The present perfect continuous

EXERCISE № 198. Say, whether the action expressed by the Present Continuous denotes

• an action that began in the past and is still going on;

• an action that was in progress quite recently but it is no longer going;

• repeated actions.

1. He has been calling every evening ever since they met at a party. 2. He is shivering. He has been swimming. 2. The designer and his team have been working eighteen-hour days before this show. 4. I have been meeting him everywhere for a couple of months. Is he following me? 5. Who is Brad? - The guy I've been chatting to on the Internet. 6. We have been buying food in this shop for years. 7. How long have you been taking these pills? 8. Someone has been dropping rubbish near our house. 9. Have you been sleeping? 10. I have been dancing since I was born. 11. Everything is upside down. Have you been looking for something?

EXERCISE № 199. Give additional information about the period of duration.

Model: It is still raining. - Yes. It has been raining for half an hour.

1. Tom is still painting the fence. (an hour)	Tom has been painting the fence for an hour.
2. Jess is still sleeping. (three hours)	Jess has been sleeping for three hours.
3. Mary is still staying at her Aunt's.(fortnight)	Mary has been staying at her Aunt's for a fortnight.
4. Nick is still having a shower. (15 minutes)	Nick has been having a shower for fifteen minutes.
5. You are still teaching. (30 years)	I have been teaching for thirty years.
6. He is still watching TV. (the whole evening)	He has been watching TV the whole evening.
7. They are still shopping. (since morning)	They have been shopping since morning.
8. We are still thinking. (a week)	You have been thinking for a week.
9. They are still talking. (since he came)	They have been talking since he came.
10. You are wearing new shoes? (a day)	I have been wearing them for a day.

EXERCISE № 200. Read the descriptions and write what you think has been happening.

1. Two boys are climbing out of a swimming pool.

2. Mark is holding a cloth and a can of window cleaner and standing back from a shiny window.

3. Jane is wearing oven gloves and carrying a steaming dish in each hand to the table.

4. Mr and Mrs Thompson are walking into their home carrying bags.

5. The ground is covered with snow. The sun is shining and the sky is clear.

6. Megan is standing in front of a painting – she is holding a paintbrush.

7. My dog is covered in mud and he’s standing in a hole in the garden.

8. Tom has just come off the dance floor. He’s absolutely exhausted.

EXERCISE № 201. Make sentences. Use the words in brackets.

1. Tom is out of breath. (he/run)

2. Ann is exhausted. (she/work hard)

3. George has just come back from the beach. He is very red. (he/lie in the sun)

4. Jane is hot and tired. (she/play tennis)

5. Bob is sick. (he/eat too much lately)

6. My boyfriend isn’t afraid of anyone. (he/take karate lessons)

7. Mrs Wilson is nodding off. (she/mend socks)

8. Jane is very sad. (she/not/see her boyfriend)

9. Katie’s eyes are red and watery. (she/cry)

10. Tom’s hands are dirty with grease and oil. (he/work on the car)

11. Jack has a black eye and torn clothes. (he/fight)

12. Mrs Anderson is carrying a bunch of boxes. (she/buy/Christmas presents)

13. Her room smells of paint. (she/paint it)

14. What kept you? (I/wait for you/for ages)

15. Here you are at last! (I/look for you)

EXERCISE № 202. Respond in the Present Perfect Continuous using the prompts given below.

1. Why is your father so angry? 2. Why is she tired? 3. Why do you look so unhappy? 4. Why are the students laughing? 5. Why is Susan crying? 6. Why are your eyes red? 7. Why does he speak English so well? 8. Why is her coat so wet?

fail at the exam, hear a joke, live in England, lose one’s money, do a lot of work, hear bad news, cry, walk in the rain

EXERCISE № 203. Your friends or you yourself have got some problems. Ask your partner make guesses about the reasons.

Model: My eyes are red. – Have you been crying? / Have you been peeling onions?

• Your clothes are dirty.

• You look tired.

• Natasha is carrying lots of bags.

