1. Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous?

2. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS Affirmative I have been working You have been working He/she/it has been working We have been working You have been working They have been working

3. Negative I haven’t been working You haven’t been working He/she/it hasn’t been working We haven’t been working You haven’t been working They haven’t been working

4. Yes/no questionsShort answers Have I been working long? Have you been working long? Has he/she/it been working long? Have we been working long? Have you been working long? Have they been working long? Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.

5. wh-questions Where have you been working ? Why have you been running so long ? What has Peter been doing all day ?

6. We use the present perfect continuous to express: an activity that began in the past and is continuing now  I’ve been studying English for three years.  How long have you been working here ? a past activity that has caused a present result  I’ve been working all day. (I’m tired now)  Have you been crying ? (your eyes are red)

7. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE or CONTINUOUS (1)?  Sometimes there is no difference between the Simple and the Continuous: I’ve played / I’ve been playing the piano since I was a boy.  The Continuous can express a temporary activity, and the Simple a permanent state: I’ve been living in this house for the past few months. (temporary) I’ve lived here all my life. (permanent)  The Simple expresses a completed action: I’ve painted the kitchen, and now I’m doing the bathroom. I’ve got paint in my hair because I’ve been decorating.

8. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE or CONTINUOUS (2)?  The Continuous is not possible if the sentence gives a number or quantity: I’ve been reading all day. I’ve read ten chapters.  Depending on whether the verb expresses the idea of a long time: I’ve cut my finger. (one short action) I’ve been cutting firewood. (perhaps over several hours)