Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous is an important verb form for talking about recent events and their durations. Read about the rules for using the present perfect continuous tense, how we form it, and tons of example sentences!
The present perfect continuous (also called the present perfect progressive) is a verb form that we use to describe an action that started in the past and either recently finished or is still continuing. Although only about .7% of verbs in speech are in the past perfect, this verb tense can be very useful in certain situations.
Continue reading to learn how to form the present perfect continuous and when to use it, including tons of examples and charts!
Just to avoid confusion, continuous and progressive are just different names for this same thing. In some countries, one term is more common than the other, but continuous is more common overall, so we use that term.
Chart for Present Perfect Continuous in English
Using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense in English
The present perfect continuous is a little bit tricky. If you find a website that claims to explain it in just a few sentences, you should be suspicious. We use this tense in a number of different situations, and it can have different meanings in those different situations. We can look at three common ways that the present perfect progressive is used:
to describe new routines,
to describe recently completed actions, and
for actions that are still continuing.
New Routines and Habits
In general, we use the simple present to talk about routines and habits: If I go jogging every day or a couple of times a week, I can simply say, I jog, right?
But what if this is a new habit? Maybe I have gone jogging every day for the past two weeks, so it is a routine, but it might feel funny to just say I jog. I am a jogger. In situations like this, where we want to demonstrate that a habit or routine is somewhat new, the present perfect continuous is the form that we want to use.
I have been jogging.
Here are a few more examples:
This has been a difficult month. She has been working long hours.
I’ve been going to the gym lately.
We’ve been cooking at home more recently
Recently Completed Actions
We also use the present perfect continuous to talk about actions that have just recently ended, especially when there is still evidence of that action. For example, after you paint, you may still have paint on your hands. To explain this, you would use the present perfect progressive:
Sorry, my hands are dirty. I've just been painting.
Take a look at these other examples:
The house is a mess because we've just been redecorating.
Sorry, I'm all sweaty. I've been exercising.
Why are you two crying? Have you been fighting?
Notice that in each of these examples, there is sensory evidence (the mess, sweating, crying) of the recently completed actions (painting, exercising, fighting). This is almost always the case when using the present perfect continuous in this way.
Actions Still Happening with For and Since
This is probably the most common way that this verb form is used. This is very important: When we see the present perfect continuous with for or since, the action started at a specific time in the past and is still happening. Here are some examples:
Michele has been living in Boston since June.
Juana's been writing her thesis for 6 months.
In the first example, Michele still lives in Boston. In the second example, Juana still works at Apple. Again, when you see for or since with this verb tense, the action or situation described by the main verb is still continuing. See Signal Words, below, for more information about how we use for and since.
Here are more examples with for and since:
Cara's been working at FedEx for 3 years now.
I've been thinking about changing jobs for a long time.
We've been developing a new strategic plan since late last year.
You have been traveling back and forth to California since you got married, right?
Forming the Present Perfect continuous
Formula
Forming the present perfect continuous isn’t difficult. You will always use the same formula:
have/has + been + VERBing
You could also think of it as simple steps, too:
First, choose either have (if the subject is plural or the pronouns I, you, we, or they) or has (if the subject is a singular noun, he, she, or it).
Then use been.
Then use your main verb with -ing.
Conjugation
Here is the verb work conjugated into the present perfect continuous.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | have been working. | we | have been working. |
| 2nd person | you | have been working. | you | have been working. |
| 3rd person | he | has been working. | they | have been working. |
| she | has been working. | |||
| it | has been working. | |||
Notice that we can see both the perfect and the continuous aspect in this form. Have been is the perfect aspect. Been verb-ing is continuous aspect.
Other Forms of the Present Perfect continuous
Negative Sentences
You always have two helping verbs in the present perfect continuous: have/has and been. To make a negative, simply put not in between them!
She has not been living here for a long time.
I have not been reading much recently.
They have not been working late.
Because the present perfect continuous uses so many words, we often use contractions with not to make it a little shorter:
She hasn't been living here for a long time.
I haven't been reading much recently.
Questions
To make a question, simply put has/have before the subject.
Has she been living here for a long time?
Have you been working out lately? You look great!
What have you been reading?
When have you been going to bed lately?
Passive Voice
Making passive sentences with more complex verb forms like the present perfect continuous is extremely uncommon and almost always awkward in English. We really recommend that you rephrase a sentence to avoid creating such an awkward sentence.
We have been being observed a lot at work.
See the awkwardness in the sentence above? If you really need to make a passive sentence in this verb form, we often use the get passive to avoid the unnatural combination of been being.
Put get in the present perfect progressive (has been getting, have been getting) and then the perfect form of the main verb.
We have been getting observed a lot at work lately.
I've been getting kicked off the internet every 5 minutes.
Signal Words
Recently or Lately
When we are talking about new routines and habits, it’s common to use the word recently or lately, which both have the same meaning in this sense. There is some flexibility in where we can put these words in a sentence, but the beginning or end of the clause is a safe bet.
Take a look at these examples:
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Aunt Maude.
We've been having second thoughts about moving recently.
Just
We can use the adverb just to emphasize that an action was completed in the immediate past, right before now. Because the present perfect continuous can talk about actions that stopped right before now, it is common to use just with it. Have a look at these examples:
Don't mind these ridiculous old clothes. I've just been gardening.
Hey Paul! I can't believe you're here. We've just been talking about you!
For
We already said, the most important signal words with the present perfect progressive are for and since. They are important because they change the meaning. Whenever you see for and since with this verb form, you know the action is still true.
