Present Perfect Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are calling your family on the weekend. You are excitedly telling them about your current life, specifically focusing on a new hobby you have recently picked up. Choose the best option (a, b, or c) to complete the sentences.
1 Hi Mom! I’m so excited to tell you that I ______ to bake bread recently!
(a) have been learning
(b) am learning
(c) have be learning
2 Since I bought that new oven, I ______ a lot of free time in the kitchen lately.
(a) am spending
(b) have been spending
(c) have spend
3 ______ at my photos on the family group chat lately? I posted my new cakes there!
(a) Are you looking
(b) Have you looking
(c) Have you been looking
4 My roommate and I ______ new recipes every weekend for the past month.
(a) try
(b) have been trying
(c) has been trying
5 I ______ video tutorials about pastry decoration for the last two weeks.
(a) have been watching
(b) watch
(c) have watching
6 My kitchen is a total mess right now because I ______ a huge chocolate cake for my friend.
(a) make
(b) have make
(c) have been making
7 Dad, you’ll be so proud! I ______ up early every morning to practice drawing.
(a) have been waking
(b) am waking
(c) have wake
8 How long ______ about taking that photography class? You should finally do it!
(a) are you thinking
(b) have you been thinking
(c) do you thinking
9 I ______ to knit a winter scarf lately, but it is definitely harder than it looks.
(a) try
(b) have been try
(c) have been trying
10 My fingers hurt so much! I ______ the acoustic guitar all afternoon.
(a) have been playing
(b) am playing
(c) have play
11 Lately, I ______ much money on video games because I buy art supplies instead.
(a) don’t spend
(b) haven’t been spending
(c) haven’t spend
12 I know I haven’t called much this month. I ______ on a new coding project after work.
(a) am working
(b) have working
(c) have been working
13 ______ you ______ well lately, Mom? You sound a little bit tired on the phone.
(a) Have / been sleeping
(b) Are / sleeping
(c) Do / sleep
14 I ______ a local language exchange club recently to practice my Spanish.
(a) am attending
(b) have been attending
(c) have attend
15 I ______ Spanish for three months, and I can finally hold a basic conversation!
(a) study
(b) have been study
(c) have been studying
16 I ______ this new gardening hobby, even though it takes up all my weekends.
(a) have loved
(b) have been loving
(c) am loving
17 Honestly, I ______ about starting a YouTube channel to show people my art process.
(a) think
(b) have been thinking
(c) have think
18 My neighbor ______ me with my garden lately; he is an absolute expert!
(a) is helping
(b) have been helping
(c) has been helping
19 I ______ enough water recently because I get so focused on my painting.
(a) haven’t been drinking
(b) am not drinking
(c) haven’t drink
20 You should come visit me soon! I ______ the spare guest room for you.
(a) redecorate
(b) have been redecorating
(c) have redecorating
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Highlights a new habit that started in the recent past and is still ongoing.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Am learning” is Present Continuous, which implies you are doing it at this exact moment of speaking, rather than a recent ongoing habit.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. The auxiliary verb must be “been” (past participle), not “be”.
2 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Perfectly pairs with “lately” to express a recently developed routine.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous does not naturally cover the span of time implied by “lately”.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Requires the “-ing” form after “have been” to show continuous action.
3 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Asks about an ongoing action over a recent period.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Asks if they are looking at the photos right now.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
4 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Have been trying” captures the repeated action over “the past month.”
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Try” is Present Simple, which states a general permanent fact, losing the emphasis on this being a new, recent habit.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. The subject “My roommate and I” is plural, so it requires “have”, not “has”.
5 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Shows an activity taking up your time continuously over the last two weeks.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Watch” implies a permanent routine, ignoring the “two weeks” time frame.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
6 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): The action of making the cake explains the present evidence (the messy kitchen).
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Simple does not explain a temporary, ongoing messy situation.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing “been” and the “-ing” verb.
7 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Emphasizes the repetition of a new habit (waking up early) up to now.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Am waking” means it is happening right this second.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Incorrect verb form entirely.
8 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Thinking” here is an active mental process (considering), so the continuous form is correct to emphasize the duration (“How long”).
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous does not pair with “How long” (a period of time).
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Do you thinking” is grammatically invalid.
9 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Shows an ongoing, unfinished effort.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Simple “try” lacks the context of recent, continuous effort.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Must use the V-ing form (“trying”) after “have been”.
10 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): The physical result (fingers hurting) is caused by an ongoing action (playing guitar).
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Doesn’t account for the accumulated time (“all afternoon”).
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been” and V-ing.
11 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Negative Present Perfect Continuous perfectly describes a recent change in habit.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Don’t spend” sounds like a lifelong, permanent rule rather than a recent shift in behavior.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Grammar is incomplete and incorrect.
12 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Explains what has been consuming your time recently, causing you to not call.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Am working” suggests you are doing it while on the phone.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
13 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Asking about the recent ongoing state of the mother’s sleep.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Focuses only on the exact present moment.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Do you sleep” asks about a general biological function, not recent sleep quality.
14 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Repeatedly attending the club is a continuous recent habit.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous doesn’t fit the “recently” timeframe well here.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been” and requires an “-ing” verb.
15 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Highlights the duration (“for three months”) of a continuing action.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Study” is just a general fact, ignoring the impressive duration.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Must use V-ing.
16 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Exception! “Love” is a stative verb (a feeling). It cannot be used in the continuous form, even if it describes a recent situation. We must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Applying the continuous grammar rule to a stative verb.
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake/Structural Error. “Love” is rarely used in Present Continuous unless it’s a specific idiom (like the McDonald’s slogan).
17 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): “Thinking” (meaning “considering”) is an action verb and can be continuous.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Think” means “I believe”, which doesn’t fit the context of contemplating an idea over time.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been” and V-ing.
18 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Singular subject “My neighbor” takes “has been helping”.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Is helping” ignores the recent repeated duration.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Neighbor” is singular, so “have” is incorrect.
19 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Describes a recent negative habit (failing to drink water) due to a distraction.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Means you are refusing to drink water right this second.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Incorrect verb forms.
20 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): The action of redecorating is an ongoing process meant to prepare for their visit.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Redecorate” as a Present Simple verb implies a permanent routine (e.g., redecorating every day), which is illogical.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
Present Perfect Continuous (have/has been + V-ing) for New Habits
- New, Temporary, or Recent Habits: We often use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about activities that we started doing recently and are doing regularly now. It implies that this is a new phase in your life, not a permanent, lifelong routine.
- Example: I have been baking bread lately. (A new hobby).
- Compare with Present Simple: I bake bread. (A permanent fact; maybe you are a baker).
- Common Signal Words: Look for words that emphasize a recent period leading up to now:
- recently
- lately
- these days
- for the past week/month
- Explaining How Time is Spent: It perfectly answers the question, “What have you been up to?” It shows what has been occupying your time and energy recently.
- The Exception (Stative Verbs): Remember that verbs of feeling, possession, or state (like love, hate, know, own, understand) do not take the “-ing” form. You must use Present Perfect Simple instead.
- Correct: I have loved gardening recently.
- Incorrect: I have been loving gardening recently.