Question

Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous?

I. Choose the correct tense.

1. Mr Smith has bought/has been buying a new house in the country.
2. I have been helping/have helped my mother to clean up the neighborhood all week.
3. My brother has been learning/has learnt English for two years now and he loves it.
4. They have been painting/have painted twenty-five pictures.
5. We have just been making/have just made an agreement.

II. Fill in the correct time expression.

Ever, yet, since (2), lately, for(2), all night, how long, just
…
1. Has she finished tidying her room … ?
2. I’ve been working on this project. 11 o’clock this evening.
3. …. has he been teaching English?
4. I’ve …. taken the chicken out of the oven and it smells disgusting.
5. They’ve been feeling ill …. more than a week.
6. My baby brother has been crying …. .
7. Have you …. been to New York?
8. They have been best friends …. 2001.
9. I have been waiting for Clive …. a long time.
10. I haven’t seen her for ages. What has she been doing …. ?

III. Put the verbs in brackets into the present perfect or present perfect continuous.

1. You … (clean) the house for hours. Why don’t you have a rest?
2. It’s the most beautiful yard we … (ever/see).
3. I … (wait) for you since 8 o’clock this morning. Where … (you/be)?
4. How long …. (Kate/study) Spanish?
5. Sue can play the flute very well. She … (take lessons) for six years.
6. I … (be) to the UK twice.
7. She’s tired. She … (iron) for four hours.

Answer 1

I.
1. Has bought
2. Have been helping
3. Has been learning
4. Have painted
5. Have just made

II.
1. Yet
2. Since
3. How long
4. Just
5. For
6. All night
7. Ever
8. Since
9. For
10. lately

III.
1. Have been cleaning
2. Have ever seen
3. Have been waiting
4. Has Kate been studying
5. Has been taking lessons
6. Have been
7. Has been ironing