The perfect continuous tense-forms the present perfect continuous tense

Exercise 1. Put the verb in brackets into the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. I (work) on this problem for two months. 2. Barbara (stand) here since 7 o’clock. 3. She (sleep) all this time? 4. You are out of breath. You (run)? 5. You (talk) this nonsense all day long. 6. How long your sister (learn) Chinese? 7. We (study) English for 6 years. 8. It started raining last Monday and it (rain) ever since. 9. “Mark isn’t working now.” – “He (not / work) for years.” 10. She hasn’t got any money left. She (to shop).

Exercise 2. Translate into English using the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. Отец ищет тебя с самого утра. 2. Сколько времени вы живете в этом городе? – Я живу здесь с 1997 года. 3. Он уже полчаса ждет, чтобы ему кто-нибудь помог. 4. Они обсуждают этот план уже два часа. 5. Ты давно ждешь? 6. Вы опять дрались? 7. Он занимается уже три часа. 8. Как давно у вас болит нога? 9. Я учу испанский с октября. 10. Диана ищет работу шесть месяцев. 11. Мои родители работают в Манчестере с 1 марта. 12. Какой глубокий снег! Сколько времени шел снег? 13. Мой брат курит десять лет. 14. У тебя красные глаза. Ты плакала? 15. Долго ваш босс разговаривает с покупательницей?

Exercise 3. Use the Present Continuous or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. What you (to do) here? 2. Christopher (to do) his lessons since after lunch. 3. “Where’s Brian?” – “He (to work) in the garden. He (to plant) rose bushes since dawn.” 4. All things in the living-room are out of place. The children (to play) hide-and-seek! 5. We (to stay) at this hotel; won’t you come and see us? 6. He had barely entered the room when his secretary said: “Somebody (to ring) for you for the last ten minutes.” 7. “What the children (to do)?” – “They (to play) games all morning and now they (to learn) to tell time by the position of the sun.” 8. “What you (to think) about?” – “I (not to think), I (to count) the birds in the sky.” 9. It (to snow) for two hours. 10. They still (to watch) TV. They (to watch) television since 2 o’clock. 11. What you (to look) at? – I (to look) at that picture over there. I (to look) at it for almost half an hour and I still cannot understand what it is. 12. What Mary (to do)? – She (to practise) the piano. She (to play) since 12 I think she must have a rest. 13. Here you are at last. I (to look) for you everywhere. 14. Why you (to smile), Robert? – I (to watch) your kitten. What a playful little thing it is! 15. I see you (to write) letters all the morning. Is it the last letter you (to write) now? 16. You (to sit) here for a long time. You (to wait) for anybody? 17. How long you (to study) English? – For 3 years already. 18. I (to work) at my report since Monday. Now I (to write) a conclusion. 19. Mary’s mother (to rest) in the garden all day because she is ill. 20. She (to sleep) for 10 hours! You must wake her! 21. David (to repair) the TV set. He (to work) at it for an hour or so. 22. David (to wash) his hands. He just (to repair) the TV set. 23. Why you all (to laugh)? Jim (to tell) you his anecdotes? 24. It’s 6 o’clock. I (to wait) for Ann for half an hour. I must be off now.

Exercise 4. Translate into English.

1. «Куда ты так торопишься?» – «Мама ждет меня у метро уже десять минут.» 2. Вы читаете эту газету? 3. «Которая из девушек Катя?» – «На ней красное платье.» 4. Я ношу эти туфли уже три года. Они очень удобные. 5. Кого вы ждете? 6. Давно вы его ждете? 7. Она преподает английский с прошлого года. 8. Твой брат ищет тебя весь вечер. 9. Я проявлял наши летние фотографии весь день. 10. Кому ты машешь (рукой)? 11. Кого вы ждёте? – Петра. Я жду его уже около часа. Интересно, что с ним случилось. 12. Весь день идёт снег. Мы давно не имели так много снега. 13. Сколько времени вы здесь живёте? – Около пяти лет. 14. Что вы сегодня делали с утра? – Я переводил одну очень важную статью. 15. Сколько времени они обсуждают этот вопрос? – Более получаса. 16. Температура понижается с утра. Боюсь, что вечером она упадёт до -30 градусов по Цельсию.

Exercise 5. Choose the appropriate tense form.

