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Verb Tense – Perfect Progressive Tenses


Mike McGarry
Lesson by Mike McGarry
Magoosh Expert

Summary
The content delves into the nuances of perfect progressive tenses in English, highlighting their rarity and specific usage in the context of the GMAT exam.
  • Present perfect progressive tense is more common than past or future perfect progressive tenses, which are rarely seen on the GMAT.
  • This tense is formed with 'has/have' + 'been' + present participle, indicating ongoing activity that started in the past and continues to the present.
  • It contrasts with simple tenses and the perfect tense by emphasizing the duration and ongoing nature of an activity.
  • Past perfect progressive and future perfect progressive tenses are mentioned as very rare, with the future form being extremely unlikely to appear on the GMAT.
  • The present perfect progressive is not used for states of being, which instead use the present perfect tense.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Perfect Progressive Tenses
01:03
Contrasting Tense Usage
03:09
Rarity of Other Perfect Progressive Tenses
03:37
Usage with Active Verbs vs. States of Being