Present Perfect Continuous
El Present Perfect Continuous enfatiza la duración de acciones que empezaron en el pasado y continúan en el presente, o han tenido efectos recientes.
¿Cuándo usar el Present Perfect Continuous?
El Present Perfect Continuous enfatiza la duración y el proceso de una acción. Se usa cuando:
- ⏱️ Acciones que continúan hasta ahora: I've been studying for 3 hours
- 🔄 Acciones repetidas recientes: My hands are dirty because I've been gardening
- ⚡ Acciones temporales: I'm tired because I've been working hard
- 📈 Cambios graduales: The city has been changing a lot
Formación:
| Forma | Estructura | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Afirmativa | have/has been + verb-ing | I have been studying |
| Negativa | haven't/hasn't been + verb-ing | I haven't been studying |
| Interrogativa | Have/Has + sujeto + been + verb-ing? | Have you been studying? |
Comparación con Present Perfect Simple:
Present Perfect Simple
I have read 5 books
(énfasis en resultado)
She has finished her work
(acción completada)
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been reading for 2 hours
(énfasis en proceso)
She has been working since morning
(acción en progreso)
Usos principales:
Acciones continuas
I've been waiting for an hour
She's been studying all morning
We've been living here for years
(continúan hasta ahora)
Efectos visibles
You're tired. Have you been running?
His clothes are dirty. He's been working in the garden
I'm hot. I've been running
(explica el estado actual)
Acciones temporales
I've been working here recently
She's been living alone lately
We've been playing tennis this week
(período de tiempo limitado)
Con for y since:
Duración específica
I've been studying English for 3 years
She's been working here since 2010
We've been waiting for 2 hours
They've been living here since last year
Verbos que NO se usan en continuo:
❌ No se usan en continuo:
- know, understand, believe
- like, love, hate, prefer
- see, hear, smell, taste
- have (=possess), own, belong
- need, want, require
✅ Pueden usarse en continuo:
- think (=consider), feel
- see (=meet), hear (=listen)
- have (=experience), taste
- look, smell (aparentar)
Práctica: Present Perfect Continuous
1. I _____ (study) English for 5 years. (acción continua)
2. She is tired because she _____ (work) all day. (explica estado actual)
3. We _____ (live) here since 2010. (duración)
4. _____ you _____ (wait) long? (acción en progreso)
5. His hands are dirty. He _____ (garden). (efecto visible)
6. I _____ (not sleep) well lately. (situación temporal)
💡 Consejos importantes
- Se forma con have/has been + verb-ing
- Enfatiza el proceso y duración de la acción
- Se usa con for/since para duración específica
- Explica el estado actual o efectos visibles
- No se usa con verbos de estado
🎯 Regla clave
El Present Perfect Continuous enfatiza cuánto tiempo ha estado ocurriendo una acción, mientras que el Present Perfect Simple enfatiza que la acción ocurrió.