Present Perfect Progressive

Question

Hi.[1] I have been studying Italian since I was ten years old.[2] It's been raining.With [1] you started studying Italian when you were ten, and you are still studying it. But with [2] I'm not too sure. It sounds as though either it has let up, or as though the rain is slacking off and almost stopping. It is certainly not raining steadily any more. Am I along with the native speakers of English in how you feel the senses of the sentences? What do you think makes the action still in motion with some sentence, and not in motion any more with the others?HiroSendai, Japan

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

To me it is very well still raining. I suggest that your uncertainty is because #2 does not supply the context that #1 does:

2a-- It's been raining since late last night. (and it is presumably continuing now)
2b-- It's been raining on and off for days. (not necessarily at the moment, though)
1a-- I have been studying when I've had a little free time. (not necessarily at the moment though)

Marius Hancu · Answer

I feel the same as MM.

Pieanne · Answer

I'm glad you do!

So do I...

HSS · Answer

Then, say, looking out the window, and realizing it let up just a moment ago, wouldn't you say something like, "It has been raining. So it's so sticky"?

Just wondering.

Hiro

Mister Micawber · Answer

Yes indeed, Hiro. Just as with my #2b above, you have supplied some context, and we recognize that it was raining until just a moment or so ago-- essentially up to the present-- and affecting the present (which is mushiatsui).

Marius Hancu · Answer

HSS:

Have a look at this thread too:

Present Perfect Simple OR Continuous

Ant_222 · Answer

By the way, the same applies to the Present Perfect Nonprogressive:

You can say «I have had a hard day» in the evening, because you are still tired. Or: «It has been a hard day».

HSS · Answer

It seems as though "affecting the present" is the key here. Just as with the present perfect, in which with an action verb the present is being affected by the action, and with a static verb the present is indeed being affected by the on-going state, with the present perfect continuous the present is being affected either by the action done in the past or by the on-going state. "Raining" has both active and static attributes, active because to rain means (of rain) to "fall," and static because it's in the state of rain falling. You can use the form whether it be continuing or not. You just provide supportive context. Normally the present perfect continuous is used with an action verb; hence, I believe it applies. What do you say?

Hiro

Ant_222 · Answer

Contiomous is used because you want to emphasize the duration: «It's been raining all the morning. The dirt road must have become a river of slush, we won't drive along it until it gets dried up.»

Actually, I don't like your explanation through active and passive attributes. I don't know why you need this classification. Maybe it's correct, by I don't like it.

HSS · Answer

Ant_222 ...your explanation through active and passive attributes. I don't know why you need this classification. Maybe it's correct, but I don't like it.

Hi, Ant_222.

It is not "active and passive attributes," but "active and static attributes." Perhaps I should have used the words "dynamic" instead of "active," and "stative" instead of "static." (I'm not a grammarian! I'm a cosmetic and food chemist, and interpreter. :-)) I looked at the present perfect continuous because the generic present perfect could be understood easily if you look at it through the verb's dynamic or statitive attribute.

Take this with a dynamic verb for example:

[1] Pete and we have signed the contract that states we hire him from April this year to March next year. We can't cancel it and hire another for his job. There is no article that allows us to cancel it before April.

[2] Pete and we signed the contract that stated we would hire him from April this year to March next year, but we have cancelled the contract, and now we are hiring another soon.

In [1] Pete and 'we' came to an agreement that 'we' are going to hire him, and the agreement is still valid. You can 'feel' it from 'have signed.' Here a supportive context is provided. However, in [2] the simple past gives you an impression that the speaker is not in the same time frame any more. The agreement could still be good, it could not any more.

With the present perfect the present is affected.

Now, with a stative verb ...

[3] This vast land has belonged to a local tribe. They use it mostly for growing their own food sources.

[4] This vast land belonged to a local tribe, but you now see a motorway running through it, and highrises springing up.

In [3] the land is still theirs, and [4] connotes the land is not theirs any more.

Here with the present perfect the present is directly affected. The word "affected" may not be too appropriate, but the land still belongs to them --- same environment.

Both dynamic verbs and stative verbs in the present perfect give you an impression that the present is still affected, or connected.

I've tried to look at the present perfect continuous in the same fashion, thiking the word 'raining' has both the dynamic attribute --- (of rain) to fall --- and the statitive attribute --- -ing (state of continuing), thus, either raining done but the present affected, or still raining (and, yes, the present affected).

Hiro

Sendai, Japan

Present Perfect Progressive

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