Present Perfect Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are writing a passionate social media post reviewing a new TV series you are currently binge-watching. You want to express your excitement and show how much time you have dedicated to this show recently to convince your followers to watch it. Choose the best option (a, b, or c) to complete the sentences.
1 I can’t believe how good this new sci-fi series is! I ______ it all weekend.
(a) am watching
(b) have been watching
(c) have watch
2 I am completely hooked. I ______ five episodes a day since last Friday.
(a) have been binge-watching
(b) have binge-watching
(c) binge-watch
3 The lead actors ______ a phenomenal job keeping the audience entertained so far.
(a) has been doing
(b) are doing
(c) have been doing
4 My friends ______ about this show for months, and now I finally understand why!
(a) have been talking
(b) have talking
(c) talk
5 Honestly, I ______ my household chores because I just can’t stop clicking “Next Episode”.
(a) have been ignoring
(b) am ignoring
(c) have be ignoring
6 If you haven’t seen this yet, what ______ with your life lately?!
(a) are you doing
(b) have you doing
(c) have you been doing
7 The director ______ the suspense perfectly since the very first scene.
(a) has been building
(b) builds
(c) have been building
8 Fans on Twitter ______ the plot twist all week, but nobody has figured it out yet.
(a) have been guessing
(b) are guessing
(c) has been guessing
9 To be completely honest, I ______ much sleep lately because of this series!
(a) haven’t getting
(b) haven’t been getting
(c) don’t get
10 The main villain ______ his true identity for three seasons, and the reveal was shocking.
(a) has been hiding
(b) is hiding
(c) have been hiding
11 I ______ this masterpiece to everyone I know since I started it.
(a) recommend
(b) have been recommending
(c) have recommend
12 We ______ for a fantasy show this incredibly detailed for years.
(a) have been waiting
(b) are waiting
(c) have be waiting
13 The internet ______ crazy over the latest cliffhanger since the episode dropped yesterday.
(a) has been going
(b) is going
(c) have been going
14 The soundtrack is beautiful, too. I ______ to the theme song on repeat all morning.
(a) am listening
(b) have listen
(c) have been listening
15 I ______ sci-fi shows since I was a kid, but this is definitely the best one I’ve ever seen.
(a) have loved
(b) have been loving
(c) am loving
16 My roommate and I ______ to figure out the ending all day, but it is so unpredictable.
(a) have try
(b) have been trying
(c) try
17 I feel so smart because I ______ who the traitor was since season two!
(a) have been knowing
(b) have known
(c) am knowing
18 Reviewers ______ 5-star ratings for it everywhere online recently.
(a) have been leaving
(b) have leaving
(c) leave
19 I ______ in the main character’s redemption arc from the very beginning.
(a) have been believing
(b) are believing
(c) have believed
20 You have to pay close attention. The writers ______ subtle clues about the ending since the pilot episode.
(a) have been dropping
(b) are dropping
(c) have dropping
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Have been watching” shows an ongoing, continuous action taking up the recent past (“all weekend”).
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Am watching” means you are watching it right this exact second, losing the emphasis on the long duration.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Requires the “-ing” form after “have been”.
2 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “Binge-watching” is a continuous process. This tense connects the past (“since last Friday”) to the present habit.
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Binge-watch” is Present Simple, stating a general fact rather than a specific recent obsession.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
3 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “The lead actors” is a plural subject (“have”). It highlights their ongoing great performance.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Ignores the continuous timeframe “so far” (from the start up to now).
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”, not “has”.
4 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Emphasizes that the friends repeatedly and continuously talked about it over a duration (“for months”).
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Talk” implies a permanent, general routine.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing the auxiliary “been”.
5 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): The ongoing negative habit (ignoring chores) is the result of binge-watching lately.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Am ignoring” focuses too narrowly on the present second.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. The auxiliary must be “been”, not “be”.
6 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Asking about someone’s ongoing actions over a recent period (“lately”).
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Asks what they are doing exactly right now.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
7 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “The director” is singular (“has”). It shows a continuous action starting from a past point (“since the first scene”).
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Simple states a general fact, losing the specific timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Singular subject requires “has”.
8 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “Fans” is plural. Guessing the plot twist is a continuous, repeated action over “all week.”
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Continuous doesn’t account for the “all week” duration.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”.
9 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): A negative continuous habit recently developed due to the show.
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Don’t get” sounds like a chronic medical insomnia condition rather than a recent temporary state.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
10 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Emphasizes the duration (“for three seasons”) of an ongoing action.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Loses the past-to-present connection.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “The villain” is singular and needs “has”.
11 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Recommending is an action you have repeated continuously since starting the show.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Recommend” states a general, permanent fact.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Requires the “-ing” form (“recommending”).
12 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Highlights the long, emotional wait (“for years”) leading up to this exact moment.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Does not fit with the duration “for years”.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Be” should be “been”.
13 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “The internet” acts as a singular collective noun (“has”). Shows a continuous state of excitement since yesterday.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Ignores the “since yesterday” timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Singular subject takes “has”.
14 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): The continuous action of listening has taken up the entire morning.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Only means you are listening to it right this second.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing “been” and requires “-ing”.
15 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Exception! “Love” is a stative verb (a strong emotion). It cannot take the continuous “-ing” form, even with the word “since”. We must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Applying the continuous rule to a stative verb.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Love” is rarely used in Present Continuous unless in a specific slogan.
16 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): The effort to figure out the ending is an active, continuous process that has lasted “all day.”
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Try” is for general habits.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Missing “been” and the “-ing” ending.
17 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Exception! “Know” is a stative verb (mental state). It cannot be used in a continuous tense. You must fall back to Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Using the “-ing” form for a verb of the mind.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Know” does not take Present Continuous either.
18 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Emphasizes the repeated action of reviewing happening online “recently.”
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. Lacks the emphasis on the recent, ongoing trend.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
19 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Exception! “Believe” is a stative verb. Even with “from the very beginning,” it cannot take an “-ing” form. Present Perfect Simple must be used.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Applying continuous forms to a mental state verb.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Grammar is invalid.
20 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Dropping clues is an action repeated continuously across many episodes up to the present.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Ignores the “since the pilot” timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
Present Perfect Continuous for “Binge-Watching” & Hobbies
- Describing Deep Involvement:
When you find a new TV show, a thick book, or a new video game, you often spend hours doing it. The Present Perfect Continuous (have/has been + V-ing) perfectly describes this deep, recent, and ongoing involvement. - Example: I have been reading this fantasy book all day. I can’t put it down!
- Unfinished Processes:
We use this tense to show that the activity is not over yet. You haven’t finished the TV series; you are still in the process of watching it. - Present Perfect Simple: I have watched the series. (I am finished. I saw the ending).
- Present Perfect Continuous: I have been watching the series. (I am on season 2, and I will watch more tomorrow).
- Common Social Media Phrases:
- I have been binge-watching…
- Everyone has been talking about…
- I haven’t been sleeping because…
- The Stative Verb Trap:
No matter how much you love the show, verbs of feeling and mind (e.g., love, hate, know, believe) never take the “-ing” form. - Correct: I have loved this show since episode one.
- Incorrect: I have been loving this show since episode one.