Exercises with present perfect simple and continuous

EXERCISES WITH PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

1. Add a sentence. Use the present perfect.

► I'm tired. (I / walk / miles) I've walked miles.

1. Emma's computer is working now. (she / repair / it)

2. It's cooler in here now. (I / open / the window)

3. The visitors are here at last. (they / arrive)

4. Mark's car isn't blocking us in now. (he / move / it)

5. We haven't got any new videos, (we / watch / all these)

2. Trevor and Laura are decorating their house. Put in the verbs. Use the present perfect.

Laura: How is the painting going? (►) Have you finished ? (you / finish)

Trevor: No, I haven't. Painting the ceiling is really difficult, you know. (1) . (I / not / do) very much. And it looks just the same as before. This new paint (2) . (not / make) any difference.

Laura: (3) .. (you / not / put) enough on.

Trevor: (4) . (I / hurt) my back. It feels bad.

Laura: Oh, you and your back. You mean (5)......... (you / have) enough of decorating. Well, I'll do it. Where (6) ............ (you / put) the brush?

Trevor: I don't know. (7) ( it / disappear). (8)................ (I / look) for it, but I can't find it.

Laura: You're hopeless, aren't you? How much (9)........ (you / do) in here? Nothing! (10) .. (I / paint) two doors.

Trevor: (11)...... (I / clean) all this old paint around the window. It looks much better now, doesn't it?

Laura: (12)........ (we / make) some progress, I suppose. Now, where (13) .. (that brush /go)? Oh, (14)....... (you / leave) it on the ladder, look.

3. Write replies using the present perfect and just. Use these past participles:

checked, eaten, made, remembered, rung, tidied

► We must find out the address. ~ It's all right, I've just remembered it.

1. The children's room looks neat. ~ Yes, they've .

2. Is Daniel making some coffee? ~ It's ready.

3. What happened to that chocolate? ~ Sorry, , .

4. Has Rachel got all the answers right? ~ Yes,

5. Have you told your sister? ~ Yes, I've

4. Complete the dialogue. Use the present perfect with just, already and yet.

Vicky: (►) You haven't done your project yet (you / not do / your project / yet), I suppose.

Rachel: No, I haven't. (1) ...... (I / not / start / it / yet).

Vicky: (2).(I /just / see / Andrew), and he says (3).....(he / already / do) about half of it.

Rachel: Well, he works too hard.

Vicky: (4)............. (I / not / finish / my plan / yet).

Rachel: (5).... (you / already / begin) to worry about it, haven't you? Take it easy. There's plenty of time.

Vicky: (6)......... (we / already / spend) too long thinking about it. (7).........(I / not / do / any real work / yet) and (8).......... (I / just / realize) that there are only four weeks to the end of term.

Rachel: OK. (9).......... (I / just / decide) to start next week. Well, maybe.

5. Andrew is a very hard-working student. It's midnight and he is still working at his computer. Write sentences with the present perfect and for or since.

► be / at his computer / six hours (►)He's been at his computer for six hours.

1. not / have / any fun / a long time ..

2. have / a cold / a week .................

3. not / see / his friends / ages ...............

4. not / do / any sport / last year ...............

5. be / busy with his studies / months ......

6. Complete the sentences.

(►) ? You ought to wash the car. You haven't washed it for ages.

? I'd better have a shower. I haven't had one since Thursday.

1. I think I'll ring my girlfriend. I haven't the weekend.

2. We're going to see some old friends. We haven't.. five years.

3. Let's watch a video, shall we? We haven't. quite a while.

4. We could have a barbecue. We haven't . last summer.

5. Shall we play tennis? We haven't. our holiday.

7. Complete the conversation. Put in gone or been.

Emma: Hi. Where's Rachel?

Vicky: She's (►) gone to the supermarket to get something for a meal.

Emma: But I've got some chicken for tonight. I've just (1)......... to a supermarket on my way home, that new place near the station.

Natasha: I haven't (2). ...... ..to that one yet.

