Present Perfect Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You and your friends are texting in a group chat. You are discussing the upcoming weekend hiking trip. The weather has been terrible, and you are trying to convince everyone to cancel or postpone the plan. Choose the best option (a, b, or c) to complete the sentences.
1 Guys, I think we need to cancel the hike. It ______ heavily since yesterday morning.
(a) is raining
(b) have be raining
(c) has been raining
2 The weather forecast is terrible. The wind ______ strongly all night!
(a) has been blowing
(b) blow
(c) have been blowing
3 I ______ the weather radar all week, and it looks really bad for this weekend.
(a) watch
(b) have been watching
(c) has been watching
4 Dark clouds ______ over the mountain for three days. It’s not safe.
(a) have been gathering
(b) are gathering
(c) has been gathering
5 The temperature ______ steadily since Wednesday. We will freeze up there!
(a) drops
(b) have been dropping
(c) has been dropping
6 ______ attention to the news? There is a serious flash flood warning for the trail.
(a) Are you paying
(b) Have you been paying
(c) Do you paying
7 The trail is completely flooded because the river ______ its banks all morning.
(a) has been overflowing
(b) has been overflow
(c) overflow
8 I ______ to find an indoor alternative for our trip for the last hour.
(a) have try
(b) try
(c) have been trying
9 We can’t hike today. Mud ______ down the main path since the storm started.
(a) is sliding
(b) has been sliding
(c) have been sliding
10 My hiking boots are ruined because water ______ into my basement all night.
(a) has been leaking
(b) is leaking
(c) has leaking
11 How long ______ about changing our plans? We need to make a final decision now.
(a) are you thinking
(b) do you thinking
(c) have you been thinking
12 The park rangers ______ people not to enter the forest since 6 AM today.
(a) have been warning
(b) warn
(c) has been warning
13 It’s too dangerous. Lightning ______ the trees near our campsite repeatedly.
(a) strikes
(b) have been striking
(c) has been striking
14 I know we ______ forward to this trip, but our safety must come first.
(a) have been looking
(b) are looking
(c) have be looking
15 I ______ about the trail closure since yesterday, so we definitely cannot go.
(a) have been knowing
(b) have known
(c) am knowing
16 The local weather channel ______ bad news since Monday. It’s not going to clear up.
(a) have been broadcasting
(b) broadcasts
(c) has been broadcasting
17 I ______ the radar map on my phone continuously, and the storm is moving directly toward the mountain.
(a) have been checking
(b) check
(c) am been checking
18 Even though we ______ it would clear up, it is still pouring out there.
(a) are hoping
(b) have hoping
(c) have been hoping
19 We ______ whether to cancel or postpone the trip for two days now. Let’s just postpone it.
(a) debate
(b) have been debating
(c) has been debating
20 I ______ that the mountain is too dangerous during heavy rain. We should stay home.
(a) have always believed
(b) have always been believing
(c) are always believing
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “Has been raining” perfectly describes a weather event that started in the past and is still continuing.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Is raining” only focuses on this exact moment, ignoring the “since yesterday” timeline.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Have” does not match the singular subject “It”, and “be” should be “been”.
2 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): “The wind” is singular (“has”). The continuous form emphasizes the unceasing, violent weather all night.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Blow” describes a general fact, not a specific recent duration.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Singular subject requires “has”.
3 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Highlights the ongoing action of monitoring the weather over the course of the week.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Simple lacks the connection to the recent continuous timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. The pronoun “I” requires “have”, not “has”.
4 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Plural subject “clouds” takes “have”. It emphasizes a continuous, threatening process.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Does not account for the “for three days” duration.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”.
5 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Shows a progressive, evolving situation (temperature dropping) over a recent period.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Simple implies it drops every Wednesday as a permanent rule.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Temperature” is singular and takes “has”.
6 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Asking if someone has been actively doing something over a recent period.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Asking if they are paying attention at this exact split second.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Do” cannot be used with an “-ing” verb.
7 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Describes an ongoing natural process causing a current problem (flooded trail).
- Incorrect (c): Common Mistake. “Overflow” states a general fact.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Requires the “-ing” form (“overflowing”).
8 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Emphasizes the continuous effort made over the past hour to save the trip.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Try” is a permanent habit.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Missing “been” and requires the “-ing” form.
9 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Singular subject (“mud”) takes “has”. It shows a continuous, dangerous action since the storm began.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Ignores the past-to-present timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Singular subject requires “has”.
10 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): The ongoing process of water leaking caused the present result (wet boots).
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Continuous does not convey the accumulated damage “all night”.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Missing “been”.
11 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Matches with “How long” to ask about the duration of the group’s thought process.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Continuous cannot be used with “How long” for past-to-present actions.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Invalid grammar combination.
12 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Plural subject “rangers” takes “have”. It highlights repeated warnings since 6 AM.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Warn” implies a permanent daily routine.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. Plural subject requires “have”.
13 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Shows a repeated, dangerous action happening over the recent timeframe.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. “Strikes” doesn’t capture the continuous threat happening now.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. “Lightning” is singular (“has”).
14 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): A common phrase (“have been looking forward to”) showing continuous anticipation up to this point of cancellation.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Loses the weight of the long-term excitement leading up to now.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. The auxiliary must be “been”, not “be”.
15 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Exception! “Know” is a stative verb (a state of mind). It cannot take the “-ing” form, even with the time marker “since yesterday.” We must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Applying the continuous rule to a stative verb.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Know” is not used in Present Continuous either.
16 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): “Weather channel” is singular (“has”). Shows a continuous action happening since Monday.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Present Simple implies a permanent schedule.
- Incorrect (a): Structural Error. Singular subject requires “has”.
17 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Checking the map is a repeated, ongoing action causing the speaker to be worried right now.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. “Check” states a general habit.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Am been” is grammatically impossible.
18 (c)
Explanation:
- Correct (c): Hoping is an active, continuous emotional process leading up to the disappointment.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Focuses only on this exact moment, ignoring the duration of the hope.
- Incorrect (b): Structural Error. Missing the word “been”.
19 (b)
Explanation:
- Correct (b): Debating is an active, continuous process that has taken up “two days”.
- Incorrect (a): Common Mistake. Present Simple does not express the timeline.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “We” requires “have”.
20 (a)
Explanation:
- Correct (a): Exception! “Believe” is a stative verb (a mental state). It is not used in continuous tenses. We must use Present Perfect Simple.
- Incorrect (b): Common Mistake. Using the “-ing” form for a verb of belief.
- Incorrect (c): Structural Error. “Believe” doesn’t take Present Continuous.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
Present Perfect Continuous for Weather & Changing Plans
- Describing Continuous Weather:
The Present Perfect Continuous (have/has been + V-ing) is the most natural tense in English to describe extreme or annoying weather that started in the past and is still happening, or has just stopped but ruined your plans. - Example: We can’t hike. It has been snowing for two days!
- Time markers used: all night, since yesterday, for three days.
- Ongoing Deliberation:
When you are discussing or thinking about changing a plan, use this tense to show that the thought process is actively ongoing. - Example: We have been considering canceling the trip.
- Present Results of Weather:
Use this tense to explain why things are currently a mess. - Example: The path is muddy because it has been raining. (The continuous rain caused the present mud).
- The Stative Verb Exception (Mental States):
When discussing plans, remember that verbs of the mind (like know, believe, understand, agree) do not take the “-ing” form, even if the state has lasted a long time. You must use Present Perfect Simple. - Correct: I have known about the storm since Monday.
- Incorrect: I have been knowing about the storm since Monday.