Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
12 The present perfect continuous or the present perfect simple?
We use the present perfect continuous:
• for an action happening over a period of time. It doesn’t matter if it’s finished or not. This book’s very good. I’ve been reading it all evening.
• for an action happening over a short period.
They’ve been talking for 20 minutes.
• when talking about how long.
’I’m sorry I’m late. How long have you been waiting?’
’Don’t worry. I’ve only been waiting for a few minutes.’
We normally use the present perfect simple:
• for completed actions. We can’t get into the house, because she’s lost the key.
• for actions happening over a longer period. I’ve always lived in London.
• when we talk about how many things or how many times.
I’ve taken ten photos so far. She’s written to him five times, but he hasn’t replied once.
• Some verbs when they describe a state, not an action, aren’t used in the present perfect continuous. For example: agree, be, believe, belong, hate, know, like, love, mind, notice, own, remember, seem, suppose, understand, want, wish.
I’ve been ill for two weeks. (not I’ve been being ill.)
She’s known him for a year. (not She’s been knowing him.)
1 Write sentences, using the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous.
1a It’s nearly midnight and Laura/dance/all evening.
1b She/dance/with about five boys.
2a She/drink/white wine and lemonade.
2b She/drink/about four glasses.
3a Mark Roland/ask/her/to dance/all evening.
3b He/ask/her/several times.
4a But each time Laura/say/ ’No, thanks.’
4b She/never/like/him/very much.
5a ft’s late now and Laura/try/to phone for a taxi since 12.30.
5b She/try/three times.
6 Mark/wait/for this moment all evening.
’I’ve got a car, Laura. Do you want a lift?’
2 it is midday on Saturday.
What have the Hall family been doing?
What have they done?
Choose the correct question,
a or b, and give the answer.
1 a) What has Harry done? b) What has Harry been doing?
(play) ... football.
2 a) What has Sarah done? b) What has Sarah been doing?
(break) ...
3 a) What has David Hall done? b) What has David Hall been doing?
(paint) ...
4 a) What has Louise Hall done? b) What has Louise Hall been doing?
(buy) ...
3 Complete the text, using the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous.
Jack’s a tax inspector, but he (1 be) ...out of work for six months and he (2 try) ... to get another job. He (3 apply) ... for ten jobs, but he (4 have) ... only ... one interview. While he (5 be) ... out of work he (6 do) ... jobs around the house. So far he (7 paint) ... all the bedrooms and he (8 build) ... a new garden shed. But all the time he (9 get) ... more and more frustrated. All his life he (10 work) ... in an office and he (11 hate) ... working in the house. He (12 not feel) ... well recently. He (13 see) ... the doctor two or three times, and he (14 take) ... pills for two weeks now, but they (15 not cure) ... his depression. Today he (16 decide) ... not to get up. He (17 watch) ... television in bed. He (18 watch) ... a documentary about unemployment and he (19 see) ... the news three times. Now at last he (20 fall) ... asleep. And for the last few minutes he (21 dream) ... about being back in an office again, surrounded by computer screens full of figures. He’s smiling in his sleep. He (22 not smile) ... like that for months.
4 Write ten sentences and say what you have/have not done recently and what you have/have not been doing recently. Check your answers with a teacher.