1. The price of petrol has risen / has been rising by 15 % over the past year. 2. No wonder you are overweight! You have eaten / have been eating chocolates all day long! 3. I have read / have been reading “Gone with the wind” this morning. 4. Doesn’t the room look better? I have whitewashed / have been whitewashing the ceiling. 5. Who has worn / has been wearing my scarf? 6. Nicholas has asked / has been asking for a pay-rise three times this year. 7. Someone has eaten / has been eating all my chocolates. The box is empty. 8. Have you decided / Have you been deciding where to go? – Not yet. We have thought / have been thinking about it for the whole week. 9. I remember meeting your sister last month, but I haven’t seen / haven’t been seeing her this month. What has she done / has she been doing since then? 10. Oh, David, I have looked / have been looking for you.

Exercise 6. Write two sentences, one with the Present Perfect and one with the Present Perfect Continuous.

Example: (He / read for two hours) – He has been reading for two hours.

(He / read / 53 pages so far) = He has read 53 pages so far.

1. (She / travel / around Europe for three months); (She / visit / six countries so far). 2. (He / play tennis since he was 11); (He / win /the national championship six times). 3. (I / read / Pushkin’s prose / in the garden); (I / read / three of London’s stories). 4. (Mother / sew / since lunch); (She / make / a ball dress for me). 5. (They / make ten films since they left college); (They / make films since they left college). 6. (Father / write /children poems since he retired); (He / write / four books). 7. (She / clean / the flat for three hours); (She / do / two rooms so far).

Exercise 7. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. How long you (learn) Italian? – For 2 months already. 2. It’s a shame, I never (learn) to swim. 3. I feel so tired. My mother & I (garden) all afternoon. 4. The girl (stand) looking at the top windows for the last 10 minutes. 5. Who’s that young man? – I never (see) him here before. 6. My uncle only (farm) for 2 years but he is doing quite well. 7. We only (hear) twice from Sally since she went away to Denmark. 8. How many times you (see) this film? – This is the second time I (see) it. 9. My sister & I (make) biscuits for the party since early morning. 10. Someone (eat) all the chocolates. There aren’t any left. 11. The rooms are in a terrible mess. What you (do)?

Exercise 8. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. I (collect) coins since I graduated from the University. Now I (collect) enough to organize an interesting exhibition. 2. She (read) a fairy tale to the children since breakfast. They (not / finish) yet. 3. Those people (wait) for a tram for the last fifteen minutes. I’m afraid, they don’t know that the electricity (go) out. 4. What (happen) to Mary? John (ring) her up the whole evening and nobody (answer). 5. So, you (arrive). We just (speak) of you. 6. The secretary (type) the letters you gave her but she (not / finish) them yet. 7. There’s sufficient light, you (waste) electricity for nearly an hour. 8. Look! The children (fall) asleep! 9. We (meet) before? 10. She (study) French for two years and (learn) a lot of words and expressions. 11. I (not / hear) of her since yesterday. 12. I (look) for Jack since I finished my lesson but I (not / find) him. I (be) to his office and to the laboratory but he isn’t there. 13. I really don’t know what you (do) there all this time. 14. They (struggle) with this problem for about a week and they (solve) it at last. 15. She (do) shaping since September and her figure (improve) remarkably. 16. You (pass) your exam in English literature? 17. I (try) to learn English for years but (not make) good progress yet. 18. That book (lie) on the table for weeks. You (not read) it yet? 19. I (wait) here for her since 7 o’clock and she (not come) yet. 20. I (read) “War and Peace” for the last three months. 21. I (think) about you all day. 22. He never (be) here before. 23. I can’t help being angry with you; you (sit) here all the time and (do) nothing. 24. There is nothing to be proud of; you (not get) a single excellent mark yet. 25. I (work) so hard this week that I (not have) time to go to the cinema. 26. The girls (talk) about their new dresses for half an hour already; it seems they have nothing else to talk about. 27. I just (talk) to him; he agrees to help us. 28. Some of our students (join) the English club to get a better command of the language. 29. I (know) her all my life and we always (be) good friends. 30. Jack (fail) his driving test three times because he doesn’t know how to park. 31. He (practise) for three hours every day for the past week, and I think he (make) a lot of improvement. 32. My brother (not pass) his driving test either. 33. He (worry) about this for two months. 34. I (study) the driver’s manual for hours every day, but I (not take) my test yet. 35. My father (help) me to review the questions. 36. My elder brother just (buy) a new stereo. 37. He (play) records since eight o’clock this morning, and he is driving me crazy. 38. My mom (talk) to my elder brother about it, but he (not obey) her yet. 39. I am especially annoyed because I am taking my final test this week. My elder brother (write) two tests already, and he (fail) both of them because he (not study). 40. I (think) about telling my dad about this, but I (not make) a definite decision yet.

