In these present perfect continuous exercises, you will practise forming sentences related to actions that started in the past and are still continuing now. Feel free to download the PDF worksheet. Check your answers after you have completed each activity.
Exercise 1
Put each verb in brackets into the present perfect continuous tense.
1. I (run) for two hours.
I have been running for two hours.
2. This dog (fight).
This dog has been fighting.
3. The cat (chase) the mouse all day.
The cat has been chasing the mouse all day.
4. The couple (argue) a lot recently.
The couple has been arguing a lot recently.
5. How long (you / watch) TV?
How long have you been watching TV?
6. What (you / do) in the last few days?
What have you been doing in the last few days?
7. How long (you / wait) for me?
How long have you been waiting for me?
8. The two countries (fight) for more than a decade.
The two countries have been fighting for more than a decade.
9. They (pray) for hours.
They have been praying for hours.
10. The Sun (shine) for about 4.6 billion years.
The Sun has been shining for about 4.6 billion years.
Exercise 2: multiple-choice questions
Select the most appropriate verb form to complete each sentence.
1. You are out of breath. ______________
You are out of breath. Have you been running?
2. ____________ anything from your parents yet?
Have you heard anything from your parents yet?
3. You look upset. ____________
You look upset. Have you been crying? Option a) is the correct answer because there is a visible evidence.
4. There is blood all over that cat. It ____________
There is blood all over that cat. It must have been fighting.
5. He has lost weight. He has not ____________ in the last few days.
I have not been feeling well in the last few days.
6. We are exhausted. We __________ the whole day.
We are exhausted. We have been travelling the whole day.
7. How long __________ each other?
How long have you known each other? The verb 'know' is a stative verb. It cannot be used in continuous tenses.
8. What happened to your face? __________
What happened to your face? Have you been fighting?
9. I ___________ two candidates yesterday.
I interviewed two candidates yesterday. 'Yesterday' is a specific time in the past, so we use the past simple, not the present perfect or present perfect continuous.
3. Present perfect continuous worksheet
This worksheet includes 18 sentences to be filled in using the present perfect continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
- 1. Have you not been sleeping well?
- 2. It has been raining for days.
- 3. You have been watching TV for three hours.
- 4. Rescue teams have been searching for the victims for weeks.
- 5. How long has he been doing yoga?
- 6. How much alcohol has she been drinking?
- 7. Where have you been hiding?
- 8. We have been dating for less than a month.
- 9. This problem has been going on for years.
- 10. Christians have been celebrating Easter since the early days of Christianity.
- 11. A lot has already been happening.
- 12. Has your nose been bleeding?
- 13. The house has been burning for hours.
- 14. The police have been looking for the thieves.
- 15. My family has been living in Spain for 10 years.
- 16. A new coach has been leading the French team since the beginning of the year.
- 17. The crime rate has been rising rapidly since the beginning of the economic crisis.
- 18. She must be tired. She has been singing for hours.
