UNITÀ DIDATTICA 23 PRESENT AND PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

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1 UNITÀ DIDATTICA 23 PRESENT AND PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS It has been raining for two hours Quando si usa: a) si usa il Present Perfect Continuous per esprimere un'azione che è appena terminata, che si è prolungata per un certo tempo e la cui conseguenza è evidente in questo momento. Esempio: I have been working very hard. I'm exhausted! Ho lavorato molto. Sono esausto! (Ho appena finito di lavorare e la conseguenza è evidente: sono esausto.) b) Si usa il Present Perfect Continuous al posto del Present Perfect nelle frasi con FOR o SINCE e nelle domande con HOW LONG con i verbi che possono essere coniugati nei tempi progressivi. Esempio: How long has it been raining? Da quanto tempo sta piovendo? It has been raining for three hours. Piove da due ore. Nota: naturalmente non si può usare il Present Perfect Continuous con i verbi che non vengono utilizzati nei tempi progressivi (vedi: uso della -ing form >tempi progressivi). Come si costruisce Il Present Perfect Continuous è un tempo composto che si costruisce utilizzando il Present Perfect di to be e la -ing form del verbo. 227

2 Forma Costruzione Esempio Forma affermativa SOGG. + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + -ING FORM Forma negativa SOGG. + HAVE/HAS NOT + BEEN + -ING FORM To read (leggere) I have been reading you have been reading he/she/it has been reading we have been reading you have been reading they have been reading I have not been reading You have not been reading he/she/it has not been reading etc Forma interrogativa HAVE/HAS + SOGG. + BEEN + -ING FORM Have you been reading? Has he/she/it been reading? etc PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS The ground was wet yesterday morning. It had been raining all night. Il Past Perfect Continuous è il corrispondente "passato" del Present Perfect Continuous. Lo si usa quando si verifica una delle seguenti circostanze: si sta raccontando un evento passato e si vuole parlare di qualcosa avvenuto immediatamente prima, che si è protratto per un certo periodo di tempo e le cui conseguenze sono ancora evidenti nel momento passato di cui si sta parlando. 228

3 Esempio: Circostanza "Quando sono uscito ieri mattina il terreno era bagnato. Aveva piovuto tutta la notte". Sono uscito il terreno era bagnato: azione avvenuta in un momento preciso del passato (ieri mattina), perciò si usa in inglese il Simple Past: I went out the ground was wet. Aveva piovuto: azione avvenuta in precedenza, che si è prolungata per un periodo di tempo, le cui conseguenze sono evidenti nel momento di cui parlo (ieri mattina il terreno era bagnato), perciò in inglese si usa il Past Perfect Continuous: it had been raining. In inglese "When I went out yesterday morning, the ground was wet. It had been raining all night.". Si sta parlando di un evento passato, e si menziona un'azione iniziata precedentemente e ancora in corso nel momento passato di cui si sta parlando. Sono frasi in cui in italiano l'espressione di tempo è preceduta dalla preposizione da, resa in inglese con since se è espresso il momento di inizio dell'azione (da quando?) o con for se è espressa la durata dell'azione (da quanto tempo?). Esempio: Circostanza In inglese "Ieri ho incontrato Mark nel parco. Stava correndo "I met Mark in the park yesterday. da 20 minuti". He had been running for 20 Ho incontrato: azione passata, avvenuta in un minutes". momento preciso del passato, si usa in inglese il Simple Past: I met. Stava correndo: aveva iniziato a correre prima che io lo incontrassi, e stava ancora correndo. Si usa il Past Perfect Continuous: he had been running. 229

4 Non si può fare il Past Perfect Continuous di quei verbi che non sono utilizzati nella - ing form (vedi Uso della -ing form - tempi progressivi). Come si costruisce. Come tutti i tempi progressivi, il Past Perfect Continuous è un tempo composto che utilizza l'ausiliare to be al tempo principale corrispondente (Past Perfect di to be: I had been) ed il verbo nella -ing form. Forma Costruzione Esempio Forma Affermativa soggetto + had been + -ing form To run (correre) I had been running You had been running He/she/it had been running etc Forma negativa soggetto + had not been + -ing form I had not been running You had not been running He/she/it had not been running etc Forma Interrogativa had + soggetto + been + -ing form Had you been running? Had he/she/it been running? etc 230

