Present Perfect Continuous Exercises
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How the present perfect continuous works
The present perfect continuous (have/has been + -ing) emphasises the duration or ongoing nature of an activity that started in the past and continues to — or has just stopped before — now.
- Form:
- have/has been + verb-ing: I have been waiting, she has been working
- Duration up to now:
- How long…? for, since: We've been living here for ten years.
- Recent activity, visible result:
- You're out of breath — have you been running?
- vs perfect simple:
- continuous highlights the activity/duration; simple highlights the result/quantity: I've been reading all day vs I've read 200 pages
- State verbs:
- know, like, believe use the perfect simple instead: I have known her for years.
Examples
She has been studying English for six years.
duration continuing to now
It has been raining all morning — the streets are soaked.
ongoing activity with present result
Have you been waiting long? I'm so sorry!
asking about duration
His eyes are red because he has been crying.
recently stopped activity, visible evidence
They have been building that bridge since 2024.
'since' + starting point
Practice exercises
Choose the correct form
Select the correct option to complete each sentence.
1.I ___ for you for over an hour! Where were you?
2.Your hands are covered in flour. ___ you ___?
3.She ___ ten e-mails so far this morning.
4.How long ___ he ___ at this company?
5.I ___ this author since I was a teenager.
Complete the sentences
Type the present perfect continuous form of the verb in brackets (have/has been + -ing).
Put the words in order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
11. Build the sentence:
12. Build the sentence:
13. Build the sentence:
14. Build the sentence:
True or false?
Decide if each statement is true or false.
15.The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been + verb-ing.
16."I have been reading three books this week" is the best way to report the completed number.
17.The activity in the present perfect continuous can have finished very recently, if its effects are still visible.
18."She has been having a car for years" is correct.
The present perfect continuous explained in depth
The present perfect continuous is where two ideas meet: the perfect's bridge between past and present, and the continuous's focus on activity in progress. Put together, they describe an action stretching from some point in the past right up to the present moment — often with the speaker standing in the middle of its effects: tired, wet, out of breath, or surrounded by paint cans.
Its two core uses are worth keeping distinct. The first is unfinished duration: with for, since and how long, the tense measures activities still running — "They've been negotiating for weeks." The second is recent activity with present evidence: the action may have just stopped, but its traces are visible — "Someone's been eating my chips!" is famous precisely because the eating is over and the evidence (missing chips) remains.
The real skill, tested in every exam, is choosing between the continuous and the perfect simple. Ask what the sentence cares about. Duration and process point to the continuous: "I've been writing all morning." Completion, results and counted quantities point to the simple: "I've written four pages." Numbers are the strongest clue — the moment you count how many, the simple takes over.
Grammar-wise the form is regular and friendly: have/has been + -ing for every verb, hasn't/haven't been for negatives, and inversion for questions. The one hard limit is state verbs: know, like, love, believe, own and understand refuse the -ing form no matter how long the state has lasted. "I've been knowing her for years" is one of the most recognisable learner errors in English; the fix is always the perfect simple.
A final nuance: with live and work, both forms are acceptable for long-term situations, and the difference shrinks to tone. Beyond those verbs, though, the choice changes meaning — so the exercises above deliberately mix duration contexts, result contexts and state verbs to train the decision, not just the form.
Frequently asked questions
When do we use the present perfect continuous?
Use it for activities that started in the past and are still in progress (or have just stopped), especially when you focus on duration or the ongoing process: "I've been learning English for five years", "You've been watching TV all afternoon."
What is the difference between the present perfect simple and continuous?
The continuous emphasises the activity and its duration (I've been painting the house — that's how I spent my time); the simple emphasises completion, result or quantity (I've painted the house — it's finished; I've painted two rooms).
Which signal words go with the present perfect continuous?
How long, for, since, all day/morning/week, lately, recently. Questions with 'How long' about an ongoing activity almost always use the continuous form.
Can I use state verbs in the present perfect continuous?
No — state verbs like know, like, believe, own and understand use the present perfect simple even for long durations: "I have known him since school" (not 'have been knowing').
Is there a difference between 'I've lived here for years' and 'I've been living here for years'?
Both are correct with live and work, which accept either form for long-term situations. The continuous can sound slightly more temporary or more focused on the ongoing experience, but the difference is minimal with these verbs.
Answer key
1. I ___ for you for over an hour! Where were you?
Answer: have been waiting
Duration up to now ('for over an hour') takes the present perfect continuous: have been waiting.
2. Your hands are covered in flour. ___ you ___?
Answer: Have / been baking
Visible evidence of a recent activity: Have you been baking?
3. She ___ ten e-mails so far this morning.
Answer: has written
A completed quantity ('ten e-mails') needs the perfect simple: has written.
4. How long ___ he ___ at this company?
Answer: has / been working
'How long' + activity continuing to now: has he been working.
5. I ___ this author since I was a teenager.
Answer: have known
'Know' is a state verb — it takes the perfect simple, never the continuous: have known.
6. My neighbors ___ music all night — I couldn't sleep.
Answer: have been playing
Ongoing activity with a present effect (tiredness): have been playing.
7. She ___ as a nurse since 2019.
Answer: has been working
'Since 2019' + ongoing job: has been working.
8. You look tired. ___ you ___ well lately?
Answer: have / been sleeping
Question form: Have + subject + been sleeping. 'Lately' is a classic continuous signal.
9. It ___ all week, so the match may be cancelled.
Answer: has been raining
Weather continuing over a period: has been raining.
10. We ___ about moving abroad for months.
Answer: have been thinking
'Think about' (= consider, an activity) can take the continuous: have been thinking.
11. been / she / has / all day / studying
Answer: she has been studying all day
Subject + has + been + -ing verb + duration.
12. long / how / you / been / have / waiting / ?
Answer: how long have you been waiting ?
How long + have + subject + been + -ing.
13. haven't / we / been / recently / sleeping / well
Answer: we haven't been sleeping well recently
Negative: haven't + been + -ing; 'recently' at the end.
14. since / it / been / has / snowing / yesterday morning
Answer: it has been snowing since yesterday morning
Subject + has been + -ing + since + starting point.
15. The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been + verb-ing.
Answer: True
True — I have been working, she has been running.
16. "I have been reading three books this week" is the best way to report the completed number.
Answer: False
False — completed quantities take the perfect simple: "I have read three books this week."
17. The activity in the present perfect continuous can have finished very recently, if its effects are still visible.
Answer: True
True — "Why are you wet? Has it been raining?" The rain may have stopped, but the evidence remains.
18. "She has been having a car for years" is correct.
Answer: False
False — 'have' meaning possession is a state verb: "She has had a car for years."