When we use for, we specify the duration of the action. This could be the number of minutes or weeks or years. It could also be a more general phrase like a really long time or a little while.
People have been living on this land for thousands of years.
It's been raining for hours
I've been studying English for half my life!
Since
While for is used with a duration, since is used to specify the point in time when the action began. That could be a time or date. It can also be another event described with a clause, like since I was a child.
People have been living on this land since about 800 B.C.E.
It's been raining since noon.
I've been studying English since I was a child.
check out these other free grammar resources:
Watch Your Mouth: Hidden Brain Podcast
Podcasts are not only a great way to enjoy a car ride with friends, make a task like cleaning the kitchen more bearable, and help pass a long bus ride. They are also a great way to learn English!
Watch Your Mouth: Hidden Brain Podcast
Podcasts are not only a great way to enjoy a car ride with friends, make a task like cleaning the kitchen more bearable, and help pass a long bus ride. They are also a great way to learn English!
There are hundreds of great podcasts out there, but when we heard Hidden Brain’s podcast, Watch Your Mouth, we had to share it! This podcast is about whether the structure of languages we speak can change how we see the world, and “how the constantly evolving nature of languages can give us different ways of understanding ourselves as well as the world we live in.” The transcript of this episode is great read too!
A favorite quote from this podcast is, “If you're bilingual or you're learning a new language, you get what Jennifer experienced - the joy of discovering a phrase that helps you perfectly encapsulate a feeling or an experience. The phrase brings an entire world with it - its context, its flavor, its culture. Today, we explore the many facets of this idea. Languages are not just tools to describe the world. They are ways of seeing the world.”
We hope that you enjoy this interesting podcast! If you’re looking for more podcasts suggestions to help you learn English, FluentU has a great list to get you started.
Other FREE English Resources
Top 27 Twitter Accounts to Learn English
Learning English online isn't easy, and your best options are generally actual online classes with real teachers, but Twitter does have some great ESL accounts you can follow to help improve your English in 280 characters! Here's a list of our favorites.
Updated September 2018
Learning English online isn't easy, and your best options are generally actual online classes with real teachers, but Twitter does have some great ESL sites to help you improve your English on the go in 140 280 characters!
Here's a list of our 15 25 27 favorite accounts, updated to include some great newer accounts and remove some inactive ones! You can also follow this list of accounts.
Also make sure to check out the hashtag #LearnEnglish, and if you like what you see on our website, #GinsEnglish is a good one too. 🤓
Best Twitter Accounts to Learn English
Evil English
What makes them so great: sense of humor, useful idioms, funny images
Trash Talking / Talking Trash / Trashing
— Evil English (@RealEvilEnglish) August 30, 2018
= talking bad about or to another person
To learn more ways to use "trashed," go here:
👉https://t.co/aLNuqLtQa2 #English #Twinglish #EngPls #EnglishLessons #EnglishExpressions #英語 #Inglés #الإنجليزية #영어 #อังกฤษ #EvilEnglish
😈 pic.twitter.com/OhqSoSrJSi
Yentelman
What makes them so great: highly entertaining posts with a great sense of humor, always good for a laugh and the perfectly selected GIF
cheesy pickup lines: 15 frases para ligar en inglés https://t.co/5f29gdRgcy
— Yentelman (@YentelmanBlog) August 29, 2018
English 121
What makes them so great: creative emojis, sample dialogues, synonym lists
👦🏻I must learn English.
— English121 (@learnenglish121) April 28, 2017
👦🏼You should study more.
👦🏻I will do it.
MODAL VERB + infinitive
can
could
may
might
must
shall
should
will
would
Idiom Land
What makes them so great: clean design, video clips, useful idioms
"Toss and turn" means "to sleep badly".
— Idiom Land (@idiomland) April 29, 2017
🎓 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 Learning English can be fun! 👍 Visit our website: https://t.co/El5F11iExc #idiom #idioms pic.twitter.com/xXkInQkkEL
Jeffrey Wong
What makes them so great: funky aesthetic, grammar info, kitties
Walkaway
— Jeffrey Wong (@jeffreywckin) April 24, 2017
(=An easy victory.)#LearnEnglish #English #ingles pic.twitter.com/kCo8maB0z4
Funky English
What makes them so great: vocabulary quizzes, slang, Britishisms
Photo Vocabulary - Wind Turbine
— FunkyEnglish.com (@EnglishStudy) April 30, 2017
A wind farm generating renewable energy through the use of a number of...https://t.co/pYFhCU6Qp8#Education pic.twitter.com/qNzYUUHvuH
Vocab Page
What makes them so great: animated posts, clean design, clear layout
Animal homes (Part 2)
— Vocabulary Page (@VocabPage) April 17, 2017
fishbowlhttps://t.co/E52Gvv4qCC pic.twitter.com/2BzD42N1mH
Next Step English
What makes them so great: lots of quizzes, fun imagery, retweets of other great accounts
surly: bad-tempered and rude
— Next Step English (@NextStepEnglish) August 29, 2018
Pronunciation: /ˈsɜːrli/, rhymes with 'curly'
😤 If you want to learn the words that will make you stand out in #English, sign up for my FREE email lessons! https://t.co/ZTh4wMDIb9 😤#LearnEnglish #الإنجليزية #Inglês #Englisch #Engels #Vocabulary pic.twitter.com/XcVXRVmc5f
Keep Smiling English
What makes them so great: beautiful design, grammar charts, daily paper
ENGLISH VERB TENSES#english #tenses #verbs #learnenglish #englishlearning #efl #esl #tefl pic.twitter.com/L4T7dcmWYG
— KSE Academy (@KSmilingEnglish) February 10, 2016
The YUNiversity
What makes them so great: fun videos, lots of variety, volume of content
Raise = elevate; lift
— 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕐𝕌ℕ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕪 (@The_YUNiversity) August 29, 2018
Raze = completely destroy 💣💥
Before we *razed* the old stadium, Jo *raised* a sign 👷⛔ to warn people to stay away. pic.twitter.com/9gyNg8h9Gy
BBC Learning English
What makes them so great: The best thing about the BBC is that they're the BBC, bringing a great deal of authority and rich content.
