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.
Present Perfect Progressive Some Time Markers
Affirmative Subject have/has been verb + ing complement for since
She has been sleeping for ten hours. how long… lately
Negative Subject 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 subject been verb + ing complement? these days for a long time
Have you been working on the project? Still Yet
I. Put the verbs in brackets in either the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Continuous.
1. I ………………………………………… (take) a French course for 5 months and the teacher says I am a
fast learner.
2. A) Someone ………………………………………… (leave) the ladder outside, look. I expect that’s Brain.
He ………………………………………… (clean) windows. And I don’t think he
………………………………………… (finish) yet.
3. Jessy ………………………………………… (take) driving lessons and next week she is going to take a
driving test.
4. I ………………………………………… (live) in Sue’s flat and when I find a new house, I will move.
5. Please don’t go in. I ………………………………………… just ………………………………………… (sweep)
the flour.
6. I ………………………………………… (eat) 8 chocolates up to now.
7. A- Are you hungry? B- No, I’m not. I ………………………………………… (eat) chocolates all day.
8. The young children ………………………………………… (make) a snowman all morning.
9. I ………………………………………… (break) my arms twice within 2 years.
10. I’m tired. I ………………………………………… (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 …………………………………………………… (try) to find a better job.
B) Where has Susan been? I …………………………………………………… (look) for her for the last two hours.
C) They …………………………………………………… (live) here since they got married.
D) We …………………………………………………… (work) together for many years.
E) She …………………………………………………… (learn) French for three years now.
F) How long …………………………………………………… you …………………………………………………… (wait) for
us?
G) I …………………………………………………… (take) a shower since three days ago.
H) …………………………………………………… you …………………………………………………… (eat) properly
these days?
III. Complete with the correct form of the verbs using either Present Perfect tense or Present Perfect
Continuous.
1. Linda ……………………………………………………………………… (travel) around Europe for three months.
2. She ……………………………………………………………………… (visit) six countries so far.
3. Jimmy ……………………………………………………………………… (play) since he was five years old.
4. He ……………………………………………………………………… (win) the national championship four times.
5. Bill and Andy ……………………………………………………………………… (make) ten films since they left
college.
6. They ……………………………………………………………………… (make) films for many years now.
7. Look! Somebody ……………………………………………………………………… (break) the window.
8. I ……………………………………………………………………… (read) the book you gave all morning.
9. But I ……………………………………………………………………… (not finish) it yet.
10. Sorry I’m late. That’s all right. I ……………………………………………………………………… (not wait) for a
long time.
11. Peter ……………………………………………………………………… (clean) the windows for some time.
12. So far he ……………………………………………………………………… (clean) five of them and there are two
more to go.
13. My brother is an actor. He ……………………………………………………………………… (appear) in several
films.
14. I ……………………………………………………………………… (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?
………………………………………………………………………………………
I have been watching TV since 5pm because I have nothing to do.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Tamara has been studying seriously for 5 hours.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Pele has been playing football for a long time.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We have been waiting for him for over an hour!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
VI. A Busy Year. What have you been doing since the beginning of the year or marking period? List
between five and ten activities. Then, share your answers with the rest of the group.
IX. Reading Comprehension. Read and then answer the questions using the present continuous when
possible.
I’ve been sitting on the beach and eating an ice-cream. Alice and Paul have been swimming in the sea and Tom
has been in the park. He´s been playing with a friend. Peter has been listening to the radio and reading. We’ve
been having a fantastic holiday. Abercwm is a little fishing village in north Wales with a park, a castle, some
Roman remains and some lovely gardens, and there’s a little fishing port with a lighthouse. Everybody here has
been really friendly since we came here. I think we’ve been very lucky. This is our second holiday this year and
we’ve been doing just what we have wanted to do. We’ve been sleeping, eating and playing games during all
this time. The food has been lovely too.
1) What´s the author of the text been doing?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2) What have Alice and Paul been doing?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3) What has Peter been doing?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4) Where has Tom been?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5) Where´s Abercwm?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Vocabulary: Remains= Ruinas; Fishing Village= Pueblito pesquero; Lighthouse= Faro; Lucky= Con suerte; Friendly=
Amigable; Castle= Castillo; Garden = Jardín; holiday=Vacaciones; lovely= encantador.