• Tom looks excited.

• You are out of breath.

• You look hot.

• Your sister can hardly move.

• Lily is weeping.

• Tom has a black eye.

EXERCISE № 204. Ask questions. Use the words in brackets.

1. They have been arguing all day. (What … about?)

2. She has been studying hard. (How hard…?)

3. She has been writing letters for half the day. (Since when…?)

4. Mary has been baking cakes all day. (Who …. for?)

5. Laura has been waiting for a long time. (Who/What…. for?)

6. Jane has been looking for something for half an hour. (What…for?)

7. Dr Fields has been operating all morning. (Who….on?)

8. Jane has been writing for over two hours. (What…?) / (Who … to?)

9. Bob has been going to a lot of different places lately. (Where exactly … to?)

10. All this month I’ve been forgetting to do one thing or another. (Why…?)

11. They have been building the house for a long time. (How long…?)

12. You three boys look very guilty! (What …. since I left the room?)

EXERCISE № 205. The Present Perfect Continuous is often used to show annoyance, irritation or surprise. Ask questions to show your emotions. Begin your questions with who and use the Present Perfect Continuous.

You enter your office and see that it is in a mess. You wonder who has been doing all the things, so you ask questions.

You see that you chair is not in its place. Your papers are in a mess. The drawers of your table are not closed. The bottle of lemonade is half empty. Some computer programmes you were working with are closed and some folders are missing. In your e-mail box you see some letters you didn’t write. When you download your Facebook page, you see some commentaries left by someone else, not you. You favourite pencil is broken.

Later you come home and see that everything is upside down. Again you ask questions.

You can’t see your dog anywhere but you can see perfectly well that your new slippers are ruined. You diary is on the table though you remember that you put it in the drawer. Your lipstick tube is not closed and your summer frock is on the bed. The kitchen is upside down too.

chew on smth

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EXERCISE № 206. The Present Perfect Continuous can be used with the verbs wish, want, forget and think, etc. in informal English. The speaker is rather emotional when using such structures. Open the brackets and then translate the sentences into your language.

1. I ….. (forget) to apply conditioner and now my dandruff has come back.

2. Thank you for the book. I …..(want) it for ages!

3. Hello! I am glad you are here. I …… (want) to talk to you.

4. For 3 nights now I …… (forget) to plug out the charger from my laptop.

5. For some time now I …… (think) I should marry again.

6. For some years I …… (think) of buying a laptop but have not yet taken the plunge.

7. I ……. (want) to talk things over with you.

8. Police ……. (want) to speak to Mr Ashworth since 35-year-old Denise's body was found in his flat above the Lion Tavern.

9. All this month I …… (forget) to do one thing or another.

EXERCISE № 207. Imagine it is your birthday today and your relatives and friends present you with the things you could just dream about. Thank them. Use the Present Perfect Continuous and the verbs dream and want.

Model: a bike – Oh, thank you, love! What a nice bike it is! I have been wanting it for ages!

• a new CD of the Scorpions

• a new mobile

• Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary

• two tickets to a live concert

• a dream book

• a digital camera

• a new leather purse

• an e-book reader

• an iPad

EXERCISE № 208. The dwarfs in the story of Snow White also used the Present Perfect Continuous. Complete the questions with one of the verbs: eat, cut, sit, drink, use. Do you remember any other fairy-tales where the characters used the Present Perfect Continuous?

1. "Who ……………… on my chair?"

2. "Who ………………from my plate?"

3. "Who ………………my fork?"

4. "Who ………………with my knife?"

5. "Who ………………out of my goblet?"

EXERCISE № 209. Helen says she is thinking about breaking up with her boyfriend. He asks why - what has he done? Make up some explanations with the Present Perfect Continuous.

Model: You have been ignoring me for two weeks.

EXERCISE № 210. Ask questions beginning with how long.