Exercise 9. Complete each mini-dialogue in the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. – How long you (know) about it?

– I (know) about it all the time.

2. – Why you (turn) off the music?

– I (play) the records for hours; I’m tired now.

3. – I (phone) home all day, but there’s no reply.

– I expect your mother (go) shopping.

4. – What’s the matter? You look exhausted.

– I (study) all day, and I (not / finish) yet.

5. – Where are the children?

– They (fish) since morning and I’m sure they (catch) a lot of fish.

6. – You are dirty. What you (do)?

– I (fix) my bike.

7. – That man (play) on the computer since early morning.

– Oh, he (not / play). He (repair) our computer all day, but he (not / repair) it yet.

8. – What (happen) to you? You are out of breath.

– I (run).

9. – Sorry, I’m late.

– That’s all right. I (not / wait) long.

10. – You (swim) long?

– I (swim) since 10 o’clock.

Exercise 10. Translate into English.

1. Ты съел все конфеты? 2. Почему у тебя черные губы? – Я ела чернику. 3. Она сегодня делала покупки и наконец нашла себе летние туфли. 4. Ты знакома с Томом? – Я знаю его целую вечность. 5. Я все утро занимаюсь домашней работой и еще ничего не сделала. 6. Он переводит эту статью уже два часа, а перевел только половину. 7. Твой брат уехал работать в Англию? – Да. Он работает в Англии уже два месяца. 8. Он уже окончил университет? – Да, он уже два года работает. 9. Давно он читает эту книгу? – Неделю, хотя обычно он быстро читает книги. 10. Мы живем в этом городе пять лет. Город сильно изменился за это время. 11. Его сестра работает в библиотеке с тех пор, как окончила университет. 12. Сколько времени ты читаешь этот роман?

Exercise 11. Put the verb in brackets into the Present Continuous, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. – What you (look) for?

– We (look) for school things. We (not / buy) everything yet.

– I (buy) everything.

2. – What you (do), Linda?

– I (read).

– What you (read) all this time?

3. – You ever (work) as an interpreter?

– Yes, that is what I (do) for five years.

4. – Where is John?

– He (work) in the garden.

– He must be too tired. He (work) there all day.

5. – She just (sell) three of her own pictures.

– She’s lucky. I (paint) for four years and (not / sell) a single picture yet.

6. – Who you (wait) for?

– I (wait) for Peter. I (wait) for him since 12 o’clock.

7. – They (stand) there for the last 20 minutes.

– What they (talk) about all this time?

8. – What you (think) of?

– I (think) of our life together.

9. – The girls (play) the piano in the sitting-room.

– They (play) the piano since I walked in.

10. – You (choose) any books to read from my library?

– I (try) to choose something since you left me here, but it seems to me I (read) all of them.

Exercise 12. Open the brackets using the Present Indefinite, the Present Continuous, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. Paul, you (hear) me? I (talk) to you for a minute already. 2. I want to see how much the place (change) since I was there last. 3. I (be) perfectly happy. All my life I (be) perfectly happy. 4. Wait till you (see) Michael and (talk) to him. 5. The children (live) with their aunt now since their mother (be) ill. 6. The train (not / arrive) yet but a great number of people (stand) on the platform. 7. Mrs. Cusak (not / feel) well for over a month. 8. How many English lessons you (have) lately? 9. Look, the sky (get) darker and darker. I think it (go) to rain. 10. Since when you (learn) German? – Since I got to university. 11. I (study) hard of late. I have exams next week. 12. It (rain) steadily for two days on end now. 13. It is the first time he (clean) his own boots. 14. I (know) him very well. We (know) each other since I came to live in this house. 15. Where you (be)? I (wait) for you for over an hour.

Exercise 13. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous or Simple Past.