🎺 #Jazz up your #English with these #expressions inspired by a beautiful style of music … 🎷
— BBC Learning English (@bbcle) August 29, 2018
More #idioms and phrases here: https://t.co/HWXzebVk3q#learnenglish #bbclearningenglish #vocabulary #vocab #jazz #speakenglish pic.twitter.com/UpLwFbZLls
Ginseng English
What makes them so great: We had to mention ourselves! We take pride in well designed, clear English learning graphics covering all four skills and plenty of vocab and grammar.
"Perfect verb forms are used to show that an action or situation is complete before another action or a point in time. In the past perfect, that one action happened before another action in the past." Check out this blog post for examples!https://t.co/Fp61QXJuVz#LearnEnglish pic.twitter.com/hEiWgN2OpG
— Ginseng English (@ginsenglish) August 26, 2018
ABC Education Learn English
What makes them so great: Lots of ABC's content links to their blog, but there's no denying they're pumping out a ton of fantastic ESL resources.
#LearnEnglish: What happened to migrants to Australia in the 1970s if they could not attend English classes, due to work or family commitments? How did they learn? #ESL pic.twitter.com/RvZUfpBbkF
— Learn English (@learnenglish) August 29, 2018
Woodward English
What makes them so great: Woodward produces a whole lot of great English learning content, but what makes them stand out from our perspective is their detailed, clear grammatical charts.
English Conversation Question 91
— Learn English (@WoodwardEnglish) August 30, 2018
***
Have you ever touched a snake?
If so, where? How did it feel?
***
Let us know in the comments pic.twitter.com/dC1D9yHRqt
ELLA Language
What makes them so great: high-quality, well-designed graphics, regular posts
#English #LearnEnglish #ingles pic.twitter.com/u4Obr2r9ND
— Learn English (@EllaLanguage) March 17, 2017
English Guru
What makes them so great: fun GIFs, clear explanations, conversation prompts
• to play something by ear 👂🏻
— English Guru (@Apoven1) July 18, 2018
1. —> to perform music without reading it 🎼
Example:
He can play the piano by ear.
2. —> to decide a plan flexibly depending on circumstances
*See thread for example. #idioms #phrases #LearnEnglish #Twinglish pic.twitter.com/nLfbdoolzl
English Club
What makes them so great: sense of humor, useful idioms, funny images
Months of the Year https://t.co/UUcRYYxTdc #englishclub pic.twitter.com/6T40GCGCVj
— EnglishClub (@EnglishClub) August 30, 2018
Language Consultants
What makes them so great: eye catching graphics with fun quizzes, as well as engaging blog posts chock full of useful info
Test your #English #language skills with #LanguageConsultants #Milan #SpreadTheEnglish #PleaseShare #owls pic.twitter.com/yjb1wPOKWY
— Language Consultants (@LC_Milano) August 28, 2018
My Business English Coach
What makes them so great: all around useful business English tips, including common workplace idioms and blog posts
HEADS UP! A new head phrase tip: I'm IN over my head doesn't mean the same as 'That WENT over my head' -> means you don't understand something. For example: that sales presentation went over my head, she used way to many technical words I didn't understand! pic.twitter.com/F54FbSwSrZ
— Ashleigh (@mybusinesseng1) May 4, 2018
Alberto Alonso
What makes them so great: charming content and a ton of fun videos, especially his tours of cities that make you feel like you're there!
Simón is _________ the strawberry.
— Alberto Alonso (@imalbertoalonso) August 27, 2018
a. asking
b. staring at
c. looking#English #quiz pic.twitter.com/LrmvvDG1Yn
English Radar
What makes them so great: loaded with grammar, slang, captivating quizzes and vocab lessons, you learn something new everyday with this account
💼 Business idiom
— Learn English (@EnglishRadar) August 29, 2018
🔷 strike while the iron is hot
Check out our 50 business idioms athttps://t.co/Ayjj7viu9A#LearnEnglish #vocabulary #idioms #strikewhiletheironishot pic.twitter.com/E8FGsOTjAe
Interactive English
What makes them so great: in addition to colorful images, these guys aren't afraid to get a little goofy in their videos to demonstrate important English learning points
No way
— EOI Teacher (@Herminio_EOI) August 29, 2018
(Adverb; especially 🇺🇸)
》In no manner
》No chance
▪They no way deserved to lose the game.
▪There is no way Joe can ever do this job.#ESL #inglés #English #TESOL #TEFL #vocabulary #LearnEnglish
EOI Teacher
What makes them so great: straight to the point and easy to read, these posts give you all the information you need to know quickly and clearly
No way
— EOI Teacher (@Herminio_EOI) August 29, 2018
(Adverb; especially 🇺🇸)
》In no manner
》No chance
▪They no way deserved to lose the game.
