Exercises

Part I: Complete the sentences in the present perfect continuous

tense using the verbs given in the brackets.

1. It ________________________ (rain) for hours.

2. James and Mike____________________ (collect) stamps
since 1995.
3. Bob_____________________ (play) tennis since he was
seven.
4. I___________________ (wait) for the bus for 15 minutes.
5. How long_______ your brother______________ (play) piano?
6. My grandparents___________________ (live) in that house
since 1970.
7. How long_______ you_______________ (work) in the
garden?
8. My father__________________ (fix) the car for three hours.
9. Mary___________________ (study) German for 2 years.
10. They_____________________ (lie) in the sun for hours.
Part II: Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below
with the present perfect or present perfect progressive.

Robin: I think the waiter (forget) 1._______________ us. We (wait)

2.___________________here for over half an hour and nobody
(take) 3.____________________our order yet.
Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) 4.__________________by
us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already)
5._________________
Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only)
6.____________ here for five or ten minutes and they already have
their food.
Michele: He must realize we (order, not) 7.____________________
yet! We (sit) 8.____________________ here for over half an hour
staring at him.
Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even)
9.____________________us. He (run)
10._____________________from table to table taking orders and
serving food.
Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) 11.
_____________________ in our direction once.

Part II: Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below
with the past perfect or past perfect progressive.

I'm sorry I left without you last night, but I told you to meet me early
because the show started at 8:00. I (try) 1___________________ to
get tickets for that play for months, and I didn't want to miss it. By
the time I finally left the coffee shop where we were supposed to
meet, I (have) 2____________________ five cups of coffee and I
(wait) 3_____________________ over an hour. I had to leave
because I (arrange) 4__________________ to meet Kathy in front
of the theater.

When I arrived at the theater, Kathy (pick, already)

5______________ up the tickets and she was waiting for us near
the entrance. She was really angry because she (wait)
6__________________ for more than half an hour. She said she
(give, almost) 7____________________ up and (go)
8_______________________ into the theater without us.
Kathy told me you (be) 9___________________ late several times
in the past and that she would not make plans with you again in the
future. She mentioned that she (miss) 10 ___________________
several movies because of your late arrivals. I think you owe her an
apology. And in the future, I suggest you be on time!