They have been talking for three hours

Present perfect continuous

1. Grammar Notes: El presente perfecto continuo, muchas veces tiene la
equivalencia a la traducción “llevar + gerundio” en español, pero el uso
de esta forma es más frecuente en inglés. Se utiliza para acciones que
han empezado en el pasado pero continúan en el presente.

2. Structure:
Como en el presente perfecto, usamos el verbo auxiliar “to have”
además de “been” (el participio pasado del verbo “to be”) más el
verbo+ing.

1. Affirmative Sentences (Frases afirmativas)

Sujeto + verbo auxiliar (to have) + “been” + verbo+ing.

Ejemplos:

They have been talking for three hours.(Han estado hablando durante tres

horas.)
She has been studying English since she was 16.(Ha estado estudiando
inglés desde que tenía 16 años.)
I have been waiting for you for over an hour!(¡Te llevo esperando durante
más de una hora!)

2. Negative Sentences (Frases negativas)

Sujeto + verbo auxiliar (to have) + “not” + “been” + verbo+ing.

Ejemplos:

They haven’t been talking for more than a few minutes.(No han estado

hablando más de unos minutos.)

Dra. Evelyn Alina Anicama Navarrete Ingles II

 She hasn’t been studying English for very long.(No ha estado estudiando
inglés durante mucho tiempo.)
Don’t worry, I haven’t been waiting long.(No te preocupes, no llevo
esperando mucho tiempo.)

3. Interrogative Sentences (Frases interrogativas)

Verbo auxiliar (to have) + sujeto + “been” + verbo+ing?

Ejemplos:

Have they been talking for a long time?(¿Han estado hablando durante

mucho tiempo?)
Have you been waiting long?(¿Llevas esperando mucho tiempo?)

Exercises

A. Complete the sentences below.

1. My cat ______ ________ (sleep) _______ all day.
2. A: ________ Jim ________ (do) ________ exercise?
B: yes, he ________ . He needs a rest.
3. It _____ _______ (rain) ______ for several days.
4. I failed the test because I ______ not _______ (study) _____ hard.
5. We _____ ______ (drive) _______ for two hours.
6. Tracy and Tom _____ ______ (play) _____ tennis for an hours.
7. A: I´m sorry I´m late. ______ you _____(wait) ____ a long time?
8. Where _____ you _____ (spend) _______ your summer holidays?
9. Who _____ _____ (eat) _______ m cookies?
10. A: You look tired. _____ you ______ (work) _______ hard?
B: I ______ ________.
11. I _______ ______ (think) _______ about quitting my job.
12. Why ______ you ______ (get) ______ up so early recently?

B. Read the situations and write sentences: have/ has + been +

P.partic.
1. She´s sitting in front of the TV but the TV is off now. She
has a tissue in her hand. Her eyes are red.
She _________________________________________

2. He´s wearing his swimsuit and he´s wet.

He _____________________________________________

3. She´s sleeping in her office. She looks really tired.

Dra. Evelyn Alina Anicama Navarrete Ingles II

 She _____________________________________________

4. His face is covered woth chocolate. And his hands are

dirty, too.
He ______________________________________________

5. She looks exhausted. But the house is clean and tidy now.
She ___________________________________________

6. He´s really sleepy. There are many books next to him.

He ___________________________________________

C. Choose the option that best complete each of the

sentences:
1. Angie ____ my invitations to go out. I think I should just give up.
a. Been refusing
b. Is beging refusing
c. Have been refusing
d. Has been refusing
2. Louis and Lana ____ around the world since September. When are they
coming.
a. Are traveling
b. Have been travelling
c. Travel
d. Travelled
3. The dog ___ for several minutes. Will you see if everything´s OK?
a. Has been barking
b. Is barking
c. Barked
d. Will bark
4. My fiancée ___ to the gym every night after work since he started that new
crazy diet.
a. Has been going
b. Is going
c. Is going to
d. Goes
5. Loretta and Rudolf ____ the things for the new house for months. When are
they going to get married?

Dra. Evelyn Alina Anicama Navarrete Ingles II

 a. Are getting
b. Have gotten
c. Did get
d. Have been getting
6. Lyn and Leo ____ for an apartment since they got married. They already
have a baby and couldn´t find one yet.
a. Have been looking
b. Looking
c. Looked
d. Are looking
7. What ___ lately? Every time I call your house, the answering machine is
turned on.
a. Do you do
b. Have you been doing
c. Did you do
d. Don´t you do

Dra. Evelyn Alina Anicama Navarrete Ingles II