▪There is no way Joe can ever do this job.#ESL #inglés #English #TESOL #TEFL #vocabulary #LearnEnglish
Clark And Miller
What makes them so great: the recent use of stick figures is not only creative, but helpful in demonstrating the points of their complex blog posts
How many of these negative feeling adjectives do you know? https://t.co/7vEcSgvz8D #esl #efl #learnenglish #englishvocab #adjectives pic.twitter.com/t52Wdlvkxd
— Clark&MillerEnglish (@CandMEnglish) August 18, 2018
Daria Storozhilova
What makes them so great: English learning videos that are not only informative but fun to watch
Speak English naturally!
— Daria Storozhilova (@StordarLearn) August 30, 2018
Collocations and Phrasal Verbs with GO | Learn English Online - YouTube https://t.co/RuagcFsQd9#vocabulary #vocabularylesson #collocations #phrasalverbs #livelesson pic.twitter.com/09pRf4DyYE
College Essay Guy
What makes them so great: While this "Guy" doesn't specifically teach English, his motivational quotes, writing advice and college tips are great for anyone hoping to study abroad or improve their writing!
Volume One of the Counselor Training Program video course series: “How to Write a Personal Statement”:
— College Essay Guy (@CollegeEssayGuy) August 27, 2018
• 25+ Video Modules
• 14+ Sample Essays
Watch or read anytime: https://t.co/pJaVY5fD0h pic.twitter.com/5536ggNP2G
English with Christina
What makes them so great: Real English tips that can be used immediately in everyday life, especially in casual conversation
Shit & sheet, bitch & beach https://t.co/NfZu9ZZuc4 pic.twitter.com/6lRCYeIRuw
— EnglishWithChristina (@Chris_Rebuffet) August 30, 2018
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Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect is an important verb form for describing events in the past. Read about the rules for using the past perfect tense, how we form it, and tons of example sentences!
The past perfect is a verb form that we use to talk about an action that is complete before another action or event in the past.
It isn't one of the most common verb tenses in English (only about 1.2% of verbs in speech are in the past perfect), but it can be very important for narrating events in the past.
Chart for Past Perfect Tense in English
Using the Past Perfect Tense in English
Perfect verb forms are generally used to show that an action or situation is complete before another action or a point in time. In the past perfect, that one action happened before another action in the past. For this reason, we sometimes say the past perfect is “the past of the past.”
Here's an example:
Carla had already eaten when we arrived at her house.
There are two actions here: eating and arriving. Eat is in the past perfect, and arrive is in the simple past, so we know that the eating was completed first. When you have two verbs in a sentence, one in the simple past and one in the past perfect, the past perfect action finished before the simple past action.
The examples below illustrate the rules for how we generally use the past perfect tense.
Examples of the Past Perfect tense
First let's look at how we often use the past perfect in a sentence with other past tense verbs:
I had just left my house when it started to rain.
Notice that we have two clauses and two verbs. Started is in the simple past: it started and finished in the past. Left is in the past perfect (had left) which means that the action (leaving) was complete before the other action (starting to rain).
Sometimes there are two verbs in the same sentence, like in the example above, but not always. Look at this conversation:
Te: Hey, I called you last night, but you didn’t answer!
Banh: Oh, I went to bed pretty early last night. What time did you call?
Te: I think it was around 9.
Banh: Yeah, I had already fallen asleep.
In this example, the verb in the past perfect is had fallen asleep. We know that past perfect means this action was complete before another action or point in time in the past. In this case, we have both an action (Te called) and a time (around 9).
Forming the Past Perfect
Formula
Forming the past perfect is easy. We use had (the past form of the helping verb have) and the perfect form of the main verb.
subject + had + perfect VERB
Conjugation
This table shows the complete conjugation of the verb work in the past perfect.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | had worked. | we | had worked. |
| 2nd person | you | had worked. | you | had worked. |
| 3rd person | he | had worked. | they | had worked. |
| she | had worked. | |||
| it | had worked. | |||
Other Forms of the Past Perfect
Negative Sentences
The helping verb in the past perfect is always had.To make a negative, put not after the helping verb had.
I had not studied French before I went to Morocco.
They had not seen each other for years.
I hadn’t eaten all night so I was starving.
Questions
To make a question, put had before the subject.
Had they dated long before they got married?
Had you expected the promotion?
Why had she bought so many extra tickets?
How long had you lived in San Francisco by then?
Passive Voice
To make a passive sentence in the past perfect, use be in the past perfect (had been) and then the perfect form of the main verb.
By 1945, the war had been won.
I had been fired, so I felt really depressed.
In the morning we learned that Kiki had been found by the neighbors.
Signal Words
The past perfect is often used with time words such as before, until, previously, etc. One word that is very common (and sometimes confusing!) with the past perfect is by.
We can use by with a specific time to show the completion of the action before that time.
By 1:00, everyone had left the party.
In this example, all the people left before 1:00.
The time isn't always a number, as these examples illustrate:
By dawn the rain had stopped.
By the end of the semester, she had completed all her prerequisites.
By then, I had figured out the solution.
By the time has a similar meaning, but it is used with a clause describing another action, rather than a time.
By the time I got home, everyone had gone to bed.
It had gotten dark by the time we finished eating.
Check out these other free grammar resources:
Summer Idioms
In America, summer officially ends on September 22nd, though in many places it starts to feel like fall much earlier than that! To make sure we enjoy summer for as long as possible, here are some fun summer idioms!
English Idioms about Summer
In America, summer officially ends on September 22nd, though in many places it starts to feel like fall much earlier than that! To make sure we enjoy summer for as long as possible, here are some fun summer idioms!
Ray of sunshine
A ray of sunshine is something or someone that makes people feel very happy, cheerful or optimistic.
