CHAPTER TEST

5 The Present Perfect Continuous

PART I. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. Human beings the Earth for a hundred 4. Where sending her patients for
thousand years. rehabilitation since the nearby facility closed?
a. inhabited a. has the doctor been
b. been inhabiting b. the doctor been
c. have been inhabiting c. the doctor has been
d. not been inhabiting d. has been the doctor
2. No one has been getting much e-mail due 5. How long have you been ?
to problems with the server. a. knowing the answer
a. never b. owning your car
b. just c. having this computer
c. yesterday d. feeling so sick
d. lately
6. What to glaciers as a result of global
3. I’ve been reading Harry Potter all week and I still warming?
haven’t it. a. has it been happening
a. been finishing b. it has been happening
b. been finished c. been happening
c. finished d. has been happening
d. finishing

PART II. Find the error in each sentence and correct it.
7. Why haven’t been the customers complaining to Internet providers about unsolicited
advertising?
8. I been living in this house since 1994 and I still love it.
9. I’ve been rewriting this essay five times.
10. Have you been having your car for a long time?
11. He’s been having such a good time since he’s been arriving this morning.
12. What you have been doing since I called you after breakfast?
13. The economy has been improve the past several months.

1 Grammar Sense 3 Test: Chapter 5 © Oxford University Press

PART III. Choose the best answer to complete each conversation.
14. A: I’ve just been painting my apartment.
B:
a. Have the walls dried yet?
b. That was a long time ago.
c. Have you begun to paint?
15. A: Your boss has been calling today.
B:
a. I’m surprised he called only once.
b. How many times did he call?
c. I’m glad he hasn’t called.
16. A: I’ve been reading a wonderful Japanese novel.
B:
a. When did you finish it?
b. Will you start it soon?
c. Are you almost finished with it?
17. A: What have you been doing?
B:
a. I’ve been sleepy.
b. Taking a nap.
c. Get some rest.
18. A: My friend in Thailand has been e-mailing me.
B:
a. When did she stop e-mailing you?
b. How often do you hear from her?
c. Did you hear from her more than once?
19. A: My grandfather has been staying with us for a
few days.
B:
a. When did he leave?
b. Did he have fun?
c. Is he enjoying himself?
20. A: I’ve been sleeping late this week.
B:
a. Are you on vacation?
b. Are you going to take a vacation?
c. Why haven’t you been sleeping?

Total 20

Thinking Ahead to the TOEFL® Test

The present perfect continuous is often tested in the Structure section of the TOEFL® test. Here is
a typical example:
It is thought that certain species of modern insects have been lived on Earth for approximately
A B C D
280 million years.

2 Grammar Sense 3 Test: Chapter 5 © Oxford University Press

 CHAPTER TEST

5 Answer Key

PART I
1. c
2. d
3. c
4. a
5. d
6. d

PART II
7. Why haven’t been the customers complaining to Internet providers about
unsolicited advertising?
have
8. I been living in this house since 1994 and I still love it.
rewritten
9. I’ve been rewriting this essay five times.
had
10. Have you been having your car for a long time?
he arrived
11. He’s been having such a good time since he’s been arriving this morning.
12. What you have been doing since I called you after breakfast?
improving
13. The economy has been improve the past several months.

PART III
14. a
15. b
16. c
17. b
18. b
19. c
20. a

3 Grammar Sense 3 Answer Key: Chapter 5 © Oxford University Press