THE INCLUSIVE PRESENT Past Activities within a Period extending to and including the
5. The baby has been crying all morning
6. He has been working late every evening this week (and will perhaps do so for the rest of the week).
7. Dve been reading ‘David Copperfield’ this week. (This implies that I am still reading it. Cf. I have read ‘David Copperfield’ this week, This implies that I started and finished the book during the week. Cf. I have read ‘David Copperfield’, with no adverbial of time. This sentence, which comes under § 45 a, indicates some- thing that is part of my past experience.)
8. She has been taking violin lessons this year. (This implies that
she continues to take violin lessons.) .
9. They have been hving in England since 1948. (This indicates that they still live in England. Cf. Ad various times they have lived in Persia, Japan, Egypt, and Nigeria, This is an example of past experience, § 45 a.)
1O. I have been writing letters all afternoon. (This may suggest 96
that I am still writing letters or may stress the continuity, as noted in § 45d. Cf. I have written half a dozen letters this afternoon, This indicates that the letters are now finished, as in § 4s b.)
NOTE
‘The Present Perfect Progressive Tense is likely to be used more especi- ally with those verbs that denote a passive, not an active, state, e.g. wait, sit, rest, sleep, lie (down). It is possible to say: I’ve waited here for an hour, but I’ve been waiting is much more probable. It is (theoretically and grammatically) possible to say: These books have lain on the floor of your study all week but have been lying is much more probable.
§ 45 d. The Present Perfect Progressive Tense usually indicates that the activity or state referred to still continues and may con- tinue in future. This tense is sometimes used, however, of an activity that is now ended. In such cases there is emphasis on the continuity of the activity or state. The continued and uninter- rupted nature of the activity is often emphasized in this way as an explanation of or excuse for something. The examples below illustrate this.
1. I don’t feel like going out this evening. I’ve been working in the
garden all day. ;
2. The children have been playing tennis. That’s why they’re so hot:
3. Please excuse my dirty clothes. I’ve been cleaning out the cellar.
Cf. I’ve cleaned out the cellar. Now it’s fit to store things in. When the result of an activity is thought of, the Simple Present Perfect Tense is preferred, § 45 b.)
4. Be careful! John has been painting the door. (John is no longer painting the door. Here, attention is called to the recent activity, a kind of warning that the paint is still wet. Cf. John has painted the door. This might be said after the paint had dried.)
5. We have been building a gavage on to the house. (Here the use of the Progressive Tense might be to give prominence to the activity involved, the mess and disturbance. If the speaker wished to call attention only to the existence of the new garage, the Simple Present Perfect would be preferred. We have built a garage on to the house.)
97 E
There is no clear line of division between the use of the Simple Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Progressive, but the examples and the notes to them may give some guidance.
§ 45 e. In older English be was often used with verbs that indicate motion where have is used in modern English. Thus, 2s come was used where today we use has come. The finites of be are still used in some cases. Their use makes it possible to mark a distinction.
E.g.
The snow has melted. (This draws attention to the process or happening.)
The snow is melted. (This calls attention to the result, the fact that the streets, etc., are now clear of snow.)
Completed Activities in the Immediate Past
§45f. To indicate completed activities in the immediate past the Present Perfect Tense with the adverb just may be used. Or the Simple Past Tense may be used with an adverbial such as 4 moment ago or a few moments ago. Note that just is placed between have (or has) and the past participle, and that a moment ago has end position. (See § rot c and § 99 d.)
1, George has just gone out. (George went out a moment ago.) 2. We've just finished breakfast. (We finished breakfast a few moments ago.)
3. It has just struck twelve. (The clock struck twelve a short time 0.) 4: Mr. White has just rung up. (Mr. White telephoned a few
moments ago.) `
5. The cat has just had kittens. (The cat had kittens not long ago.) Do not confuse this use of just with the use of the adverb just meaning ‘barely’ or ‘merely’. With these meanings just may be used with verbs in various tenses. E.g.
J just (merely) wanted to ask you about...
You will just (barely, with no time to spare) catch the bus if you hurry.
See just in § 108.
98
Adverbials used with the Present Perfect Tense
§4ð 6. An examination of the adverbials used with the Present Perfect Tense will show that, with the exception of just (as in the examples in § 45 £), they indicate periods of time that began in the past and extend to the present. The most important are:
1. Since-phrases and since-clauses. See § 102, Table No. 7.
We haven't seen George since 1950.
Pve had no news of him since he sailed for Singapore.
Donotuse the Simple Present Tense with since. I have been (not AT am) here since two o'clock.