TENSE TUESDAY: ONE REPUBLIC'S 'COUNTING STARS' AND THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Welcome to Tense Tuesday! For today's lesson, we are looking at the PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS in the song "Counting Stars" by One Republic. 

The PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS form is HAS/HAS (NOT) BEEN ING. We use this tense for an action or habit that we are repeating a lot lately. We often use the words LATELY or RECENTLY with this tense. 

Example 1: I have been exercising a lot lately. 

Example 2: I haven't been eating very well recently. 

Example 3: These last few weeks, I have been sleeping a lot. 

One Republic's "Counting Stars" uses this tense to talk about things the singer has been doing lately. It uses phrases like "Lately I've been losing sleep" and "Lately I've been praying."

You can listen to the song by clicking on the link below. The lyrics are here for you to read while you listen, and the PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS is in bold. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_nvWreIhg

COUNTING STARS

[Chorus:]
Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Yeah, we'll be counting stars

[Verse 1:]
I see this life like a swinging vine,
Swing my heart across the line
In my face is flashing signs,
Seek it out and ye shall find.

Old but I'm not that old
Young but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
I'm just doing what we're told

And I feel something so right by doing the wrong thing
And I feel something so wrong by doing the right thing

I could lie, couldn't I, couldn't I?
Every thing that kills me makes me feel alive.

[Chorus:]
Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars
Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But, baby I've been, I've been praying hard
Said no more counting dollars, we'll be—we'll be counting stars

[Verse 2:]
Baby. I feel her love and
And I feel it burn down this river every time
Hope is our four-letter word, make that money watch it burn

Old but, I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
I'm just doing what we're told

And I feel something so wrong by doing the right thing
I could lie, couldn't I, couldn't I?
Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly

[Chorus:]
Oh, take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

[Chorus:]
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned
Take that money watch it burn,
Sing in the river the lessons I learned

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!