul este ud.
A plouat.)

The kitchen is a mess. Have you been cooking? (Bucataria este murdara. Ai gatit?)

You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly? (Arati obosit. Ai dormit cum trebuie?)

(the action started in the past => stopped recently => present result)

I don’t know what’s happened to Tom because hiseyes are black. I think he ... . (Nu stiu ce s-a
intamplat cu Tom pentru ca ochii lui sunt negri. Cred ca s-a batut.)

a) Has fought

b) Fought

c) Is fighting

d) Has been fighting

Present Perfect Simple vs.

Present Perfect Continuous

I have lived here since 1990. (Eu locuiesc aici din 1990.) I have been
living here since 1990. (Eu locuiesc aici din 1990.)

(both possible – Present Perfect Continuous stresses on duration - ambele timpuri sunt posibile dar
Prezentul Perfect Continuu accentueaza pe durata)

Who has eaten my cake? (Cine mi-a mancat prajitura?) Who has
been eating my cake? (Cine mi-a mancat din prajitura?)

(there is no cake left [nu mai este prajitura deloc] -> completed action) (there is some
cake left [a mai ramas ceva din prajitura] -> incomplete action)

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04. The Tenses: Present Perfect Continuous www.gapol.ro
Cand folosim Prezent Perfect Simplu inseamna ca actiunea este terminata -deci nu mai este prajitura
deloc, iar cand folosim Prezent Perfect Continuu inseamna ca actiunea este incompleta -deci in acest
caz mai este ceva prajitura ramasa.

E.g. Do you know who ... my cookies? There is none left. (Sti cine mi-a mancat prajiturile? Nu a mai
ramas nici una.)

a) has been eating

b) ate

c) has eaten

d) is eating

What have you done with my pen? (Ce ai facut cu stiloul meu?) What have
you been doing with my pen? (Ce i-ai facut stiloului meu?)

(I cannot find it/ I don’t know where it is - nu pot sa il gasesc) (I have

it but it is broken - il am dar este stricat)

Daca folosim Prezent Perfect Simplu inseamna ca nu stim ce s-a intamplat cu obiectul, iar daca
folosim Prezent Perfect Continuu inseamna ca avem obiectul dar este stricat/ schimbat/ modificat.

E.g. Why is my pen bent? What ... with it? (De ce este stiloul meu indoit? Ce ai facut cu el?)

a) have you done

b) are you doing

c) did you do

d) have you been doing

I have read ten books so far. (Eu am citit zece carti pana acum.) I have been
reading ten books so far. (Eu am citit carti pana acum.)

(completed action done ten times - actiune completeta facuta de zece ori) (an
incomplete action - o actiune incompleta)

Putem folosi Prezentul Perfect Simplu pentru a spune de cate ori am facut o actiune d
( eci putem sa
folosim numere), dar nu putem sa spunem de cate ori am facut o actiune cu Prezentul Perfect
Continuu deoarece acesta arata o actiune incompleta (deci nu folosim numere cu el)

E.g. My little brother ... three toys so far. (Fratiorul meu a stricat trei jucarii pana acum.)

a) has broken

b) broke

c) has been breaking

d) is breaking

My little brother ... a lot of toys so far. (Fratiorul meu a sticat multe jucarii pana acum.)

a) has been breaking

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04. The Tenses: Present Perfect Continuous www.gapol.ro
b) is breaking

c) broke

d) breaks

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