Please check my sentences using "have been doing" something

Question

I am still confused when I want to say that I have been doing something, please could someone check for me:

We have been studying (a certain subject) Hemos estado estudiar OR estudiando

We had been studying (a certain subject) Habíamos estado estudiar OR estudiando

I am not sure whether to use the Infinitive or the Gerund

Many thanks.

Answer 1

You can just ignore all the stuff under me, it's probably all nonsense. Check out this post that lazerus replied to, he knows his stuff. I have been... According to him using the gerund is an OK way to go.

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You wouldn't use either of these constructions, or at least you don't have to. You use a form of hacer for this, I'll look for the video that teaches you this and return when I have found it.

Here it is. 3.4 - Impersonal Hace in Past Times

The construction for the "have been" concept changes depending on the order of your topics, but essentially it includes "hace" and "present tense conjugated verb."

Hace dos horas que estudio. I have been studying for two hours. (The video is more clear than I am)

Verses, the other hace form which has "hace" + "preterite."

Hace dos horas que estudié. Two hours ago I studied. (as in it has been two hours since I finished studying.)

Unless you mean it as a response to something like "what have you been doing?"

In which case I believe hemos estado estudiando is fine, but I may be mistaken. I assume it is this way because of the progressive.

Interesting answer thank you. I did actually mean it in your second example, but the Hace dos.. has jerked something in my memory and I am now going to look at the links you provided for further learning. Thanks. - caza, JUN 3, 2010