A. Make present perfect continuous sentences from the words.
1 been / it / day / raining / has / all
It has been raining all day.
2 have / looking / for / I / everywhere / been / you
…………………………………………. .
3 been / well/ hasn’t / Mike / feeling
…………………………………………. .
4 giving / her / been / we / have / advice
…………………………………………. .
5 eating / my / has / been / chocolate / who
………………………………………….?
6 my / been / has / me / helping / dad
…………………………………………. .
7 haven’t / the / working / phones / been
…………………………………………. .
8 doing / crossword / been / have / you / that
………………………………………….?
Answers
2 I have been looking for you everywhere.
3 Mike hasn’t been feeling well.
4 We have been giving her advice.
5 Who has been eating my chocolate?
6 My dad has been helping me.
7 The phones haven’t been working.
8 Have you been doing that crossword?
B. Underline the correct option.
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.
Answers
2 been listening 3 hasn’t come
4 has been singing 5 taken
6 has been reading 7 has finished
8 have been thinking 9 hasn’t understood
10 has been drinking
C. Write these time expressions under for or since.
| 
 ages a long time February it happened I got home midnight my whole life she was two years old the rest of the year two months Christmas  | 
| 
 for  | 
 since  | 
| 
 ages …………………………… …………………………… …………………………… ……………………………  | 
 …………………………… …………………………… …………………………… …………………………… ……………………………  | 
Answers
| 
 for  | 
 since  | 
| 
 [ages] a long time my whole life the rest of the year two months  | 
 February it happened I got home midnight she was two years old Christmas  | 
D. Write present perfect continuous sentences to match the pictures.
			1 She’s been running.
2 …………………………………….
3 …………………………………….
4 …………………………………….
5 …………………………………….
6 …………………………………….
Answers
Possible answers
2 They have (‘ve) been eating (chocolate).
3 She has (‘s) been sleeping.
4 He has (‘s) been studying.
5 They have (‘ve) been fighting.
6 It has (‘s) been raining.
E. Complete the sentences about changes in a village using the present perfect continuous.
| 
 
  | 
 2000  | 
 Now  | 
| 
 Cars  | 
 300  | 
 500  | 
| 
 Winter temperature  | 
 3°  | 
 5°  | 
| 
 Working day  | 
 8 hours  | 
 9 hours  | 
| 
 Population (= people who live there)  | 
 800  | 
 700  | 
| 
 Tourists visiting every year  | 
 6,000  | 
 8,000  | 
| 
 How much money each tourist spends  | 
 50$ a day  | 
 70$ a day  | 
1 People ……have been buying…… more cars.
2 Winters ………………………………… warmer.
3 People ………………………………… harder.
4 The population ………………………………… .
5 More tourists ………………………………… .
6 The tourists ………………………………… more money.
Answers
2 have been getting 3 have been working
4 has been decreasing / getting smaller
5 have been visiting 6 have been spending
F. Write one new sentence using the verb in brackets and the present perfect or present perfect continuous.
1 John came to the bus stop 20 minutes ago. There is still no bus. (wait)
John has been waiting for a bus for 20 minutes.
2 I didn’t speak German at all three years ago. I know it perfectly now. (learn)
………………………………………………………..
3 Shelly is driving to Newcastle. She left at 13.00 and it is now 15.00. (drive)
………………………………………………………..
4 The window is broken. The children did it. (break)
………………………………………………………..
5 They are playing tennis. The match started at 12.00 and is still going on. (play)
………………………………………………………..
6 I don’t have my keys. I left them at home. (forget)
………………………………………………………..
7 My sister started to tell me a joke. The joke is not finished yet. (tell)
………………………………………………………..
8 Ed saw the film at the cinema and then watched it again at home. (watch)
………………………………………………………..
Answers
2 I have learned German.
3 Shelly has been driving for two hours.
4 The children have broken the window.
5 They have been playing tennis since 12.00.
6 I have forgotten my keys.
7 My sister has been telling me a joke.
8 Ed has watched the film twice.
G. Complete the dialogue using the verbs from the box in the present perfect or present perfect continuous.
| 
 not be come decide freeze get have leave not sell stand think  | 
Journalist: I 1……have come…… to the village of Inkpen to interview some more village people. Oh, hello, could I ask you a few questions? Are you all right, you look very cold!
Villager: Hello. I am cold, I 2……………………… here in the market all day. I think my feet 3………………………!
Journalist: Well, have some tea with me. What do you do in the market?
Villager: I sell fruit and vegetables. Today 4……………………… a great day. I 5……………………… much. In fact, recently business 6……………………… worse and worse.
Journalist: Don’t people buy fruit and vegetables now?
Villager: Of course they do, but in supermarkets outside the village. My wife and I 7……………………… about it and we 8……………………… to close our business and do something new.
Journalist: Really?
Villager: We’re not the only ones. A lot of people, especially young people, 9……………………… the village in the last few years. It’s very sad.
Journalist: 10……………………… you ……………………… any ideas about your future?
Villager: Yes. I want to work in a supermarket.
Answers
2 have (‘ve) been standing
3 have (‘ve) frozen
4 has not (hasn’t / ‘s not) been
5 have not (haven’t / ‘ve not) sold / have not (haven’t / ‘ve not) been selling
6 has (‘s) got / has (‘s) been getting
7 have (‘ve) been thinking
8 have (‘ve) decided
9 have (‘ve) left / have (‘ve) been leaving
10 Have … had
H. Write possible explanations for the events or situations, using the present perfect and present perfect continuous.
1 His eyes are red.
He has been crying. / He hasn’t been sleeping.
2 She is hiding behind the sofa.
…………………………………….
3 My mobile phone isn’t working.
…………………………………….
4 I can’t find my pen.
…………………………………….
5 My friend wants to speak to me. It’s 2 o’clock in the morning!
…………………………………….
6 My hands are very dirty.
…………………………………….
Answers
your own answers
I. Circle the correct option.
1 The Blacks ………… in Saffron Walden for thirty years and they still like it.
a lived b has lived
c have been living
2 Stephanie ………… Saffron Walden three times.
a has visited
b have visited
c has been visiting
3 I’m sorry, Paula, ………… for me long?
a do you wait
b did you wait
c have you been waiting
4 Saffron Walden ………… a lot in the last five hundred years.
a has grown b grew
c is growing
5 ………… that book about English villages yet?
a Have you finished
b Do you finish
c Are you finishing
Answers
1 c 2 a 3 c 4 a 5 a
