Present Perfect Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are writing a short paragraph for an English assignment about the current habits and social trends of young people. You need to report on behavioral changes that have started recently, are continuing to develop, and are becoming increasingly popular. Choose the best option (a, b, or c) to complete the sentences.
1 Teenagers ______ more time watching short-form videos recently.
(a) are spending
(b) have been spending
(c) have be spending
2 Lately, young people ______ second-hand clothes instead of supporting fast fashion brands.
(a) have been buying
(b) buy
(c) have buy
3 Over the last few months, a lot of university students ______ meat-free diets to help the environment.
(a) has been choosing
(b) are choosing
(c) have been choosing
4 I ______ to educational podcasts on my way to university this entire semester.
(a) have been listening
(b) have listen
(c) am listening
5 How long ______ local youth ______ to protect the city’s green spaces?
(a) are / volunteering
(b) do / volunteer
(c) have / been volunteering
6 According to a new study, Generation Z ______ less traditional television than previous generations lately.
(a) watches
(b) has been watching
(c) have been watch
7 Since the new health trend started, teenagers ______ more water and much less sugary soda.
(a) have been drinking
(b) are drinking
(c) have drinking
8 Mental health awareness is growing rapidly. People ______ openly about their anxiety on social media.
(a) post
(b) have post
(c) have been posting
9 Because screen time is so high, many teenagers ______ “digital detox” weekends recently to disconnect.
(a) have been taking
(b) take
(c) have taking
10 The recent survey shows that university students ______ their money much more carefully recently due to high prices.
(a) have been saving
(b) are saving
(c) has been saving
11 Why are vinyl records so popular again? My classmates ______ them online all year!
(a) have order
(b) have been ordering
(c) order
12 Fitness is a massive trend now. Young people ______ their daily steps closely lately using smartwatches.
(a) track
(b) has been tracking
(c) have been tracking
13 For the past few years, the percentage of young entrepreneurs ______ steadily in our country.
(a) have been growing
(b) is growing
(c) has been growing
14 It seems that almost everyone in my class ______ to start a small online business recently.
(a) has been trying
(b) is trying
(c) have been try
15 Researchers report that for a long time, many students ______ that traditional education needs to change.
(a) have been believing
(b) have believed
(c) are believing
16 A growing number of students ______ to study abroad since the international borders fully reopened.
(a) have been planning
(b) has been planning
(c) are planning
17 We ______ the importance of mental health, but only recently has it become a popular trend to discuss it online.
(a) have always been knowing
(b) are always knowing
(c) have always known
18 Because of the minimalist trend, young adults ______ out their old items and keeping only what they truly need.
(a) have clear
(b) have been clearing
(c) are clear
19 Environmental youth clubs ______ local students to clean up the beaches for several months now.
(a) are organizing
(b) have been organizing
(c) has been organizing
20 Even though minimalism is a popular new trend on social media, I ______ to own fewer things since I was young.
(a) have been wanting
(b) have wanted
(c) have want
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Have been spending” highlights a recently developed, ongoing trend.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous (“are spending”) focuses strictly on the present moment and doesn’t connect the past to the present like the word “recently” requires.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Requires the past participle “been”, not “be”.
2 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Buying second-hand clothes is an ongoing action/trend that started recently (“lately”).
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Simple (“buy”) sounds like a timeless, permanent fact rather than a newly formed habit.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been” and requires the “-ing” verb.
3 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “Students” is plural, requiring “have”. The action has been continuing over “the last few months”.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Are choosing” lacks the timeline duration.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Plural subject takes “have”, not “has”.
4 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Describes an ongoing personal habit spanning the specific duration of “this entire semester”.
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Am listening” indicates an action happening right this exact second.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Requires “been listening”.
5 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Matches with “How long” to ask about the duration of an ongoing, continuous community effort.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. We cannot use Present Continuous to ask about a duration extending from the past.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Do you volunteer” asks about a general fact, not an ongoing timeline.
6 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Generation Z” acts as a singular collective group here (“has”). The trend is ongoing “lately”.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Watches” describes a permanent fact, ignoring the recent shift in behavior.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Grammar requires “has been watching”.
7 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Describes an evolving lifestyle change that started in the past (“Since the new health trend started”) and continues today.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Omits the vital connection to the starting point in the past.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
8 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Emphasizes the continuous, spreading action of posting about mental health.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Post” is for basic routines, failing to highlight the new, developing nature of the trend.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Requires “been posting”.
9 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Highlights a recently developed, repeated habit (“recently”).
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Simple loses the emphasis on the newness and timeline of the trend.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
10 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “Students” is plural. Shows an ongoing behavioral change due to current economic conditions.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Are saving” means they are physically putting money away at this exact moment.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Plural subjects require “have”.
11 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Ordering records is a repeated, continuous action that has been happening “all year.”
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. Ignores the duration.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Missing “been” and the “-ing” form.
12 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “Young people” is plural (“have”). It emphasizes an ongoing technological habit.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Track” implies a permanent truth rather than a recent trend (“lately”).
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”.
13 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “The percentage” is a singular subject (“has”). It describes a steadily evolving trend over the past few years.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Does not account for the “past few years” timeline.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Singular subject takes “has”.
14 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “Everyone” is a singular indefinite pronoun (“has”). It highlights a widespread, recent effort.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Focuses only on the exact present moment.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Singular subject requires “has” and the “-ing” verb.
15 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Exception! “Believe” is a stative verb (a state of mind). It cannot take the “-ing” form, even when discussing a long-lasting trend. We must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Applying the continuous rule to a stative verb.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Believe” is not used in Present Continuous either.
16 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “A number of [plural noun]” takes a plural verb in English (“have”). The planning has been an ongoing process since borders reopened.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “A number of” requires a plural verb, unlike “The number of”.
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. Ignores the “since” timeline.
17 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Exception! “Know” is a stative verb. It cannot be used in a continuous tense. You must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Using the “-ing” form for a verb of the mind.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Know” does not take Present Continuous.
18 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): The process of clearing out items is an active, continuous behavioral trend.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Are clear” is an adjective structure, not the verb “clear”.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Missing “been” and “-ing”.
19 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Clubs” is plural (“have”). Emphasizes an ongoing community action lasting “several months now.”
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous does not fit the duration marked by “for”.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”.
20 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Exception! “Want” is a stative verb (a feeling/desire). It cannot take the “-ing” form. Present Perfect Simple must be used, even with the word “since”.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Applying the continuous grammar rule to a stative verb.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Incorrect verb form.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
Present Perfect Continuous (have/has been + V-ing) for Social Trends
- Reporting on Trends:
When you write an essay or report about a new trend, behavior, or habit that is currently popular, this is the best tense to use. It perfectly shows that a situation started recently, is continuing to grow right now, and is likely to continue into the future. - Example: More people have been working from home. (It is an ongoing, developing trend).
- Key Trend Markers:
Look for words that emphasize a recent shift in society: - recently / lately
- these days
- over the last few months / years
- Present Continuous vs. Present Perfect Continuous:
If you use Present Continuous (People are working from home), it sounds like a temporary fact happening right this second. If you use Present Perfect Continuous (People have been working from home recently), it sounds like a professional observation of a growing societal shift over time. - The Stative Verb Trap:
Even when reporting on trends, verbs of the mind, feeling, or state (e.g., know, believe, understand, want, prefer) never take the “-ing” form. Use Present Perfect Simple instead. - Correct: Young people have preferred online shopping lately.
- Incorrect: Young people have been preferring online shopping lately.