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C1 Section 2 : The perfect aspect and perfect continuous - Coggle Diagram
C1 Section 2 : The perfect aspect and perfect continuous
Perfect aspect vs. Perfect continuous aspect
Perfect aspect
the action is complete before another point in time.
Perfect continuous aspect
continue for a while up to a second point in time.
can be one long action, or a series of repeating actions.
use a perfect simple If we want to talk about a state that continues up to (and into) a second moment
Actions with a natural end
Some actions have a natural end, which means that they can’t continue forever.
read a book
has a natural end because at some point we will finish the book.
read
does not have a natural end because in theory we could continue reading forever
is important when we want to choose between the perfect and perfect continuous
With things that still continue
If the verb is a stative verb, we must use a perfect simple tense.
If the verb is a dynamic verb and describes a habit that we think of as normal and not temporary, we can often choose
I have played tennis for years
I have been playing tennis for years
(established habit).
perfect continuous verbs tell us about the duration of the action.
Continuous verbs focus on the sense that the action is in progress, not the length of the action.
I'm working in a café at the moment
(does not talk about how long; only tells us that 'work in a café' is in progress now)
I've been working in a café for three weeks
tells us the duration of 'work in a café' so far)
use perfect continuous tense when the verbs are dynamic with no natural end point and time period is short or it's clearly temporary
It has been raining for half an hour.
I had been waiting for ten minutes when I looked at my watch.
we use a perfect continuous tense With a dynamic verb that does have a natural end point to show that the action isn't finished in the second moment.
My friend has been telling a joke for ten minutes (the joke isn't finished yet).
With things that have stopped
use a perfect simple verb to talk about a single action that was completed at some point before the second point
the important thing is that it is completed at some point before.
In the present tense, we often do this to talk about our 'life experiences' before now.
I have visited Morocco. (We don’t know exactly when but before now.)
In the future and past, we normally do this to help make it clear which action happened first.
I will have finished the cleaning before you come home. (We don't know exactly when, but before you come home.)
I had gone home by the time John arrived. (We don't know exactly when, but it was before John arrived.)
If the action doesn't have a natural end point, we normally choose a perfect continuous.
I'm hot and tired because I've been running.
If we use a perfect simple in these moments, it sounds like life experience.
I've run. (At some point before in my life.)
use the perfect simple tenses If the effect is from the fact that the action is completed and it won't continue later
I've baked a cake! It smells lovely. (It smells lovely because the baking is finished.)
use a perfect continuous tense If the action isn't complete and the effect is from the action itself
I've been baking a cake so I'm covered in flour. (The cake maybe isn't finished.)
The difference in negatives
we use the perfect simple tenses when we think about something 'not happening' as one single action
do this with stative verbs and dynamic verbs too.
It hasn't rained in the last few minutes. (Dynamic verb, recent time period.)
negative perfect continuous usually correct someone who has the wrong idea about the time period.
A: You’ve been working here for three months, right?
B: I haven't been working here for three months. I’ve been working here for a year.
Make guesses about the present
use the future perfect when we want to make a guess about an action that is completed before the present moment.
Normally we use present perfect verbs for these actions, but we can use the future perfect to show it's a guess.
She will have arrived by now, I think. (We mean 'I think she has arrived by now' but we want to show it is a guess.)
use the future perfect continuous to make a guess about an action that continues up to the present moment.
They will have been working since 8am. (I think they have been working since 8am.)
we normally use the present perfect continuous for these actions, but we can use the future perfect continuous to show it's a guess.