Alternatively, this can be used ironically or sarcastically to describe someone who is always miserable or pessimistic, and therefore, is exactly the opposite of a ray of sunshine. 😂
Examples
Monday mornings are tough, but when our boss brings us a box of donuts and coffee, it's like a ray of sunshine in the office!
Alice's mother been sick but when Alice takes her puppy to visit her, it brightens her mom's whole day, just like a ray of sunshine!
Brian were very excited about their new apartment until his roommate, Jill, complained about the messy backyard. He said, "Jill, well aren't you just a ray of sunshine?! We can clean it up, don't worry!"
Indian Summer
An Indian summer is period of unseasonably warm weather that sometimes happens in the fall, especially after a cold period. It is usually a nice surprise, because people might not be quite ready for summer to be over yet!
This expression is also used to describe a time late in someone's life that is surprisingly happy, peaceful, or joyful.
Examples
Audrey and her friends were so happy when there was suddenly an Indian summer in October that they all rushed to the beach for one last day in the sun!
After my father passwed away, we were worried that my mother would be lonely, but to our surprise, in her 70's, she met a very nice man and enjoyed quite the Indian summer late into her old age!
A Day at the Beach
A day at the beach is used as a metaphor to mean something that is very enjoyable, pleasant or easy.
You might also hear people say it was no day at the beach, meaning exactly the opposite: a difficult and unpleasant task or experience.
We thought that moving to a new house would be very difficult, but we hired a great moving company, and it turned out that the move was really a day at the beach!
I had to waste my Saturday renewing my drivers license. Between the long lines, the expensive fees, and the crowded waiting room, it was no day at the beach!
Like a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
This is one of those great visual idioms. A tin roof is made out of material that can get very hot because tin attracts the sun. So, just imagine a cat on a hot tin roof dancing around with his paws burning and you might be able to guess the meaning of this one!
Someone is who acting like cat on a hot tin roof is very nervous, anxious, and overall in an very worrisome state of mind.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is also a 1958 American movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, based on the play of the same name.
Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Examples
Kevin didn’t do his homework, so when the teacher called on him to answer a question, he was like a cat on a hot tin roof.
While nervously waiting for the doctor to give her the results of her medical tests, Charlotte paced back and forth across the room like a cat on a hot tin roof
Sink or Swim
Our last one is sink or swim. If you dive into the water, there are literally only two choices: to sink or swim.
Therefore, this idiom means that if you are put in a difficult position and given no help, so it's completely up to you if you fail (sink) or succeed (swim).
Examples
I started a new job but my boss was out sick all week, so I was left to sink or swim!
Sandra didn't speak English very well, but it was her lifelong her dream to see New York City, so she bought a plane ticket anyway and decided it was sink or swim!
After 4 years of college, students graduate and need to find a job on their own. It's time to sink or swim in the real world !
Other free English resources:
Silent T Words
Stop pronouncing these words wrong! If you’re looking for explanations and examples of words with silent T, you’ve come to the right place. Charts, definitions, a word list of over 20 examples, and the history of how silent T became silent.
Silent T words are tricky even for native speakers. It's not at all uncommon to hear native speakers pronounce the word often off-ten. There are a few simple patterns you can learn to make sure that you're keeping those silent Ts silent! Read on!
When Is T Silent?
The "rules" for silent T are these: if you see -STEN, -FTEN, or -STLE, you should assume that the T is silent.
A lot of other silent letters are silent at the beginning (like G and K) or end (like B and N) of words. Silent T is a little different. It usually becomes silent because it gets "sandwiched" between two other consonant sounds, and it's easier to say if you leave out that T, which requires a lot of effort.
Examples
The chart below contains a word list of over 20 examples of words with silent T. Are you pronouncing them all correctly?
| Word | IPA | PoS | Definition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| listen | /ˈlɪsən/ | v. | to pay attention to sound | |
| fasten | /ˈfæsən/ | v. | to connect | |
| hasten | /ˈheɪsən/ | v. | to hurry | |
| glisten | /ˈglɪsən/ | v. | to shine with wetness | |
| moisten | /ˈmɔɪsən/ | v. | to make moist | |
| christen | /ˈkrɪsən/ | v. | to make Christian or give a name | |
| chasten | /ˈtʃeɪsən/ | v. | to moderate or restrict in behavior | |
| soften | /ˈsɒfən/ | v. | to make softer | |
| often | /ˈɒfən/ | adv. | frequently | |
| whistle | /ˈwɪsəl/ | v. | blow air through the lips to make sound | |
| thistle | /ˈθɪsəl/ | n. | a common prickly plant | |
| castle | /ˈkæsəl/ | n. | a large fortified medieval building | |
| wrestle | /ˈrɛsəl/ | v. | to fight using grappling | |
| nestle | /ˈnɛsəl/ | v. | lie comfortably within something | |
| pestle | /ˈpɛsəl/ | n. | heavy tool for crushing food in a mortar | |
| gristle | /ˈɡrɪsəl/ | n. | tough cartilage in meat | |
| mortgage | /ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒ/ | n. | a contract to borrow money for a house | |
| rapport | /raˈpɔːr/ | n. | a friendly relationship | |
| gourmet | /ˈɡɔːrmeɪ/ | adj. | of a refined taste in food | |
| ballet | /ˈbæleɪ/ | n. | an artistic dance form | |
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | have worked. | we | have worked. |
| 2nd person | you | have worked. | you | have worked. |
| 3rd person | he | has worked. | they | have worked. |
| she | has worked. | |||
| it | has worked. | |||
Other Forms of the present perfect
Questions
In the present perfect, you will always use have (or has) as your helping verb. To form a question, put have before the subject of the sentence.
