Present Perfect Continuous

• The present perfect continuous tense is used when an action started in the past and has not finished yet

• It helps me to refer to a grammar book every so often to remind myself of the "rules".  

• The present perfect continuous refers to an unspecified time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking about something that started but perhaps did not finish in that period of time. He/she is interested in the process as well as the result, and this process may still be going on, or may have just finished.

• Here's another good definition on the English use of the present perfect (from this website):
  
  
  1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with for and since. 
  • I've been living in London for two years.
  • She's been working here since 2004.
  • We've been waiting for the bus for hours.
  2: Actions which have just stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present (focus on action). 
  • I'm so tired, I've been studying.
  • I've been running, so I'm really hot.
  • It's been raining, the pavement is wet.
  • I've been reading your book, it's very good.

Sites that Help me Learn Portuguese

Over the last few years, I've found a few websites very helpful:

Newspaper - iPad reading

• Folha De Sao Paulo
• I often read it through Google Translate (helps with new vocabulary)
• Folha De Sao Paulo (through Google Translator)

Watching TV - (albeit not awesome TV)

• Squid TV

Verb Conjugations

• Verbix Portuguese

Podclasses - Used when I walk to work

• Brazilian Podclass

Radio - Listen to native speakers

• CBN Brazil (website)
• Tune in Radio App - lots of foreign radio stations
• Tune in Radio

Flashcards

• Flashcardlet
• Allows you to link mobile devices

More to come............

Forming Past Continuous / Past Progressive Verb Forms in Portuguese

Past Continuous Tense:

• Definition of Past Continuous Tense: (from Sonia Portuguese)
  
  
• The past continuous tense is used to say that somebody was in the middle of an action at a certain time in the past when another action occurred (in yellow below). It is also used to express two past actions in progress simultaneously (highlighted in green below)
  
  
• Notice that these sentences are often formed with a verb in the indicative preterite form (highlighted in yellow below)
  
  
• The past continuous tense is formed with the past tense (imperfect) of the auxiliary verb estar (to be) + the present participle (ndo).
  
  
• Examples (from Sonia Portuguese)
  
  
• English
• 1.  I was sleeping when you arrived.
• 2.  It was raining when I left home.
• 3.  They were having lunch when the phone rang.
• 4.  What were you doing there?
• 5.  I was talking to my sister while he was reading.
  
  
• Portuguese
• 1. Eu estava dormindo quando você chegou.
• 2. Estava chovendo quando eu saí de casa.
• 3. Eles estavam almoçando quando o telefone tocou.
• 4. O que você estava fazendo lá?
• 5. Eu estava conversando com a minha irmã enquanto ele estava lendo.
  
  
• Other Notes
  
  
• You can substitute the imperfect tense to substitute for the past continuous tense (it is grammatically correct).
  
  
• Example:
• (1) Enquanto eu estava dirigindo, ele estava dormindo.
• (2) Enquanto eu dirigia, ele dormia.
• (3) Enquanto eu dirigia, ele estava dormindo.
• (4) Enquanto eu estava dirigindo, ele dormia.
  
  
• However, using the past continuous form versus the imperfect for is more "precise"
• ...... the imperfect has a wider scope whereas the past continuous is more focused in a precise momentary process.
  
  
• Wordreference 1
• Wordreference 2
• Other Helpful Links:
  
  
• Helpful past continuous (and present continuous) video
• Link 1
  
  
• Good explanation from Sonia Portuguese (where the examples were taken)
• Link 2
  
  
• Lesson highlighting past continuous tense construction from Brazilian Podclass
• Link 3