PRESENT PERFECT – PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I. Put the verbs into the suitable form, the present perfect or the present perfect
continuous. (MLH)
1. A: How long __________ (you/study) English?
B: I __________ (learn) English since I was twelve.
2. A: Are you waiting for someone?
B: Yes, I __________ (wait) for two hours, but my friend __________ (not come)
yet.
3. A: I __________ (lose) my address book. __________ (you/see) it anywhere?
B: Yes. I __________ (just/see) it on the bookshelf.
4. A: You look tired. __________ (you/work) so hard?
B: Yes. I __________ (study) for four hours and probably won’t finish until
midnight.
5. A: __________ (you/see) Mark recently?
B: No, I __________ (not/see) him since Christmas, I wonder where he
__________ (live) since then.
6. A: I feel really tired.
B: It’s because you __________ (do) too much.
A: Well, at least I __________ (finish) that report now, and I can relax.
7. A: Someone __________ (leave) the ladder outside, look.
B: I expect that’s Mike. He __________ (clean) the windows. I don’t think he
__________ (finish) yet.
8. A: You’ve got mud on your shoes.
B: It’s all right. I’ll take them off. I __________ (work) in the garden.
A: Yes, it looks a lot tidier. Well done. You __________ (do) a good job.
9. A: I __________ (hear) that you and Harriet are building a garage. How long
__________ (you/do) that?
B: Oh, for about a month now. We __________ (do) about half of it.
10. A: You’re still reading that book, aren’t you? How long __________ (you/read)
it?
B: I __________ (read) it for three days, but I __________ (not/finish) it yet.
11. A: How long __________ (you/know) Jane?
B: We __________ (know) each other for over ten years.
12. A: __________ (John/always/live) in London?
B: No, he __________ (live) in London for the last few years.
II. Supply the correct verb form: Present tenses. (MLH)
1. Listen! I __________ (think) someone __________ (knock) at the door.
 2. We __________ (not/know) why Sarah is upset, but she __________ (not/speak)
to us for ages.
3. The earth __________ (circle) the sun once every 365 days.
4. Why __________ (you/stare) at me? I suppose you __________ (not/see) a
woman on a motorbike before!
5. How many times __________ (you/see) him since he went to Edinburgh?
6. Trevor and Laura like Scrabble. They __________ (play) it most evenings.
7. The number of vehicles on the road __________ (increase).
8. “Sorry I’m late.” “That’s all right. I __________ (not/wait) long.”
9. Mrs Green always __________ (go) to work by car, but this week she __________
(travel) by bus.
10. We __________ (be) from French. We __________ (be) there for 20 years.
11. These flowers are dying. You __________ (not/water) them for ages.
12. Mai __________ (lose) her keys, so she can’t get into the house.
13. I’m afraid I __________ (not/finish) typing those letters yet. I __________ (deal)
with customers all morning.
14. A: What __________ (your father/do)?
B: He __________ (be) an architect but he __________ (not/work) at the moment.
15. A: __________ (you ever/see) a lion?
B: Yes, I __________ (see) it since I was a child.
EXERCISE III. Present perfect vs. present perfect continuous. (Chants 3-1 and 3-2)
Directions: Use the present perfect or the present perfect progressive. In some sentences,
either tense may be used with little or no change in meaning.
1. It (snow) ____________________ all day. I wonder when it will stop.
2. We (have) ____________________ three major snowstorms so far this winter. I
wonder how many more we will have.
3. It’s ten P.M. I (study) ____________________ for two hours and probably won’t
finish until midnight.
4. I (write) ____________________ them three times, but I still haven’t received a
reply.
5. The telephone (ring) ____________________ four times in the last hour, and each
time it has been for my office mate.
6. The telephone (ring) ____________________ for almost a minute. Why doesn’t
someone answer it?
7. A: (you, be) ____________________ able to reach Bob on the phone yet?
B: Not yet. I (try) ____________________ for the last twenty minutes, but all I
get is a busy signal.
 8. A: Hi, Jenny. I (see, not) ____________________ you for weeks. What (you, do)
____________________ lately?
B: Studying.
9. A: What are you going to order for dinner?
B: Well, I (have, never) ____________________ vegetarian pizza, so I think I’ll
order that.
10. A: What’s the matter? Your eyes are red and puffy. (you, cry)
____________________?
B: No. I just finished peeling some onions.
11. A: Dr. Jones is a good teacher. How long (he, be) ____________________ at the
university?
B: He (teach) ____________________ here for twenty-five years.
