PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE OR CONTINUOUS

 We use the present perfect continuous/progressive to talk about an action or situations which began in the
past and are still happening or have just stopped. It is often used with how long, for and since.
E.g.: The journalist has been working very hard this week.

P res ent P erfect P rogres s ive Some Time Markers

Affirmative S ubject have/has been verb + ing complement for s ince
S he has been s leeping for ten hours . how long… lately
Negative S ubject have/has not been verb + ing complement recently this morning
I have not been reading that book all day all/next week
Question Have/has s ubject been verb + ing complement? thes e days for a long time
Have you been working on the project? S till Yet

I. Put the verbs in brackets in either the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. I have been taking (take) a French course for 5 months and the teacher says I am a fast learner.
2. A) Someone has left (leave) the ladder outside, look. I expect that’s Brain. He has been cleaning (clean)
windows. And I don’t think he has finished (finish) yet.
3. Jessy has been taking (take) driving lessons and next week she is going to take a driving test.
4. I have been living (live) in Sue’s flat and when I find a new house, I will move.
5. Please don’t go in. I have just swept (sweep) the flour.
6. I have eaten (eat) 8 chocolates up to now.
7. A- Are you hungry? B- No, I’m not. I have been eating (eat) chocolates all day.
8. The young children have been making (make) a snowman all morning.
9. I have broken (break) my arms twice within 2 years.
10. I’m tired. I have been playing (play) tennis all afternoon.

II. Choose the correct form of the verb:

1) I (have had/ have been) having some family problems lately.

2) She (has loved / has been) loving chocolate since she was a child.

3) It (has snowed / has been) snowing a lot this week.

4) (Have you studied / have you been studying) hard this semester?

5) How long (have you been/ have you been being) in town.

6) I (have read/ have been reading) this book all afternoon.
IV. Complete the sentences by means of the present perfect continuous:
A) He has been trying (try) to find a better job.
B) Where has Susan been? I have been looking (look) for her for the last two hours.
C) They have been living (live) here since they got married.
D) We have been working (work) together for many years.
E) She has been learning (learn) French for three years now.
F) How long have you been waiting (wait) for us?
G) I have been taking (take) a shower since three days ago.
H) Have you been eating (eat) properly these days?

III. Complete with the correct form of the verbs using either Present Perfect tense or Present Perfect
Continuous.

1. Linda has been travelling (travel) around Europe for three months.
2. She has visited (visit) six countries so far.
3. Jimmy has been playing (play) since he was five years old.
4. He has won (win) the national championship four times.
5. Bill and Andy have made (make) ten films since they left college.
6. They have made (make) films for many years now.
7. Look! Somebody has broken (break) the window.
8. I have reading (read) the book you gave all morning.
9. But I haven´t finished (not finish) it yet.
10. Sorry I’m late. That’s all right. I haven´t been waiting (not wait) for a long time.
11. Peter has been cleaning (clean) the windows for some time.
12. So far, he has been cleaning (clean) five of them and there are two more to go.
13. My brother is an actor. He has appeared (appear) in several films.
14. I have been learning (learn) Chinese for two years now.

V. Write the interrogative form for each of the following sentences.

Ruby has been eating too much fried food for the last two weeks.
Has Ruby been eating too much fried food for the last two weeks?

I have been watching TV since 5pm because I have nothing to do.

Have you been watching Tv since 5Pm because you have nothing to do?

Tamara has been studying seriously for 5 hours.

Has Tamara been studying seriously for 5 hours?

Pele has been playing football for a long time.

Has Pele been playing football for a long time?

We have been waiting for him for over an hour!

Have we been waiting for him for ever an hour?