Present Perfect Continuous
AdvancedPresent Perfect Continuous.
- Structure: have/has been + V-ing — an action from the past continuing to now
- for + period (for three hours) · since + starting point (since September)
- Recently stopped with a present result: My eyes are red because I have been reading.
文體小知識：Actions that started in the past and continue now, or recently stopped with present result.
§Text Passage
1My classmate Janet has been preparing for the inter-school speech festival since September. She has been practising her speech for three hours every evening, even on Fridays. This month she has been staying behind after school to use the quiet corner of the library. Today she has been revising her script all day, so she looks really tired. Even her little brother knows the speech by heart, because he has been listening to it at home.
2Her teacher, Miss Ho, has been giving her useful advice about pronunciation and pauses. Recently, Janet has been recording herself on her phone and listening back to every mistake. She has also been watching videos of past winners to study their gestures. Lately, her confidence has been growing steadily, and her voice no longer shakes. Her classmates have been helping her by listening to her rehearsals during lunch breaks.
3All this hard work has been improving her speaking skills day by day. Her pronunciation has improved a lot, and she can now finish the whole speech without notes. I believe she has been working towards something great. The competition takes place next Saturday, and our whole class has been planning to cheer for her. Whatever the result, she has been teaching us a lesson about patience and effort. If she keeps going like this, the judges will surely be impressed.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
My classmate Janet has been preparing for the inter-school speech festival since September.
我同學Janet由九月開始一直為校際朗誦節做準備。
She has been practising her speech for three hours every evening, even on Fridays.
她每晚都練習演講三個小時，連星期五都不例外。
This month she has been staying behind after school to use the quiet corner of the library.
這個月她一直放學後留下，用圖書館的安靜角落練習。
Today she has been revising her script all day, so she looks really tired.
今日她整日都在改講稿，所以看起來真的很累。
Even her little brother knows the speech by heart, because he has been listening to it at home.
連她弟弟都背熟了篇講辭，因為他在家一直聽。
Her teacher, Miss Ho, has been giving her useful advice about pronunciation and pauses.
她老師何Miss一直就發音同停頓給她有用的建議。
Recently, Janet has been recording herself on her phone and listening back to every mistake.
最近，Janet一直用手機錄下自己，再逐個錯處聽一遍。
She has also been watching videos of past winners to study their gestures.
她還一直看歷屆優勝者的影片，研究他們的手勢。
Lately, her confidence has been growing steadily, and her voice no longer shakes.
近來，她的自信心一直穩步增長，嗓音都不再震。
Her classmates have been helping her by listening to her rehearsals during lunch breaks.
她的同學一直在午飯時間聽她綵排，幫她的忙。
All this hard work has been improving her speaking skills day by day.
所有這些努力一直令她的演講技巧日日進步。
Her pronunciation has improved a lot, and she can now finish the whole speech without notes.
她的發音進步了很多，現在可以不看稿完成整篇演講。
I believe she has been working towards something great.
我相信她一直朝著一件了不起的事進發。
The competition takes place next Saturday, and our whole class has been planning to cheer for her.
比賽在下星期六舉行，我們全班一直計劃去幫她打氣。
Whatever the result, she has been teaching us a lesson about patience and effort.
無論結果怎樣，她一直教導我們關於耐性同努力的一課。
If she keeps going like this, the judges will surely be impressed.
如果她繼續這麼努力，評判一定會留下深刻印象。
1Summary 重點摘要
Present Perfect Continuous.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Emphasizes an action continuing up to now.
Duration of time.
Starting point in time.
The whole day.
Recently.
Not long ago.
Needing rest.
To get better.
3Step by step Steps
- StructureSubject + have/has been + V-ing. Example: She has been preparing for the speech festival since September. Use has for he/she/it and have for I/you/we/they — one wrong form ruins the whole sentence.
- Use 1An action that started in the past and is still going on. Example: I have been teaching for 10 years. From the passage: Janet has been practising her speech for three hours every evening — for takes a length of time, since takes a starting point.
- Use 2Recently stopped, but the result is visible now. Example: My eyes are red because I have been reading. From the passage: She has been revising her script all day, so she looks really tired — her tiredness is the evidence.
- Time markersSignal words: for (for three hours), since (since September), all day, lately, recently. When you see them in a fill-in question, circle them first — they almost always demand a perfect form.
- State verbsState verbs such as know, like and believe take no continuous form. Never write I have been knowing him — write I have known him for years. Check the verb type before you build the sentence.
- Passage practiceStudy this line: Even her little brother knows the speech by heart, because he has been listening to it at home. Why is knows simple but listening continuous? One is a state; the other is an ongoing action.
- Common errorsFour frequent mistakes: I am waiting for 2 hours (should be have been waiting), She has working here (has been working), They have been play (playing), have been study (studying). Error-correction questions love these.
5Worked example Example
From the passage: Janet started preparing in September and is still preparing now. Use the present perfect continuous in three or four sentences about her preparation.
- Step 1: Spot the structure — have/has been + V-ing.
- Step 2: since + starting point — She has been preparing for the speech festival since September.
- Step 3: for + period — She has been practising for three hours every evening.
- Step 4: Show the present result — She has been revising her script all day, so she looks really tired.
- Step 5: Check — state verbs (know, like) take no continuous form.
- Answer: Janet has been preparing for the inter-school speech festival since September. She has been practising her speech for three hours every evening, and this month she has been staying behind after school to use the quiet corner of the library. Today she has been revising her script all day, so she looks really tired — but all this hard work has been improving her speaking skills day by day.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is the structure?
Q2Difference between for and since?
Q3Correct form?
Q4Continuous vs simple perfect?
Q5Can stative verbs use continuous?
Q6Correct form?
8Recap Recap
- Structure: have/has been + V-ing — an action from the past continuing to now
- for + period (for three hours) · since + starting point (since September)
- Recently stopped with a present result: My eyes are red because I have been reading.
- Signal words: all day · lately · recently
- State verbs (know / like / believe) take no continuous form