La regla principal
Forma: have / has been + verbo con -ing. Se usa cuando importa la actividad en sí: dura hasta ahora (for, since, How long) o acaba de terminar y se nota el resultado: I'm tired: I have been running. Si importa un resultado terminado o una cantidad, se usa el present perfect simple: I have written three emails.
Las formas
| Tipo de frase | Cómo se forma | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Afirmativa | I / you / we / they have been, he / she / it has been + -ing | She has been learning Spanish since January. |
| Contracción | I've been, she's been (= she has been) | I've been working all day. He's been waiting for you. |
| Negativa | haven't / hasn't been + -ing | We haven't been sleeping well. |
| Pregunta | Have / Has + sujeto + been + -ing | Have you been crying? |
| Pregunta con How long | How long have / has + sujeto + been + -ing | How long has he been playing the guitar? |
| Respuestas cortas | Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. | Have you been waiting long? - Yes, I have. |
El -ing se escribe como en el past continuous: run - running, swim - swimming, make - making, write - writing, study - studying.
Esta estructura es de las que mejor se corresponden con el español: he estado corriendo es I have been running, y es un buen punto de apoyo. El problema está en la duración. Donde el español dice «llevo dos horas esperando», «hace una hora que espero» o «espero desde las nueve», el inglés usa have been + -ing y for o since: I have been waiting for two hours. Ni I carry two hours waiting ni It makes an hour that I wait existen. Fíjate también en que desde hace dos horas es for two hours, no since two hours, y que la pregunta lleva auxiliar: How long have you been waiting?
Ejemplos
- I have been waiting for forty minutes. Llevo cuarenta minutos esperando.
- She has been learning Spanish since January. Lleva estudiando español desde enero.
- How long have you been playing the guitar? ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas tocando la guitarra?
- Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? Tienes los ojos rojos. ¿Has estado llorando?
- The kitchen smells great. Tom has been cooking. La cocina huele de maravilla. Tom ha estado cocinando.
- I have been painting the kitchen, but I haven't finished yet. Llevo un rato pintando la cocina, pero todavía no he terminado.
- I have written three emails this morning. He escrito tres correos esta mañana.
- We haven't been sleeping well lately. Últimamente no dormimos bien.
Una actividad que llega hasta ahora
Con for (periodo) y since (punto de inicio), el present perfect continuous subraya que la actividad ha durado todo ese tiempo: I have been working here for five years. It has been raining since nine. Con live, work, study, teach, wait, learn y play las dos formas son correctas: I have lived here for ten years y I have been living here for ten years. Solo cambia el énfasis: el continuous mira la actividad, el simple mira el hecho.
Una actividad reciente con resultado visible
La actividad ya terminó, pero se nota ahora: cansancio, ojos rojos, olor, barro. Entonces se nombra la actividad: You're out of breath. Have you been running? Es lo más natural con verbos sin complemento (run, cry, swim, cook, dance), porque no hay un resultado concreto que contar.
Present perfect simple o continuous
| Present perfect simple | Present perfect continuous |
|---|---|
| resultado terminado: I have painted the kitchen. It looks great. | la actividad, que puede estar sin acabar: I have been painting the kitchen. |
| cantidad: How many pages have you read? | duración: How long have you been reading? |
| She has written two reports. | She has been writing reports all week. |
Los verbos de estado se quedan en simple
Los verbos que expresan un estado, no una acción, no se usan en continuous: know, be, have (tener), own, belong, believe, understand. «Conozco a Ana desde hace años» es I have known Ana for years, no I have been knowing. Otros verbos, como want, think o hope, sí admiten el continuous: I have been thinking about your offer.
Consejo
En la conversación casi siempre se contrae: she's been es she has been e I've been es I have been. Si tras been hay un verbo con -ing, es present perfect continuous; si hay un adjetivo o un lugar (She's been ill), es el present perfect simple de be.
Errores típicos
I carry two hours waiting.I have been waiting for two hours. «llevo + gerundio» se dice have been + -ingI have two hours waiting.I have been waiting for two hours. have aquí es auxiliar, no «tener»I wait here since nine.I have been waiting here since nine. el presente español no vale con sinceI have been waiting since two hours.I have been waiting for two hours. «desde hace dos horas» = for two hoursHow long you have been waiting?How long have you been waiting? el auxiliar va antes del sujetoI have been wait for you.I have been waiting for you. tras been va -ingI have been knowing her for years.I have known her for years. know es un verbo de estadoI have been writing three emails.I have written three emails. con una cantidad, simple
Preguntas y respuestas
¿Cuándo se usa el present perfect continuous?
Cuando una actividad empezó antes y llega hasta ahora (for, since, How long), o acaba de terminar y su resultado se nota ahora: I have been running, so I'm tired. Se forma con have / has been + -ing.
¿Cuál es la diferencia con el present perfect simple?
El simple dice un resultado terminado o una cantidad (I have read two books). El continuous dice la actividad, que puede no haber acabado (I have been reading this book all week).
¿Cómo se dice «llevo una hora esperando» en inglés?
I have been waiting for an hour. Es el equivalente de «hace una hora que espero». El present simple (I wait) no es correcto aquí. I have waited for an hour también es correcto, pero el continuous resalta la espera.
¿Se pueden usar los dos con for y since?
Con live, work, study, teach, wait, learn y play, sí: I have worked here for five years y I have been working here for five years son correctos. Solo cambia el énfasis en la actividad.
¿Qué verbos no se usan en present perfect continuous?
Los de estado: know, be, have (tener), own, belong, believe, understand. Se dice I have known her for years, no I have been knowing.
¿Qué significa she's been?
Es la contracción de she has been. Si sigue un verbo con -ing (She's been working), es el present perfect continuous.