1. I (buy) a new house last year, but I (not sell) my old house yet, so at the moment I have two houses. 2. When Ann (be) on her way to the station it (begin) to rain. Ann (run) back to her flat for her umbrella, but this (make) her late for her train. 3. I’m sorry I’m late, you (wait) long? 4. At 7 a.m. Charles (ring) Peter and (say), ‘I’m going fishing, Peter. Would you like to come?’ ‘But it’s so early,’ (say) Peter. ‘I (not have) breakfast yet. Why you (not tell) me last night?’ 5. Tom (meet) Paul at lunch time and (say), ‘I (not see) you at the bus stop this morning. You (miss) the bus?’ ‘I (not miss) it,’ (reply) Paul. ‘I (not miss) a bus for years. But this morning George (give) me a lift.’ 6. Those two men (stand) outside the house for over two hours. Do you think we should call the police? 7. Ann (go) to Canada six months ago. She (work) in Canada for a while and then (go) to the United States. 8. You look tired. I think you (work) too hard lately and you (not/get) enough fresh air and exercise. 9. Peter (try) to come in quietly but his mother (hear) him and (call) out, ‘Where you (be)? Your supper (be) in the oven for an hour.’ 10. ‘Annie’s clothes are very dirty. What (she/do)?’ ‘She (play) in the garden.’ 11. Mary (be) in Japan for two years. She is working there and likes it very much. – How she (go)? – She (go) by air. 12. Bill usually has breakfast at 8.00. Yesterday at 8.30 Peter (meet) Bill and (offer) him an apple. ‘No, thanks,’ (say) Bill. ‘I just (have) breakfast.’ 13. I (read) his books when I was at school. I (enjoy) them very much. 14. The clock is slow. – It isn’t slow, it (stop). 15. He (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give it up. 16. The actors (arrive) yesterday and (start) rehears­als early this morning. 17. It (be) cold this year. I wonder when it is going to get warmer. 18. You (lock) the door before you (leave) the house? 19. You (wear) your hair long when you were at school? – Yes, my mother (insist) on it. But when I (leave) school I (cut) my hair and (wear) it short ever since. 20. Sally and her boyfriend Peter (go out) together since last winter. 21. The concert (begin) at 2.30 and (last) for two hours. Everyone (enjoy) it very much. 22. We (miss) the bus. Now we’ll have to walk. 23. He (break) his leg in a skiing accident last year. 24. Mr. Count (work) as a cashier for twenty-five years. Then he (retire) and (go) to live in the country. 25. You (be) here before? – Yes, I (spend) my holidays here last year. – You (have) a good time? — No, it never (stop) rain­ing. 26. Where is Tom? – I (not see) him today, but he (tell) Mary that he’d be in for dinner. 27. Where you (find) this knife? – I (find) it in the garden. – Why you (not leave) it there? 28. I (lose) my black gloves. You (see) them anywhere? – I’m afraid I ... . When you last (wear) them? – I (wear) them at the theatre. – Perhaps you (leave) them at the theatre.

Exercise 14. Choose the most suitable word or phrase underlined.

1. Are you studying French for long / at the moment? 2. What’s the matter? Haven’t you started yet / still? 3. I am making a great progress these days / so far. 4. The trouble with you is that you are always / often complaining. 5. I haven’t been feeling very well lately / currently. 6. The food tastes worse now / usually. You’ve put too much salt in it. 7. I’m feeling rather down lately / at present, doctor. 8. She bought a CD player last week and she’s been listening to music ever since / for a while. 9. Computers are becoming faster and faster every day / already. 10. We normally / forever study hard for exams. 11. My parents are coming to see me tonight / occasionally. 12. I usually / at the moment complete my homework assignments on time.

Exercise 15. Put the verb in brackets into the most suitable present tense.

1. Education (prepare) children for life. 2. He (always, borrow) books from me! 3. He (pass) two subjects, but he (not, pass) English yet. 4. Do you know that someone (break) the window in our classroom. 5. In our country we (have) lessons on Saturday. 6. How long you (know) Alison? We (be) friends for three years. 7. Peter (make) two mistakes in exercise 1 and one in exercise 3. 8. I (work) on this composition for two weeks now. 9. She (look) for a better opportunity at the moment. 10. Let’s look at the timetable. The lesson (start) at 10 o’clock. 11. Who (use) my cup? 12. Greg, you (look) a bit tired. What you (do) all day? 13. I (already, have) two messages from Peter and in all of them he (say) that he (come) here for three days. 14. How many pages (he / write)? 15. (you / ever / be) to London? No, I (never / be) there.

Exercise 16. Put each verb in brackets into either the Past Simple, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

Ever since the day I … (1 decide) to move to London, I … (2 worry) whether the decision I … (3 take) was the right one. As I already … (4 sell) my house and … (5 arrange) a new job, it is too late to change my mind. However, since then I … (6 hear) a lot of negative things about living in the capital, and lately some of them … (7 begin) to bother me. I … (8 grow up) in a fairly small town and I … (9 spend) all of my life there. I always … (10 want) to live in a big city and so when my company … (11 offer) me a job in their London office, I … (12 grab) at the chance. But according to a programme I just … (13 hear) on the radio, more and more people … (14 stop) working in London recently, and a lot of large companies … (15 choose) to move away from the center. Of course I … (16 tell) my parents that I’m moving and they … (17 accept) my decision, but when I … (18 tell) my friends they … (19 seem) rather shocked. Since then I … (20 hope) secretly that the company would tell me that the move was off!