12. The little girl is dirty from head to foot because she (play)
____________________ in the mud.
IV. Circle option a (if only the present perfect simple is possible) or option b (if both
present perfect simple and continuous are possible). (3)
1. You can’t have any more sweets, … two already.
a. You’ve had
b. You’ve had / You’ve been having
2. How many times … you? Don’t cross the road without looking!
a. have I told
b. have I told / have I been telling
3. … a curry – can you smell it?
a. Mum’s made
b. Mum’s made / Mum’s been making
4. Katie just phoned from the hospital – … her arm!
a. She’s broken
b. She’s broken / She’s been breaking
5. My cousin’s an actress. … in three films.
a. She’s already appeared
b. She’s already appeared / She’s already been appearing
6. … a lot of headaches recently.
a. I’ve had
b. I’ve had / I’ve been having
7. Inflation … gradually since this time last year.
a. has gone up
b. has gone up / has been going up
 8. My father … spicy food ever since he was a child.
a. has hated
b. has hated / has been hating
9. … the news? Jo’s pregnant!
a. Have you heard
b. Have you heard / Have you been hearing
10. Look at that! … such a beautiful view!
a. I’ve never seen
b. I’ve never seen / I’ve never been seeing
V. Underline the correct option.(2)
1. It has been / has been being a difficult day.
2. Trevor, have you listened / been listening to me?
3. Pete hasn't come / hasn't been coming back from London.
4. She has sung / has been singing for two hours, so she needs a rest.
5. Has Sam taken / been taking my pen again?
6. Louise has read / has been reading the same book for two months.
7. The match has finished / has been finishing and Liverpool are champions!
8. I have thought / have been thinking about you all day.
9. He hasn't understood / hasn't been understanding what to do.
10. He can't drive home because he has drunk / has been drinking.
E. Circle the correct word or phrase.
1. I think I’ve heard / been hearing that song before.
2. They haven’t arrived / been arriving yet, but they should be here soon.
3. You’ve written / been writing that e-mail for over an hour. How long is it going
to take you?
4. Have you talked / been talking on the phone since eight o’clock?
5. Jo has already invited / been inviting Shirley to dinner.
6. I’ve read / been reading an interview with Brad Pitt, but I haven’t finished it yet.
7. Have the boys played / been playing computer games since this morning?
A. Circle the correct word or phrase.
1. Elizabeth usually goes / is usually going to bed at around eleven o’clock.
2. Dan talks / is talking on the other phone right now.
3. We don’t eat / aren’t eating any meat at the moment as we’re both on a diet.
4. Does air travel get / Is air travel getting increasingly safe?
5. My mum calls / is calling me every weekend without fail.
 6. How much do babysitters generally earn / are babysitters generally earning?
7. You always come / You’re always coming up with excuses for not having done
your homework. It’s so annoying!
8. I don’t go / I’m not going out much during the week but I always try / I’m
always trying to go out somewhere on Saturday night.
9. No, the train does stop / is stopping at Cirencester on Saturdays.
10. My mum takes / is taking part in ice-skating competitions almost every weekend.
C. Complete using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. It’s the first time ______________________________ (I / ever / eat) octopus!
2. Sandy ______________________________ (not / see) his sister since she went to
university.
3. They ______________________________ (go) on holiday to Spain and won’t be
back until the end of the month.
4. Poor Tracy! She ______________________________ (write) that essay for hours
now and she still hasn’t finished!
5. ______________________________ (you / ever / meet) anyone famous?
6. ______________________________ (I / try) to get in touch with Jenny all
morning but I can’t find her anywhere.
7. ______________________________ (I / not finish) the book yet so I can’t tell
you what happens.
8. ______________________________ (you / already / decide) where you’re going
this summer?
9. ______________________________ (We / live) here for the last six years.
10. ______________________________ (I / never / hear) such nonsense!
Exercise 2: Put the verbs into the Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous
tenses.(grammar1)
1. I (try) ____________________ to learn French for years, but I (not succeed)
____________________ yet.
2. Although John (study) ____________________ at the university for 5 years, he
(not get) ____________________ his degree yet.
3. Jack (go) ____________________ to Japan for a holiday. He (never, be)
____________________ there.
4. We (live) ____________________ here for the last six months, and (just, decide)
____________________ to move.
5. He (not be) ____________________ here since Christmas; I wonder where he
(live) ____________________ since then.
6. He (lose) ____________________ his books. He (look) ____________________
for them all afternoon, but they (not turn up) ____________________ yet.
7. You look very tired. (You work) ____________________ very hard?
8. The phone (ring) ____________________ for 2 minutes, but I (not answer)
____________________ it yet.
9. John and I (be) ____________________ pen pals for nearly 3 years.
10. Tim (not take) ____________________ many photos yet.