English Grammar Lesson Five - Present Perfect Continuous - Past Continuous - Present Perfect Simple

lesson 5 part 1 the past continuous the past continuous is used in English to

talk about actions or events that were in progress at some time in the past

it is formed with was or were and a present participle

past continuous English uses the past continuous to talk about ongoing actions

that were in progress at a certain time in the past I knocked on your door at

noon but you weren't at home what were you doing the past continuous shows the

action went on for some time but is now finished I was eating lunch with a

friend the past continuous describes a continuing action

further examples this time last week we were hiking in

Peru he didn't go out because he was working

late when I got my camera we were swimming in the sea

last time I saw him he was washing his car

how to form this sentence

or were followed by the present participle form the past continuous you

have the subject I

you have a form of wars or were

were is used depending on the subject you have the verb ending with 'ing'

eating 'ing' is added to the main verb then you have the rest of the sentence

lunch with a friend I was eating lunch with a friend

the present continuous for scene setting the past continuous is often used in

storytelling to set a scene or describe a situation

it was a beautiful day the Sun was shining and the birds were singing

children who were laughing and playing in the street

the past continuous and the past simple when English uses the past continuous

and past simple together the past continuous describes a longer background

action and the past simple describes a shorter action that interrupts the

background action you have the continuing background

action I was taking and you have the interrupting main action a monkey

grabbed I was taking a photo when a monkey grabbed my camera further

examples he was sunbathing when it started to

rain I was mowing the lawn when you called

she was sleeping when the phone rang I was having a bath when you knocked

part-2 the present perfect simple the present perfect simple is used to talk

about events in the recent past that still have an effect on the present

moment it is formed with half and a past participle present perfect

the present perfect can be used to talk about the past

in a number of different ways to give new information or news hi I

have arrived in London my plane landed five minutes ago to talk about a

repeated action that continues to happen over a period of time I have visited

California every summer since I was 18 to talk about an event that started in

the past and is still happening now olivia has gone on a trip to Egypt

further examples of the present perfect look I've cooked dinner for us John has

just washed the dishes you haven't cleared the table it's a mess have you

cleaned up your bedroom how to form this sentence you have the subject I you have

the form of have or has has is used for he she and it

you have the past participle arrived and then the rest of the sentence in London

I have arrived in London regular past participles regular past participles are

formed by adding II D to the base form asked asked call called helped helped

need needed play played talked talked walk walked want wanted watch watched

work worked

irregular past participles English has a lot of irregular past participles which

sometimes look very different from the base form be beam by bought come come do

done have had give given go Don make made say said see seen

common mistakes with past simple forms and past participles it is important not

to mix up past simple forms with past participles I have seen lots of great

things here correct this is the past participle of see seen I have saw lots

of great things here incorrect this is the past simple form

of see and shouldn't be used in perfect tenses gone een be and go are both used

in the present perfect to talk about going somewhere but they have different

meanings I haven't seen joan recently where is she she's gone to Florida the

word gone tells us that she is still in Florida hi Joan you're looking well yes

I've been to Florida this sentence tells us that she went to Florida but now she

is back home further examples where's Ben he's gone to the mal where's Ariana

she's gone windsurfing where are Julie and Jack they've gone to

see a play you look relaxed yes we've been in Bermuda we had a great time your

hair looks great Thanks I've just been to the hair salon

where have you been we've been to visit Joan in the hospital she's not very well

the present perfect simple and the past simple the past simple is used to talk

about something that happened at a definite time the present perfect is

used when a particular time is not specified have you ever been to France

yes I visited Paris in 2010 a specific date 2010 is given so the past simple is

used yes I have visited Paris many times in this sentence there is no specific

date so the present perfect is used

further examples in the past simple I saw a great movie last week Joe didn't

climb Mount Fuji last year Madison ate too much last night

in the present perfect form I haven't seen that movie Sachi has climbed Mount

Fuji twice Jack hasn't eaten curry before

the present perfect in US English us English often uses the past simple when

UK English would use the present perfect for example no dessert for me I ate too

much us no dessert for me I've eaten too much UK I can't find my passport did you

see it u.s. I can't find my passport have you

seen it UK

finally the present perfect continuous the present perfect continuous is used

to talk about a continuing activity in the past that still has an effect on the

present moment he usually refers to the recent past the present perfect

continuous describes an activity that took place over a period of time in the

recent past the activity might just have stopped or might still be happening in

the form of the present perfect continuous I have been painting the

house all day I'm exhausted the pest activity often affects the

present moment further examples I've been cooking this evening now I have to

do the dishes I have can be shortened to I've he has

can be shortened to he's he's been waiting for the bus for an hour he is

going to be late for work how to form this sentence you have the subject I you

have the form of has or have use have or has depending on the subject you have

been being stays the same for all subjects then you have the verb ending

with ing painting and then the object the house I have been painting the house

the present perfect continuous and the present perfect simple the present

perfect continuous is used to show this an activity in the past was in progress

it is possible that the activity is still taking place I've been fixing my

car I'm covered in oil I've been fixing this is used in the present perfect

continuous the present perfect simple is used to show that an activity in the

past is finished I've fixed my car now I can drive to work again I've fixed this

is the present perfect simple further examples I've been cooking dinner it

will be ready soon Vicky has been running today now she is really tired

I've been eating too much cake I must eat less we've been looking at houses we

want to move I've cooked dinner it's ready now vicki

has just run a race now she's receiving a medal I've eaten all the cake the

plate is empty we've bought a new house we're moving in June

in the next lesson we will look at the pest perfect simple that is all for

today see you soon when once again I will be asking how's your grammar?