Have you visited Paris?
Has she been healthy?
How have you been?
What have you studied?
Negative Sentences
When forming a negative in the present perfect, not goes between the helping verb (have or has) and the main verb.
I have not visited Paris
I haven’t been bad.
The Passive Voice
To make a passive sentence in the present perfect, use be in the present perfect (has been, have been) and then the perfect form of the main verb.
My package has been delivered already!
You have been selected for a special offer.
Notes
Based on a study by Kramsky (1969), the present perfect accounts for about 6% of verbs in spoken English.
When using already and yet, verbs should generally be in the perfect form.
As you may know, English speakers can be a little lazy about the present perfect. In many casual situations, we just use the simple past instead, and ignore the pattern described above. You may choose to do the same. For example, if I just said to Claire, “Oh! I read that one.” it would have been okay, too. But this is only in conversation. In formal writing, using the simple past in place of the present perfect sounds inappropriate and sometimes even confusing. For example, when a journalist announces a new technology or invention in the news, it is typical to use the present perfect (because the important thing is that this technology now exists):
Google has developed a self-driving car.
Using the simple past in this case would be inappropriate.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER FREE GRAMMAR RESOURCES:
Related Content
Contractions in English
Simple Future Tense
The simple future is a very common verb tense used to talk about plans and expectations in English. Read about the rules for using it, how we form it, and tons of example sentences!
The simple future is a very common and useful verb tense. It is the third most common verb form in English, after the simple present and simple past. Just under 10% of verbs in spoken English are in the simple future.
Using the Simple Future
Simple future verbs are used for actions that will happen at a specific time in the future, after the current moment. This includes plans, predictions, promises, willingness, and decisions.
There are two forms of the simple future tense: the first is formed using will and the second is formed using going to. The meaning of the two forms is generally the same, but it is more typical to use will in some situations and going to in other situations.
Chart for Simple Future Tense in English
The examples below illustrate the rules for how we usually use the simple future tense.
Examples
Examples of Simple Future with Will
Here are lots of example sentences showing different ways that we can use the simple future tense tense.
To make predictions and promises:
I will give you a ride to the station.
My staff will help you with that.
I'll answer the phone.
The news says it will rain tomorrow.
I think Real Madrid will win.
When we have just now made a decision to do something:
[the doorbell rings]
I’ll get it!
A: We’re going to the mall.
B: Oh! I’ll come, too!
In these situations above, the speaker makes a decision and announces it immediately.
Examples of Simple Future with Going To
To talk about plans:
I'm going to exercise this evening.
We're going to visit my sister.
For things we can see are just about to happen:
Nancy: The wind is going to blow those papers away
Tonya: Ah, I’ll take them inside.
Esperanza: What are you going to do this weekend?
Mathilda: I’m going to go hiking in Maine. What about you?
Esperanza: I’m just going to stay home.
Forming the Simple FUTURE
Formula with Will
The simple future with will is the same with any subject. Just use the helping verb will, followed by the base form of the main verb.
subject + will + VERB
Conjugation
The table below shows the complete conjugation of the verb work in the simple future with will.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | will work. | we | will work. |
| 2nd person | you | will work. | you | will work. |
| 3rd person | he | will work. | they | will work. |
| she | will work. | |||
| it | will work. | |||
Formula with Going to
The simple future with going to is just a little more complicated. Conjugate the helping verb be based on the subject. After that, just use going to and the base form of the verb.
subject + am/is/are + going to + VERB
Conjugation
This table shows the complete conjugation of work with going to.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | I | am going to work. | we | are going to work. |
| 2nd person | you | are going to work. | you | are going to work. |
| 3rd person | he | is going to work. | they | are going to work. |
| she | is going to work. | |||
| it | is going to work. | |||
Other Forms of the Simple Future
Negative Sentences
To make a negative sentence in the simple future, you do not need to add do, because will works as a helping verb. Add not after will or the be verb.
I will not help you
I am not going to drink tonight.
Questions
If you are forming a question in the simple future tense with will, put will before the subject of the sentence.
Will you help me?
When will the rain stop?
How will she pay all those bills?
To form a question in the simple future with going to, put the conjugated form of be before the subject.
Are you going to go out tonight?
Who is she going to work with?
What are we going to do?
Passive Voice
To form a passive sentence in the simple future, put the verb to be in the simple future (will be or is/are going to be) and then put the main verb in the perfect participle form:
A new parking garage will be built at this intersection.
Joan is going to be promoted!
You can find more explanation and examples in our guide to the English passive voice.
Notes
Generally, when we use the simple future tense, it is important that the speaker and listener know the specific time. For example, just saying I am going to the movies is unusual.
Many experts will say that English does not technically have a future tense. When they say this, they mean that we don't inflect verbs to talk about the future like many other languages do. Instead, we talk about the future using modal verbs (will/going to). For students learning English, it is easier to just think of the future as a tense.
The Idiomatic Fridge
English Idiom - The Idiomatic Fridge
We came across this fantastic cartoon by John Atkinson, from his site Wrong Hands, and thought it would be the perfect topic for a vocabulary lesson. It’s called The Idiomatic Fridge because all of the “foods” in here are actually idioms in English!
Before we get started, take a look! Do you know any of these?
fish out of water
icing on the cake
piece of cake
top banana
second banana
tall drink of water
milk and honey
full of beans
bowl of cherries
bunch of baloney
whole enchilada
small potatoes
bad apples
good egg
big cheese
Definitions and Example Sentences
top banana 🍌
The idiom top banana is used to describe the best or most popular person in a show, group or organization.
