Hello everyone! I've been just thinking about an example of using Present Perfect Continuous and imagined the situation when my mom and I are walking across the embankment at the sunset. And if now is 11 pm, for example, and I'm telling my friend about this experience of today, what tense should I use? I mean, can I use Present Perfect Continuous here like We've been walking across the embankment at the sunset today? Won't it mean that we're still walking there?
I would appreciate your help!

Question

Hello everyone! I've been just thinking about an example of using Present Perfect Continuous and imagined the situation when my mom and I are walking across the embankment at the sunset. And if now is 11 pm, for example, and I'm telling my friend about this experience of today, what tense should I use? I mean, can I use Present Perfect Continuous here like We've been walking across the embankment at the sunset today? Won't it mean that we're still walking there? 
I would appreciate your help!

Answer

The past continuous is needed here.

“We were walking at sunset.”

The past continuous  can show an incomplete action at a time (here, the time is sunset).

The past continous can also show an incomplete action at the time of another action.

“We were walking when my phone rang.”

Answer

When you are talking about a “finished” past you don’t use perfect.

If you meet your friend and 11 and he/she asks “What have you been doing?” You can say “I have been walking along the embankment.”

Respostas · 4

Ainda não encontrou suas respostas?

Não perca a oportunidade de aprender uma língua no conforto da sua casa. Navegue pela nossa seleção de professores de línguas experientes e inscreva-se na sua primeira aula agora mesmo!