Exercise 17. Open the brackets. Use the Past Simple, the Past Continuous, the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous.

1. Thomas (return) at last. Jessica (wait) for him so long. 2. Helen, you (read) my letters. Don’t deny it. 3. When I (come) home, Mother (make) dinner and Father (have) his tea. 4. When you (discuss) it? I never (hear) the subject mentioned. 5. No, you can’t go to the Smiths’. You (be) there twice this week. 6. You (not / change) at all. I (recognize) you the moment I (see) you. 7. Patrick (go) shopping already? 8. When you (go) to bed? 9. I (see) her when I (drive) past their house on my way home. 10. He (not / say) a single word to me yet and he (get) that telegram on Monday. 11. The children (talk) of nothing else for weeks. 12. I (stand) in this queue for ages. It (not / move) at all in the last five minutes. 13. How long it (rain)? 14. I supported you at the time because I (feel) that you were right. 15. Peter couldn’t understand what had been decided because too many people (talk) at once.

Exercise 18. All the sentences contain errors. Correct them.

1. It grew darker and colder, and there was still no sign of the rescuing helicopter. 2. When we were in Madrid we were exploring the city every day, and in the evening we were going to exciting bars. 3. I don’t understand what you wait for. 4. I’m so glad you’ve got here at last; I was expecting you all day. 5. So far we didn’t manage to find what we are looking for. 6. When has you elder brother left school? 7. How long is she feeling unwell? 8. I wonder where have you been all this time. 9. She has tripped over the cat and fallen nearly over. 10. Look! I found a ten-pound note. 11. What have you done since you graduated from the University? 12. I am interested in sports since my childhood. 13. I’ve met such nice people before never. 14. I’m waiting for you since six o’clock. 15. Ever since we have met, you have never asked me what I prefer to do.

Exercise 19. Translate into English.

1. «Вы давно здесь работаете?» «Около четырех лет.» 2. «Вот и Джон, – сказал он. – Я давно его жду.» 3. Я со вчерашнего вечера думаю о том, что ты сказал. 4. Где ты был? Я все утро тебя ищу. 5. Скажите, когда придет ваш директор. Я жду его с 11 часов. 6. Дождь идет уже три дня. 7. Я его только что видела. Он переходил улицу. 8. Когда ты пришел? 9. Она мне все рассказала. 10. Вчера вечером, когда мы ехали домой, он мне все рассказал. 11. Они играют в шахматы с обеда. 12. Когда она вам в последний раз писала? 13. Он тренирует эту команду всего полгода, но они сделали большие успехи. 14. Он посмотрел на меня, но ничего не сказал. Он ждал кого-то. 15. Вы давно знаете этого молодого человека? 16. С какого времени вы изучаете английский язык? 17. Мы ждем здесь с двух часов, и никто не сказал нам, что делать. 18. Мария еще не выздоровела. Она болеет уже две недели. 19. Мой брат учится в университете уже два года. 20. Он играет в теннис с восьми лет.

Exercise 20. Use the required tense.

1. She (go) to Italy five years ago. Since then she (not to speak) Italian, and she (forget) nearly all she (learn) there. 2. When he (run) after the tram, he (fall) and (hurt) his leg. We (have) to carry him home. Now he (lie) in bed. The doctor just (leave). The doctor (say) he must stay in bed for a week. 3. He (look) through my album when I (enter). “You (like) my sketches?” I (ask) him. “They (not to be) very good.” 4. What you (look) for? – I (lose) my pen and (want) to find it before it (get) dark. – When you (lose) it? – I (think) I (drop) it somewhere here when I (go) to the University this afternoon. 5. My friend Robert (learn) French for the last three years, and now he (study) German, too. 6. You (speak) to Ann yesterday? – No, I (not to see) her for a long time. I (not to remember) when I last (see) her. 7. My brother (study) modern English literature for two years and then (give) it up. 8. I (look) at this photograph for five minutes, but I can’t see you in it. – I’m afraid you (look) at the wrong one. 9. You must stop reading; you can have a headache because you (read) too long! 10. My elder brother (join) the army when he (be) eighteen. 11. They (live) in that town for ten years and then (move) to the country. 12. We (live) here for the last six months, and just (decide) to move. 13. He (write) a new play for the last two years, but he (not to finish) it yet.