Of all the comedians in the world, Robin Williams was the top banana. Would you agree?
second banana 🍌🍌
Going hand in hand with top banana is second banana which means the second best or most popular person in a show group or organization.
President Obama was top banana, but he would be nowhere without his second banana, Vice President, Joe Biden.
whole enchilada 🌮
The whole enchilada is a funny way of explaining that something is complete and comes all packaged together.
When considering vacation packages, I decided to go for the whole enchilada and get a deal that included the room, transportation to the airport, and unlimited food and alcohol. I didn’t regret it, I had an amazing trip!
small potatoes 🥔
If something is small, insignificant, or cheap, we might say that it’s just small potatoes.
The price we pay for health insurance is small potatoes compared to what we would pay for medicine without it.
bad apples 🍎
If a bad apple is stored in a container with good apples, it will typically cause the other apples to rot faster. Someone who is very negative can make people around them very negative as well, so we call a negative or badly behaved person a bad apple or a rotten apple.
Joey always complained about his homework in class, and then I started noticing my other students didn’t want to do their work either. I think he’s a bad apple!
good egg 🥚
A good egg is pretty much the opposite of a bad apple. If you someone is just all around (like an egg!) a nice, helpful, and responsible person, he or she is considered a good egg.
When I broke my leg, my neighbor mowed my lawn and made me dinner without me even asking! What a good egg!
big cheese 🧀
If someone is very important and successful, we might call them the big cheese, or a big shot.
After Alex got promoted, he thought it was the big cheese around the office, but he quieted down once he realized he still wasn’t such a big shot...
tall drink of water 🚰
This isn’t an expression that we use very often anymore, but it’s still a funny one! If someone is very beautiful, handsome, and overall just very attractive, you could say that they are a tall drink of water. Imagine drinking a tall glass of water on a hot day. This is how some people feel when seeing someone very attractive!
Even after all these years of marriage, when my wife comes into the room I still think she’s a tall drink of water!
milk and honey 🥛 🍯
This term is used to explain a land that has plenty of everything that you could possibly need to survive, and is therefore considered a perfect place to live.
When I moved to Florida, it had everything I could want, beaches, friendly people, and good food! I thought it was the land of milk and honey until I realized that I missed snow!
full of beans 🥫
If you have a ton of energy, are very happy, and can't sit still you’re full of beans.
On this beautiful summer day, we were full of beans and couldn't wait to go play outside!
bowl of cherries 🍒
When something is very nice, and everything is going perfectly in your day, or your life, we might say that it’s like a bowl of cherries.
Today I found $100 on the sidewalk! Life is a bowl of cherries!
However, this expression is actually used more often in a sarcastic or ironic way, meaning exactly the opposite of perfect.
My car broke down, and I was late for work so I lost my job. Life is a bowl of cherries, huh?
bunch of baloney 😡
If someone is telling you lies, or a fake story, we call this a bunch of baloney.
The car salesman promised me a good price on a car, but when I went to actually buy it, it was much more expensive than he originally said. What a bunch of baloney!!
fish out of water 🎣
A fish out of water is very uncomfortable, doesn’t know what to do and usually can’t survive. When someone is in a situation that they are unfamiliar with, or very uncomfortable with, we call them a fish out of water.
When Lexi visited China for the first time, she felt like a fish out of water because she didn't know anyone, couldn't speak Chinese, and had no idea where to find her hotel.
icing on the cake 🎂
This is another idiom that can be used positively or sarcastically. The icing on the cake is the colorful, sugary cream that goes on the top of the cake. It is the last thing done to make the cake look perfect.
We use this positively to talk about the final thing that made a situation just perfect:
The dinner was already amazing, but the waiter gave us a free bottle of wine, which was really the icing on the cake.
We also use it negatively, sarcastically, or ironically when a situation seems like it can’t get any worse, but then it does:
It rained on my wedding day, my mom couldn’t come because her flight was delayed, and the caterer canceled but the icing on the cake was that my husband got food poisoning! It’s ok though, the honeymoon was amazing!
piece of cake 🍰
Something that is very easily accomplished or achieved is known as a piece of cake.
I got the job! I had the right qualifications and had great answers prepared for their questions, so the interview was a piece of cake.
Other free English resources:
Idiomatic Fridge
Check out this blog post to learn what "going hand in hand" means!
Silent E Words
English spelling is crazy but there are patterns. Silent E words follow a very common pattern. Check out this explanation with charts and over 200 of examples.
As we have established, English pronunciation is crazy, and silent letters can sometimes seem extra crazy. Silent E isn't quite as crazy as some other words. Silent N and silent B and silent K are a little useless in English.
But silent E is different. It's a very useful pattern to learn. Unlike some other letters, silent E tells us some very important information about the other vowels in the word.
C-V-C Words
Before reading on about silent E, we really recommend reviewing consonant-vowel-consonant (C-V-C) words. This article will give you a strong background for understanding how silent E works in English.
However, if you don't have time for that, the short version is this: In 3-letter words that are made of a consonant, then a vowel, then a consonant, the vowel is usually pronounced with a short vowel sound.
Silent E Words
Silent E words follow the C-V-C pattern, but with an E at the end, so they become C-V-C-E words. Adding the -E at the end changes the short vowel sound to a long vowel sound.
For example:
Hat /hæt/ has a short A sound, and hate /heɪt/ has a long A sound.
Bid /bɪd/ has a short I sound, and bide /baɪd/ has a long I sound.
