English III

Licenciatura
INDEX

1. Present Perfect
2. Past Perfect
3. Second Conditional
4. Third Conditional
5. Subject - Object Questions
and Tag Questions
6. Relative Clauses
7. Present Perfect
Continuous and Past
Perfect Continuous
8. Narrative Tenses
9. Passive Voice
10.Reported Speech
ENGLISH 3 WEEK 8 LESSON 7

PRESENT AND PAST

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Present Perfect Continuous (PROGRESSIVE)

Is used to refer to an unspeci ed time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker
is thinking about something that started but perhaps did not nish in that period of
time. He/she is interested in the process as well as the result, and this process may
still be going on, or may have just nished.

The Structure:

Positive form (+): Subject + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + Verb-ING

Negative form (-): Subject + HAVE/HAS + NOT + BEEN + Verb-ING

Question form (?): HAVE/HAS + Subject + BEEN + Verb-ING

We use it for:

Actions that started in the past and continued in the present

Josh has been watching Net ix for three hours.

I’ve been working here for three months now

She has been waiting for you all day.

I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning.

They have been traveling since last October

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Actions that have just nished, but we are interested in the results

You are soaking wet. What have you been doing?

You're wrong; I haven't been playing computer games all afternoon.

It's been raining so the pavement is wet.

I've been running, so I'm really hot.

Difference between Present perfect Simple and Present Simple Continuous

Can be used to emphasise the length of time that has passed. The present perfect
simple is generally neutral:

They've been waiting for hours! (This emphasises the length of time).
They've waited for hours. (This doesn't emphasise the length of time).

Can also be used (often with 'since' and 'for') to talk about un nished actions that
started in the past and are still true in the present.

She's been living here for three years.

Focuses on the action itself and when the result comes from the action itself. It doesn't
matter if the whole action is nished or not. The result is often something we can see,
hear, smell, or feel:

I've been reading the book you recommended. (I'm enjoying it, but I'm not
nished).
I've read the book you recommended. (I've nished it, so we can talk about
it).

I've been eating dinner, so there are plates all over the table.

She's been doing her homework, so she's tired.

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I've been making a cake, that's why the kitchen is such a mess.

Finally, can be used to emphasise that something is temporary:

She's been running a lot recently. (She doesn't usually do this).

Usually I study at home, but I've been studying in the library for the last
week

Past Perfect Continuous (PROGRESSIVE)

The past perfect continuous tense shows that an action that started in the past
continued up until another time in the past. Unlike the present perfect continuous,
which indicates an action that began in the past and continued up to the present, the
past perfect continuous is a verb tense that indicates something that began in the
past, continued in the past, and also ended at a de ned point in the past.

He had been drinking milk out the carton when Mom walked into the
kitchen.

I had been working at the company for ve years when I got the
promotion.

When, for, since, and before are words that you may see used alongside the past
perfect continuous tense.

Martha had been walking three miles a day before she broke her leg.

I had been working there for three months.

It had not been running well for a long time.

We use it for:

Duration Before Something in the Past

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To show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in
the past.

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

Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.

A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.

Cause of Something in the Past

Using the past perfect continuous before another action in the past is a good way
to show cause and effect.

Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been
running well for a long time.

I'd been walking for hours when I nally found the house.

We'd been living in Berlin for three months when we had to leave.

Note:

It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs cannot be used in

any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for mixed
verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using past perfect
continuous with these verbs, you must use past perfect.

Examples:

The motorcycle had been belonging to George for years before Tina
bought it. (Not Correct)

The motorcycle had belonged to George for years before Tina bought
it. (Correct)
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Non-Continuous Verbs

The second group, called "non-continuous verbs," is smaller. These verbs are usually
things you cannot see somebody doing. These verbs are rarely used in continuous
tenses. They include:

Abstract Verbs

to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist…

Possession Verbs

to possess, to own, to belong…

Emotion Verbs
to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind…

Examples:

• He is needing help now. Not Correct

• He needs help now. Correct
• He is wanting a drink now. Not Correct
• He wants a drink now. Correct

Mixed Verbs

The third group, called "mixed verbs," is the smallest group. These verbs have more
than one meaning. In a way, each meaning is a unique verb. Some meanings behave
like "non-continuous verbs," while other meanings behave like "normal verbs.”

Mixed Verbs
to appear, to feel, to have, to hear, to look, to see, to weigh…

List of Mixed Verbs with Examples and De nitions:

to appear:

Donna appears confused. Non-Continuous Verb

Donna seems confused.
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My favorite singer is appearing at the jazz club tonight. Normal Verb
My favorite singer is giving a performance at the jazz club tonight.

to have:

I have a dollar now. Non-Continuous Verb

I possess a dollar.

I am having fun now. Normal Verb

I am experiencing fun now.

to hear:

She hears the music. Non-Continuous Verb

She hears the music with her ears.

She is hearing voices. Normal Verb

She hears something others cannot hear. She is hearing voices in her
mind.

to look:

Nancy looks tired. Non-Continuous Verb

She seems tired.

Farah is looking at the pictures. Normal Verb

She is looking with her eyes.

to miss:

John misses Sally. Non-Continuous Verb

He is sad because she is not there.

Debbie is missing her favorite TV program. Normal Verb

She is not there to see her favorite program.
to see:

I see her. Non-Continuous Verb

I see her with my eyes.

I am seeing the doctor. Normal Verb

I am visiting or consulting with a doctor. (Also used with dentist and
lawyer.)

I am seeing her. Normal Verb

I am having a relationship with her.

He is seeing ghosts at night. Normal Verb

He sees something others cannot see. For example ghosts, aura, a vision
of the future, etc.

to smell:

The co ee smells good. Non-Continuous Verb

The co ee has a good smell.

I am smelling the owers. Normal Verb

I am sni ng the owers to see what their smell is like.

to taste:

The co ee tastes good. Non-Continuous Verb

The co ee has a good taste.

I am tasting the cake. Normal Verb

I am trying the cake to see what it tastes like.

to think:

He thinks the test is easy. Non-Continuous Verb

He considers the test to be easy.
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She is thinking about the question. Normal Verb
She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind.

to weigh:

The table weighs a lot. Non-Continuous Verb

The table is heavy.

She is weighing herself. Normal Verb

She is determining her weight.

Some Verbs Can Be Especially Confusing:

to be:

Joe is American. Non-Continuous Verb

Joe is an American citizen.

Joe is being very American. Normal Verb

Joe is behaving like a stereotypical American.

Joe is being very rude. Normal Verb

Joe is behaving very rudely. Usually he is not rude.

Joe is being very formal. Normal Verb

Joe is behaving very formally. Usually he is not formal.

NOTICE: Only rarely is "to be" used in a continuous form. This is most
commonly done when a person is temporarily behaving badly or stereotypically.
It can also be used when someone's behavior is noticeably di erent.

to feel:

The massage feels great. Non-Continuous Verb

The massage has a pleasing feeling.
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I don't feel well today. Sometimes used as Non-Continuous Verb
I am a little sick.

I am not feeling well today. Sometimes used as Normal Verb

I am a little sick.

NOTICE: The second meaning of "feel" is very exible and there is no real
di erence in meaning between "I don't feel well today" and "I am not feeling well
today."
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