Present Perfect Simple or Continuous Exercise
SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + VERB+ING + THE REST
She has been reading a lot recently
TENSE USE EXAMPLE
Present Perfect Simple 1 when the result of the action is I’ve written a play
important
Present Perfect Continuous 2 to describe how somebody or I have been writing a play
something has been occupying
his/her or its time
3 for repeated actions and actions of a I’ve been going to a new café a lot
continuous nature
Decide on the use for each sentence and then fill the gaps with either the present perfect simple or
the present perfect continuous tenses using the verb in brackets.
USE
1 5 I'm exhausted. I................................................ in the garden all day. (work)
2 5 That old house now looks fantastic. The owners ......................... completely ......................... it. (restore)
3 5 My garden's a jungle. I ................................................ any gardening for months. (do NEGATIVE)
4 5 I think Maggie and Max are dating. They................................................ a lot of each other recently. (see)
5 5 We've discovered this great pub and we................................................ there a lot. (go)
6 5 I ................................................ the report yet. (finish NEGATIVE)
7 5 You're covered in hay, Max. What ......................... you ..................................... ? (do)
8 5 Maggie's gone to the doctor's. She ................................................ too well lately. (feel NEGATIVE)
9 5 Where have you been? I................................................ for ages. (wait)
10 5 I have to write a 300 word essay. I................................................ about half so far. (write)
11 5 I’ve phoned you about 10 times today. I................................................ to get through to you all day. (try)
12 5 You look great. .................... you .................... to the hairdresser’s? (be)
13 5 I................................................ in a lot recently to try and save a bit of money. (stay)
14 5 Where’s my chocolate mousse? Who................................................ it? (eat)
15 5 Half of my chocolate is gone. Who ................................................ it? (attack)
www.autoenglish.org Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2008
B1 Present Perfect Simple and Progressive T021
Fill in the correct form of the present perfect tense.
1. I'm so tired because I ________________________ so hard lately. (WORK)
2. The new midfielder ________________________ 5 goals so far this season, and we're only
halfway through it. (SCORE)
3. There's no wine left I the fridge. I ________________________ both bottles. (DRINK)
4. Jenifer is getting fatter and fatter all the time. She ___________________________ too
much. (PROBABLY EAT)
5. I ________________________ a new pair of shoes. How do you like them? (JUST BUY)
6. ________________________ reading the newspaper? Could you give it to me then? (YOU
FINISH)
7. I'm writing a new novel at the moment. So far, I ____________________________ the
introduction. (ONLY WRITE)
8. Look at how she's sweating. She _______________________________ for hours.
(PROBABLY RUN)
9. How long ________________________ Russian? (YOU LEARN)
10. I am not surprised your eyes are hurting. You ________________________ computer
games ever since you got up. (PLAY)
11. My sister ________________________ with her roommate for 5 years. (LIVE)
12. Where is my new watch? I ________________________ for it for hours and
________________________ it yet. (LOOK, NOT FIND)
13. There's nothing on your exam paper. You started an hour ago. What
____________________________ up to now? (YOU DO)
14. I ________________________ a new job and I can start next Wednesday. (FIND)
15. I ________________________ Patricia since we were in kindergarten together. What
______________________________ all these years? (NOT SEE, SHE DO)
16. I ________________________ all my passwords recently, but I forgot to write them down.
(CHANGE)
17. I ________________________ the new Schwarzenegger film. I don't want to go to the
cinema again. (ALREADY SEE)
18. Dad ________________________ since he was in high school. (NOT DANCE)
www.english-practice.at
Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous Exercise 3
Make either the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.
1. ___________________ (you / buy) your train ticket yet?
2. The kitchen is a complete mess! What ___________________ (the children / do)?
3. Julie ___________________ (learn) to drive for six years!
4. Amanda ___________________ (already / have) lunch, so she'll meet us later.
5. How much coffee ___________________ (she / drink) this morning?
6. Simon ___________________ (write) three books.
7. I ___________________ (do) everything I needed to do today! Hurray!
8. It ___________________ (not / rain) all summer, so the garden is dead.
9. I ___________________ (read) your book. Here it is, thank you.
10. She ___________________ (forget) how to get to my house.
11. I ___________________ (work) in the garden all day and I need a rest.
12. She ___________________ (make) three cakes. They look delicious!
13. David feels great these days. He ___________________ (get) up early lately.
14. We ___________________ (always / hate) rush hour traffic.
15. Recently, I ___________________ (study) a lot. My exams are in a few weeks.
16. We ___________________ (write) this book for months and months.
17. I ___________________ (always / love) chocolate.
18. I ___________________ (want) to go back to university for a long time.
19. What's that delicious smell? ___________________ (you / cook)?
20. I ___________________ (watch) seven films this week!
1 © www.perfect-english-grammar.com
May be freely copied for personal or classroom use