5 Test 1. Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous. Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for over half an hour and nobody (take) Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) our order yet. by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already). Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) minutes and they already have their food. here for five or ten Michele: He must realize we (order, not) here for over half an hour staring at him. yet! We (sit) Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from able to table taking orders and serving food. Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction once. 2. Present Continuous / Present Perfect Continuous. Mr. Smith: So tell me a little bit about yourself, Mr. Harris. I would like to find out a little bit more about your background. Mr. Harris: I (work) in the insurance industry for over ten years. I worked for Met Life for six years and World Insurance for four and a half. During that time, I heard many good things about Hollings Life Insurance and that's why I (apply) for the new sales position. Mr. Smith: Tell me a little about your hobbies and interests. Mr. Harris: In my spare time, I hike in the mountains outside of town, volunteer at the Sierra Club and play tennis. In fact, I (compete) weekend. in a tennis tournament this Mr. Smith: Really, how long (you, play) tennis? Mr. Harris: I (play) since high school. I love the sport. 231

6 Mr. Smith: Great! We like dedication here at Hollings Life. You mentioned you volunteer at the Sierra Club. I (work, currently) with them on the sea turtle project. We (try) to create a wildlife sanctuary near the bay. Mr. Harris: Do you know Frank Harris? He's my brother. He (work, presently) on the same project. Mr. Smith: I know Frank quite well. Any brother of Frank's would be a welcome addition to Hollings Life. Just one more thing, we (look) who is fluent in Spanish; many of our clients are from Mexico. for somebody Mr. Harris: No problem. I (study) Spanish since elementary school. Mr. Smith: Sounds like you are the perfect candidate. 3. Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous. I'm sorry I left without you last night, but I told you to meet me early because the show started at 8:00. I (try) to get tickets for that play for months, and I didn't want to miss it. By the time I finally left the coffee shop where we were supposed to meet, I (have) five cups of coffee and I (wait) over an hour. I had to leave because I (arrange) to meet Kathy in front of the theatre. When I arrived at the theatre, Kathy (pick, already) up the tickets and she was waiting for us near the entrance. She was really angry because she (wait) for more than half an hour. She said she (give, almost) up and (go) into the theatre without us. Kathy told me you (be) late several times in the past and that she would not make plans with you again in the future. She mentioned that she (miss) several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time! several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time! 232

7 3. Present Continuous / Simple Past. Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous. My English is really getting better. I (try) to learn the language since 1985, but only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high school in 1988, I (study) the language for almost three years; however, I was only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more years, I (struggle) through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad. I found an exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (stay) with a host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I (sit) there the whole time staring at the host mother and father hoping that there would be some breakthrough. Nothing. When I returned, I mentioned to a friend that I (have) problems with the language for years. He recommended that I spend a year in an English speaking country. I decided to go abroad again. I (research) exchange programs for a couple of weeks and finally decided on a school in the United States. Well, it worked. I (live) and (study) in the U.S. for more than two years. I (stay) here for at least another year before I return home. By then, I should be completely fluent. 5. Present perfect simple or progressive (continuous) 1 I... these tenses for three weeks now. Do you think I have made any progress. have practised have been practising 233

8 2 She... about me, hasn't she. I can just feel it. has gossiped has been gossiping 3 Maggie... me you are seriously ill. Why didn't you tell me yourself? has told has been telling 4 Our company... its turnover over the past four months. has doubled has been doubling 5... Your breath smells awful. Have you smoked? Have you been smoking? 6 I... at this menu for ages now and I still... yet. have stared, haven't been deciding have stared, haven't decided have been staring, haven't decided 7 Pope John Paul II... more than 90 countries. has visited has been visiting 234

9 8 I... her to be extra careful when opening the car door. I'm not really surprised to hear that she knocked down a pedestrian. have often told have often been telling 9 I... paperwork all day. In all, I guess I... about 65 letters. have done, have signed have been doing, have signed have done, have been signing 10 With this last sentence you... the exercise. have finished have been finishing 235

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