Present Perfect Progressive

has/have been +present participle

Consider these two sentencesShe has been designing clothes since she graduated from Parson’s School of Design.She has designed clothes for several years.

What if we changed the first sentence to present perfect? And the second one to present perfect progressive? Is that okay?

Consider these sentences•He has been cooking at the French Laundry Restaurant for many years.•He has cooked at the French Laundry Restaurant since 1994.•He cooks at the French Laundry Restaurant.

Consider these sentencesHe has always been receiving top reviews for his cooking.He has never been having a negative review for his cooking.

Are they correct?

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect Present Perfect Progressive

Often shows finished activities. The emphasis is on the result of the action.

Often shows unfinished activities. The emphasis is on the action in progress.

Lucy has read several books about how to

be happy.

Ben has been reading a Harry Potter book.

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect• Places more emphasis on

the permanence of the action or state.

Present Perfect Progressive

Places more emphasis on the temporary nature of the action.

Shelly has always lived in New York. Joe has been living in

Hawaii since 2002, but he will return to Chicago next month.

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

Present Perfect• Places more emphasis on a

recently finished action or state.

Present Perfect Progressive

• Places more emphasis on the continuation of the action into the present.

The students have studied parts of speech.

The class has been studying the present perfect and present perfect continuous.

The emphasis is: They studied this grammar point over a period of time in the recent past.

The emphasis is: The students are still studying it.

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect• Often shows how much someone

has done, how many times someone has done something and how many things someone has done.

Present Perfect Progressive

• Often shows how long something has been happening

Johnny Depp has starred in forty-six movies.

Johnny Depp has been living in France since 1999.

Final Reminders

• Any verb that can be used in the simple present can be used in the present perfect.

• The woman known as the “Octo-mom” has octuplets. (eight babies born at the same time).

• The woman known as the “Octo-mom” has had octuplets.

Final Reminders

• Any verb that can be used in the present progressive can be used in the present perfect progressive. In other words, non-action or stative verbs cannot be used in either tense.

• We are learning about the present perfect.• We have been learning about the present

perfect.• X We are understanding the present perfect.• X We have been understanding the present

perfect.