The Perfect Progressive aspect in Macedonian grammar is used to express ongoing actions that started in the past, continue in the present, and may or may not have an impact on the future. It combines the Perfect aspect, which emphasizes the completion or result of an action, with the Progressive aspect, which emphasizes the ongoing nature of an action.
To form the Perfect Progressive, we use the auxiliary verb “сум” (to be) in the Present Tense, followed by the particle “е” (has been) or “се” (is being), and the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is formed by adding the suffix “-н” (masculine) or “-на” (feminine) to the verb stem.
For example:
– Јас сум бил/била играјќи тенис. (I have been playing tennis.)
– Тие се обидуваат да јадат здраво. (They are trying to eat healthy.)
The Perfect Progressive aspect is used to describe actions that are still in progress at the present moment or emphasize the duration of an action. It is a versatile aspect that allows us to convey specific details about the ongoing nature of actions in Macedonian.