Vicky: Where's Jessica? Isn't she here?

Emma: No, she's (3)......... to London. She'll be back tomorrow.

8. Write the questions and answers. Use the information in brackets.

► Matthew: (sailing?) Have you ever been sailing?

Natasha: (no, windsurfing) No, I've never been sailing, but I've been windsurfing.

1. Laura: (San Francisco?) ................

Mark: (no, Los Angeles) ............ . But ..................

2 Tom: (basketball?) .............................

Trevor: (no, volleyball) .. . But ......................

3 Daniel: ('Hamlet'?) .............................

Vicky:(no, "Macbeth") .......... . But ....................

9. What would you say in these situations? Use time and the present perfect.

► You are watching a cricket match. You have never seen one before.

This is the first time I've seen a cricket match.

1. You have lost your bank card. It has happened once before. This is .......

2. The washing-machine has broken down. This has happened twice before.

3. You are in England for the first time in your life.

4. You are staying in a hotel where you once stayed before.

5. You have missed the bus. You've done the same thing about four times before.

10. Complete the sentences. Use the present perfect.

► Mark buys a newspaper most mornings, but he hasn't bought one this morning.

1. I see Vicky most days, but .

2. We go to the club most weekends, but .

3. We usually have a party each term, but ..

4. Someone usually rings in the evening, but no one

11. Put in the verbs. Use the present perfect continuous.

Ilona: Sorry I'm late.

Emma: It's OK. (►) / haven't been waiting (I / not / wait) long. What (l)............ (you/do)?

Ilona: I've been with Mrs King. (2) . (she / help) me with my English.

Emma: Your English is very good. You don't need lessons, surely. How long (3) .. (you / study) English?

Ilona: Er, eight years now. But my accent wasn't so good before I came to England. (4) (I / try) to improve it. I think (5) .. (it / get) better lately.

Emma: Your accent is fine, Ilona. Honestly.

12. What could you say in these situations? Write sentences with the present perfect continuous and a phrase with for. Use these verbs: play, read, swim, talk, travel, work

► A video is on. It began two hours ago, and it hasn't finished yet. The video has been playing for two hours.

1. Matthew went into the water an hour ago. He doesn't want to come out yet.

2. Your friends started their journey around the world three months ago. They've gone about halfway now.

3. Mark got to the office early this morning. Ten hours later he's still there.

4. Melanie rang Rita forty minutes ago, and they're still on the phone.

5. Trevor has got an interesting book. He started it quite a long time ago. Ask him how long.

13. Look at these conversations and put in the correct form of the verb. Use the present perfect continuous or simple.

► Sarah: I feel really tired.

Mark: It's because you've been doing (you / do) too much.

Sarah: Well, at least I've finished (I / finish) that report now, and I can relax.

1. David: Someone ..(leave) the ladder outside, look.

Harriet: I expect that's Mike. ......... (he / clean) the windows. I don't think . (he/ finish) yet.

2. Laura: You've got mud on your shoes.

Trevor: It's all right, I'll take them off (I / work) in the garden.

Laura: Yes, it looks a lot tidier. Well done.. (you / do) a good job.

3. Tom: (I / hear) that you and Harriet are building a garage. How long (you / do) that?

Mike: Oh, for about a month now. (we / do) . about half of it.

14. What would you ask in these situations? Use the present perfect continuous or simple.

►? Your friend is wearing glasses. You've never seen him with glasses on before. Ask him how long How long have you been wearing glasses?

? Nick is playing computer games. Ask him how many How many computer games have you played ?

1. You meet a group of people walking across country. Ask them how many miles

2. Some workmen are digging up the road outside Sarah's house. Ask her how long

3. Laura is taking lots of photos of you and your friends. Ask her how many

4. You have just woken up from an afternoon sleep and seen that it is raining. Ask your friend how long

15. Complete the conversation. Put the verbs in the present perfect continuous or simple.

Laura: What are you doing, Trevor? (►) You've been (you / be) in here for ages. You're making an awful mess.

