verb tense question

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>on this page, there's 12 verb tenses
ENGLISH</a> PAGE - Verb Tense Tutorial</p>

<p>I guess the simple tenses are like descriptions. The continuous tense is talking about "in the process" of doing something. The Perfect tense is emphasizing the fact that you have completed or finished doing something. Now the perfect continuous...</p>

<p>Ok, I think it emphasizes the process of doing something in the very recent past. So my question is does "have been", "had been", and "will have been" also imply that I'm still doing the action (for now, before, in the future, respectively)?</p>

<p>And what exactly do "had been" and "will have been" mean anyways? I can't figure out the logic here... :(</p>

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<p>bump (10 char)</p>

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<p>“had been” for me usually implies a habit or action that later changed. (e.g. I had been practicing for 2 hours day, but i changed it to 3.)</p>

<p>“will have been” denotes an action in the future that is usually followed by a period of time. (e.g. On September 10, I will have been practicing for 5 months). It basically refers to the amount of time spent doing something.</p>

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<p>“I have been eating” = I started eating time ago and am still eating</p>

<p>“I had been eating” = I started eating time ago and was still eating when happened. “I had been eating” is always followed or preceded by a second action, as in “I had been eating for an hour when he came in” or “when they arrived I had been eating for an hour.” </p>

<p>“I will have been eating” = I started eating or will start eating sometime and will continue eating until happens. You’ll almost never see these constructions.</p>

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<p>There’s always, “By the time I am done with the GRE, I will have been preparing for standardized texts for what will seem like an eternity.” :)</p>

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<p>Thanks all! Another side question, how important is memorizing the special forms of verbs (past and past participle)?</p>