PRACTICE: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

1.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH “FOR” OR “SINCE”.

1. Mrs Jones has taught at our school …………………..over six years.

2. I haven’t been abroad ………………….1989.
3. We’ve had our dog ………………….. he was a puppy.
4. He has worked in the same office ………………..he started his career.
5. I haven’t watched television ………………….ages.
6. Why are you so late? I’ve been here ……………………over half an hour!
7. We’ve visited Susie in Paris three times ……………….she got married.
8. Have you asked for a pay rise (aumento de sueldo) ……………………….you came
here?
9. We haven’t had any exams ………………....over a month.
10. It’s been a long time ……………………I went to the opera.

2.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH “YET”, “ALREADY”, OR “JUST”.

1. I’ve …………………… seen that film. I saw it two weeks ago.
2. He hasn’t arrived …………………….. .I’m still waiting.
3. Don’t shout! The children have ………………….fallen asleep.
4. We have ……………………. Called Susan but she isn’t at home.
5. David is 15 and he hasn’t learned to swim ………………. .

3.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM OF

THE VERBS IN BRACKETS.

1. She ……………………………… (stay) at her mother’s house since last month.

2. The workmen …………………………………… (paint) our house all morning.
3. The pupils ………………………………………… (discuss) the plans for the school
trip for the last four hours.
4. I ………………………………………………….. (watch) television all evening.
5. The author ……………………………… (write) that book for the last two years.
6. My teenage daughter ……………………………… (talk) on the phone for the last two
hours.
7. Peter ……………………………… (not pay attention) during the lesson. He
…………………………………………… (dream) about his new motorcycle.
8. Take an umbrella! It …………………………………. (rain) since breakfast-time.

4.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM OF

THE VERBS IN BRACKETS.

1. Here are the keys! I ……………………………. (look) for them for the last hour.
2. The company …………………………….. (advertise) for a new secretary. They are
interviewing a number of candidates today.
3. The actors need a rest because they …………………………….(film) that scene since
eight o’clock this morning.
4. We ………………………………(paint) some of the rooms in our house because we try
to sell it.
5. What a mess in the kitchen! The children ……………………………..(make) biscuits.
6. I really need a holiday. I ………………………(work) too hard recently.
7. “Your clothes are filthy (asquerosas)”!
“That’s because we ……………………….(Clean) the car for you, mummy”.
8. You should come inside now – you ……………………………(sit) in the sun all
day long.
5.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS OR PRESENT
PERFECT SIMPLE FORM OF THE VERBS IN BRACKETS.

1. I ……………………………(type) 16 letters so far this morning and I feel like

I …………………………………… (type) for a week!
2. She ……………………………… (visit) her mother in hospital several times this
week.
3. David …………………………… (try) to contact his lawyer three times today and
I …………………………………… (try) since yesterday.
4. People …………………… (investigate) the Jack the Ripper (Jack el destripador)
murders for over a century now, but they ……………………………..(not solve)
them yet.
5.Mr Grant ………………(tour) in France for the last three weeks.He……………...
(visit) the Louvre in Paris and he ………………………………(be) to the top of
the Eiffel Tower.

6.-FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE OR PRESENT

PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE VERBS IN BRACKETS.

1. He …………………………… (drink) heavily lately.

2. He …………………………………. (not drink) any alcohol for years.
3. Mrs Harris ……………………………. (work) hard all her life.
4. I see you ………………………………. (work) overtime during this last week.
5. He …………………………………….(make) a documentary in Somalia for over a
month.
6. He …………………….(write) a book about the history of cinema for more than 2
years.
7. The charity ……………………………. (raise) nearly $5 million over the last ten years.
8. Students ……………………………….(raise) a lot of money for their end-course trip.
9. The author ………………………….(not-divide) the book in chapters.
10. I ……………………. (think) of a good example for ten minutes, but I ………………...
(still-not-find) a good one.

7.-CHOOSE THE RIGHT ALTERNATIVE.

Susan(1. has been going, goes, was going, has gone)to Greece for a holiday. She (2. hasn’t
taken, didn’t take, wasn’t taking, isn’t taking) a holiday since 1985. Last week her doctor (3.
tell, has told, have told, told) her to rest. She (4. have planned, planned, is planning, has been
planning) a Greek holiday for quite some time, but she (5. has been, was being, is being, have
been) so busy at the office that she simply (6. could, would, had, should) not get away.
Susan keeps pets at home. Because she is on holiday she (7. has been leaving, was leaving,
leaves, has left) her black widow spiders with us. I (8. was having, did have, has had, have had)
a lot of problems with them since she (9. is going, went, was going, have gone) away. They (10.
haven’t been eating, weren’t eating, didn’t eat, ate) very well because catching insects like
millipedes (cienpiés) is more difficult than I thought.