Trevor: (1) ...... (I / clear) out this cupboard most of the afternoon. There's a lot of old stuff in here. (2) ........ (I / find) these, look.

Laura: (3) ....... (you / sit) there staring at those old boots for the last five minutes. (4) (I / watch) you. (5) (you / be) in a dream.

Trevor: They're football boots. (6) ....... (I / have) them since I was about sixteen. (7) ....... (they / be) in here for years.

Laura: Well, throw them away. And what about that tennis racket? Is that yours?

Trevor: No, it must be yours. (8) . (I / never / have) a tennis racket.

16. Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous form of an appropriate verb.

1. The situation continues to be serious, and troops ........ their lives to rescue people from the floods.

2. Mary hasn't been at work for a while. She ........ her husband get over a serious illness.

3. I ......... very hard for this exam. I hope I do well.

4. Because the children are older, we ........... of moving to a bigger house.

5. I ........ this suitcase around with me all day, and it's really heavy.

6. For several years now, Glasgow .......... citywide festivals to celebrate the cultures of other countries. This year the focus is on Sweden.

17. Rewrite each sentence using the present perfect continuous form of an appropriate verb and for or since If necessary, look at the verbs below to help you.

go on invest live run serve suffer

1. Henry moved to California three years ago. Henry has been living in California for three years.

2. The project to send astronauts to Mars began in 1991.

3. Campbell began a life sentence for murder in 1992.

4. Colin James took over as head of the company six months ago.

5. Graham's knee injury began at the US Open earlier this year.

6. Local authorities began to invest heavily in new computer systems at the beginning of the 1990s.

18. Underline the correct alternative.

1. Bullfighting is going on/has been going on in Spain for centuries.

2. I always find/have always been finding it difficult to get up on winter mornings.

3. I have been wanting/want to meet you since I saw your concert.

4. Over the last six months I've been learning/I'm learning how to play the flute.

5. The phone's been ringing/phone's ringing. Can you answer it?

6. How long have you learned/have you been learning Swahili?

7. During the last few years the company has been working/works hard to modernise its image.

19. If the underlined verbs are correct, put a √. If they are wrong, correct them using either the past continuous or the present perfect continuous as appropriate.

1. I was expecting the book to end happily, but in fact it was really sad.

2. The opposition groups were fighting the government on this issue for years, but so far without success.

3. The protesters have been campaigning for some months now to prevent the new road being built.

4. He has been looking nervous until I told him to sit down and relax.

5. Work to repair the bridge has been continuing throughout this summer.

6. Before she retrained as a computer programmer she has been working as a secretary.

7. I was receiving the magazine for some time and enjoy reading it immensely.

8. I was turning to leave when she said, "Maybe you'd like to stay for dinner."

20. Complete the sentences with these verbs, using the same one for each sentence in the pair. Use the present perfect in one sentence and the present perfect continuous in the other.

claim disappear give move stop

1. a. An important file ...... from my office.

b. Plants and vegetables ...... from my garden since we had new neighbours.

2. a. Dr Fletcher ........ the same lecture to students for the last ten years.

b. Mr Goldman .......... nearly a million pounds to the charity this year.

3. a. With their win yesterday, Italy ......... into second place in the table.

b. As house prices in the cities have risen, people .......... into the countryside.

4. a. For years he ........ that he is related to the royal family.

b. The earthquake ........ over 5000 lives.

5. a. All day, the police ......... motorists to question them about the accident.

b. Good, the noise ........ I can start concentrating on my work again.

21. Choose the most appropriate sentence ending.

22. Complete these sentences using the verb given. If possible, use the present perfect continuous; if not, use the present perfect.

1. Since they were very young, the children ........ (enjoy) travelling by plane.

2. It ........ (snow) heavily since this morning.

3. I'm pleased to say that the team .......... (play) well all season.

4. I never .......... (understand) why we have to pay so much tax.

5. I ........ (not read) any of Dickens' novels.

6. In recent years, Brazilian companies ........ (put) a lot of money into developing advanced technology.