LANGUAGE CENTER – TACNA

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

The present perfect continuous expresses an action that

recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on
the duration or course of the action.

 They have been talking for the last hour.

 She has been working at that company for three
years.
 What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how
long an action has been going on yet?

Present Perfect
Present Perfect Simple
continuous

Duration (how long)

Result (what / how much / how
often) I have been writing for an
hour.
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to
London twice.

Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect
Simple (not in the progressive form).
 state: be, have (for possession only)
Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.

 senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch

Example: He has touched the painting.

 brain work: believe, know, think, understand

Example: I have known him for 3 years.
 LANGUAGE CENTER – TACNA

CHANGE THE VERB INTO THE CORRECT FORM:

1. I ________have been listening____________ (listen) to
this for 2 hours.
2. You _____have been waiting_______________ (wait)
since this morning.
3. She ____has been watching _________ (watch) their
dog since Saturday.
4. We _______have been talking______ (talk) for over an
hour.
5. I ___have been preparing____(prepare) for this test for
almost 2 weeks.
6. Joe ____has been working_____ (work) here since
1987.
7. You ____have been doing______ (do) nothing for the
last 30 minutes.
8. Lilly ____has been teaching__ (teach) English for many
years.
9. I ________________ (eat) tomatoes for my entire life.
10. Recently, she _________________ (feel) quite better.
11. They _________________________ (talk) a lot lately.
12. You _________________ (watch) too much television.
13. We _________________ (eat) too many sweets lately.
 LANGUAGE CENTER – TACNA

14. Lately, I ______________ (exercise) quite frequently.

15. You ___________________________ (help) me a lot.

Choose present perfect simple or continuous

1) ______________ (they/arrive) already?
2) Lucy ____________(run) 2000 metres today.
3) I ______________ (clean) all morning - I'm fed up!
4) How long ___________ (you/know) Simon?
5) I ____________ (drink) more water recently, and I feel
better.
6) Sorry about the mess! I _________ (bake).
7) How many times ____________ (you/take) this exam?
8) He ___________ (eat) six bars of chocolate today.
9) Julie ___________ (cook) dinner. Let's go and eat!
10) The students ____________(finish) their exams.
They're very happy.