1. Jane works in Brussels.

2. It is raining.

3. My foot is hurting.

4. Jim sells washing machines.

5. Helen studies French.

6. Bill and Andy make films.

7. I’m doing this evening course to learn how to do web design properly.

8. I’m off to the gym.

9. She makes documentaries.

10. I’m waiting for the bus.

11. Your shoes look perfect.

EXERCISE № 211. Finish the situations with two sentences: one expressing the result, the other describing an action recently in progress.

Model: The kitchen is in a mess. (kids, cook, cook a pie) – Kids have been cooking. They have cooked a pie.

1. Why are you crying? (cut onions, cut the finger)

2. The remote control doesn't work (play, break down)

3. Our football team is doing famously (play for 17 minutes, score two goals)

4. The battery is low. (telephone for an hour, make 5 calls)

5. My eyes hurt. (read all morning, read 150 pages)

6. He is hot. (run, run 5 miles)

7. They have no money left. (shop, spend all the money)

EXERCISE № 212. Read the model situation and think of other similar situations.

Model: You have been typing this document for hours. Haven't you finished it yet?

• look for / find

• practise / learn

• revise / pass

• telephone / get through

• chase / catch

EXERCISE № 213. Translate the first part of the sentences using the Present Indefinite or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1) Мы живем в Москве	now. since 1960.
2) Я изучаю английский	twice a week. for two years.
3) Он работает на эту компанию	three days a week. for two years.
4) Они ходят в этот магазин	every Saturday. since they moved here.
5) Мы встречаемся друг с другом	sometimes. for many years.

EXERCISE № 214. Translate from Russian into English.

Анжелина сломала руку, и поэтому теперь она не может играть в баскетбол.	Angelina has broken her arm, so she can't play basketball.
Он живет в Лондоне уже 6 месяцев. ‒ А я никогда не была в Лондоне, но мне всегда хотелось там побывать.	He has lived/has been living in London for 6 months. I have never been to London but I have always wanted to.
Это самый интересный фильм, который я когда-либо смотрел.	This is the most interesting film I have ever seen/watched.
Она такая бледная. – Не удивительно. Она смотрела фильмы ужасов.	She looks white. – No wonder. She has been watching horror films.
Какой глубокий снег! Сколько времени шел снег?	What deep snow! How long has it been snowing?
Мы состоим в теннисном клубе с тех пор, как приехали сюда.	We have belonged to the tennis club since we moved here.
Я увидел слона первый раз (в жизни). А ты когда-нибудь видел слона? Я всегда думал, что слоны маленькие, а они очень большие.	It's/This is the first time I've seen an elephant. And have you ever seen an elephant? I have always thought that elephants are small, but they are rather big.
После того как я прочту эту книгу, я дам ее тебе. Я читаю целое утро и уже прочла 80 страниц.	After I have read the book, I'll give it to you. I have been reading it all morning and I have already read 80 pages.
Почему у тебя такие грязные руки? – Я мыл машину.	Why are your hands so dirty? – I have been washing the car.
Извини, что не писала раньше, но последнее время я была очень занята. Спасибо за книгу. Мне давно хотелось такую.	I’m sorry I haven’t written before but I have been very busy lately. Thank you for the book. I've been wanting it for ages.
Том фотографировал животных целое утро. – И сколько же снимков он сделал?	Tom has been taking pictures of animals all morning. – How many pictures has he taken?
Кто живет в этом доме? – Миссис Поттер. – Как давно она живет в этом доме?	Who lives in the house? – Mrs Potter. – How long has she been living in it?
Я тебе утром пять раз звонила. Где ты была? – Я ходила в супермаркет. – А где твоя сестра? – Она ушла в кино.	I have called you 5 times this morning? Where have you been? – I have been to the supermarket. – And where is your sister? – She has gone to the cinema/movies.
За последнее время произошли некоторые изменения.	There have been some changes lately/recently.
Из тюрьмы сбежали двое заключенных. Они перелезли через четырехметровую стену и умчались на украденном автомобиле.	Two prisoners have escaped. They climbed a four-meter wall and got away in a stolen car.