Hop /hɑp/ has a short O sound, and hope /hoʊp/ has a long O sound.
Adding Suffixes to Silent E Words
So when we learned about C-V-C words, we learned that you must double the last consonant. For example, rap, becomes rapped in the simple past and rapping in the present continuous. When you see an unfamiliar word with a double consonant before the suffix -ed or -ing (maybe stropped or thrumming, for example), you can safely guess that the vowel sound is short and that the base form is a C-V-C word (that is, strop and thrum).
With silent E (or C-V-C-E words), we do not double that last consonant when adding a suffix, such as -ed or -ing (or -er or -est for adjectives). Compare these examples of C-V-C and C-V-C-E words to notice the pattern:
hope ➞ hoped and hoping (no E)
hop ➞ hopped and hopping (double P)
Here's another:
pine ➞ pined and pining (no e)
pin ➞ pinned and pinning (double N)
Complete list of Silent E Words
Here are over 200 examples of silent E words:
Silent E Words with Long A
babe, bade, bake, bale, bane, bare, cage, cake, came, cane, cape, care, case cave, dale, dame, dare, date, daze, face, fade, fate, fake, fame, fare, fate, faze, gale, gape, gate, gave, gaze, hare, hate, have, haze, jade, jane, kale, lace, lake, lame, lane, late, mace, made, mage, make, male, mane, mare, mate, maze, name, nape, nave, pace, page, pale, pane, pare, pate, race, rage, rake, rape, rare, rate, rave, raze, safe, sage, sale, same, sane, sate, save, take, tale, tame, tape, tase, tare, vale, vane, vape, vase, wade, wage, wake, wane, ware, wave
Silent E Words with Long E*
cede, here, lede, meme, mere, mete, we're, we've
*see note below.
Silent E Words with Long I
bide, bike, bile, bite, cite, dice, dike, dime, dine, dire, dive, fife, file, fine, fire, hide, hike, hire, hive, jibe, jive, kite, lice, life, like, lime, line, lite, live, mice, mike, mile, mime, mine, mire, mite, nice, nine, pike, pile, pine, rice, ride, rile, ripe, side, sire, site, tide, tile, time, tine, tire, vile, vine, vise, wide, wile, wine, wipe, wire, wise, wive
Silent E Words with Long O
bode, bone, bore, code, coke, cone, cope, core, cove, dole, dope, dote, doze, fore, hole, home, hone, hope, hose, joke, lobe, lode, lone, lore, mode, mole, mope, mote, node, nope, note, poke, pole, pope, pore, robe, rode, role, rope, rose, rote, rove, sole, toke, tore, tote, vote, woke, wore, wove
Silent E Words with Long U
cube, cuke, cure, cute, dude, duke, dune, dupe, fume, huge, june, lube, luge, lure, mule, muse, mute, nude, nuke, puke, pure, rube, rude, rule, sure, tube, yule
Exceptions and notes
-ORE words do not have a long O sound. Bore, core, fore, lore, more, tore, and wore rhyme with four.
You may notice that there are very few silent E words with a long E in the middle. This is because we have many other common ways to spell the long E, such as the -EA- in dear and meal and the -EE- in seen and feet.
More Free English Resources
Have you read our other posts on English pronunciation? If not, take a look at Silent K, Silent N, Silent G and Silent L, and Deleted Syllables.
Silent E Words in English
What is Ginseng?
Well, you already know that Ginseng is an online English school. But as we talk to more and more people around the world about Ginseng, we’ve learned that more and more people want to know about the word ginseng:
What does it mean?
How do you pronounce it?
Why is it the name of an English school!?!?
Well, ask and you shall receive. Let's get some answers to those questions!
What is Ginseng?
Ginseng Root
Ginseng is a plant! And it's a funny plant because the root—the underground part of the plant—is more famous than the flowers and leaves.
Ginseng has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to help people relax. Some people even say it improves your memory!
The word ginseng comes from the Hokkien pronunciation (/jîn-sim/)of the Chinese word (人参) for the plant. That literally translates to person-root, because the root often has two “legs” and looks like a person.
How do You Pronounce Ginseng?
First, that G is soft. This means it sounds like an English J, as in jump. G is often—but not always—pronounced this way when it is before either an E or an I.
The first syllable sounds exactly like the word gin, a common alcohol. It also sounds like the first syllable in ginger, another root.
The last syllable sounds exactly like the English word sing. The E is pronounced like a short I sound. (Note: some people pronounce the -seng with a short E sound, but that's not what we say for Ginseng English).
The stress in the word is on the first syllable. So all together, the word ginseng is pronounced jin-sing (IPA: /ˈdʒɪn sɪŋ/).
Why did you name the school Ginseng?
Lots of reasons! Many of the best brands out there are not literal descriptions of what the company does. Think about Google, Nike, Mercedes. This was the type of brand we wanted. We didn't want to be Rob’s Online English School. We wanted something more abstract and suggestive, something evocative.
Early logo for Engma English
The first idea was Engma, the name for this symbol: ŋ. After a while, we decided that this was a little too esoteric and just didn't work for our company.
Ginseng worked better for a couple of reasons:
We first started considering this name because of its sound. It’s one of the only other words in which the letters E-N-G are pronounced /ɪŋ/ like they are in Eng-lish.
Also, ginseng has lots of positive connotations: it's relaxing and it helps your memory. These are two very important things for learning a language!
What about that logo?
Ginseng root is often made into a relaxing tea, so our logo is a steaming cup of tea to help you relax while you learn English with us! As you may have noticed, it’s also our letter G, upside-down!
