Duration form: Present perfect continuous or Present perfect simple

Present perfect continuous or Present perfect simple

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

Short answers

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I’ve been working / They’ve been travelling / He’s been reading / It’s been snowing.

You haven’t been waiting / He hasn’t been eating.

Have you been sleeping? / Has she been writing?

Yes, I / you / we / they have. Yes, he / she / it has. No, I / you / we / they haven’t. No, he / she / it hasn’t.

USAGE AND EXAMPLES

• The Present perfect continuous is used for actions or events that started in the past and are still continuing in the present. • In sentences containing a duration form you typically find the following key words: how long (in questions), since (+ starting point) and for (+ duration of the action). For longer duration there are expressions like long, all day, all night, etc. How long has it been raining? My husband has been working all day. We’ve been doing Maths exercises for hours.

Susie’s been teaching French since 2005. • The Present perfect continuous tense is also used when we focus on an action or event that has just stopped but its signs are visible now after lasting for some time; it also indicates that the action has been intensive. Study the examples: Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? (action going on for a while)

Where were you?! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! (intensive action) • This tense is NOT used in negative sentences, with state verbs (have, be, know, etc) or for very long periods. In these cases you use Present perfect simple with the same function: I haven’t smoked since I had pneumonia. (because the action has NOT happened) How long have you known Farrah? (know is a state verb) Lucy’s lived here all her life. (she spent all her life here, it’s not a temporary situation, she still lives here) • However, when the action is only negative in part you can use the continuous form: study the examples: Don’t worry, I haven’t been waiting long. (I HAVE been waiting, but not for long) Tom hasn’t been eating much since you left. (he HAS been eating but not much)

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS or PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE?

I’ve been reading this book all day. (focus on intensity and duration: how long)

He’s been saving money for a scooter. (focus on action in progress)

Why are you so wet? I’ve been washing the dog. (focus on the side effects of the action)

I’ve read 20 pages of this book today. (focus on result: how much or how often)

He’s saved some money for the scooter. (focus on completed action)

I’ve washed the dog. It’s clean now. (focus on result)

HOW LONG IS IT SINCE... / IT’S (BEEN)… SINCE

How long has it been snowing? How long have you known Peter? We’ve had this car for 10 years.

How long is it since it started snowing? How long is it since you (first) met Peter? It’s (been) 10 years since we bought / got this car.

You must use how long is it…? when you ask about duration with negative verb forms. Study the examples: How long is it since you stopped smoking? (not: How long haven’t you smoked?) How long is it since you (last) went to Paris? (not: How long haven’t you been to... ?)

Build sentences using the Present perfect continuous and since, for or how long. 0 Ann / sleep / 3 o’clock Ann has been sleeping since 3 o’clock. __ 1 Brad / learn Japanese / he went to Tokyo. ______________________________________________________ 2 I / collect / beer cans / 5 years. ______________________________________________________ 3 Dad / drive / this morning. ______________________________________________________ 4 Yuja Wang / play the piano /she was 6. ______________________________________________________ 5 They / work / for this company? ______________________________________________________ 6 I / think about you / all day. ______________________________________________________

Underline the correct alternative. 1 How long have you lived / did you live in

Paris before moving to Italy? 2 She hasn’t been working / worked since she had her baby. 3 I have known / have been knowing Greta for many years. 4 Has Bill been cooking for / since 8 am? 5 Tom hasn’t had / hasn’t got a job for 2 years. 6 How many films have you been seeing / have you seen this year?

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Why are you crying / have you been crying? I’m not. I’ve been cutting / I’ve cut onions. Max has repaired / has been repairing the antenna: the TV has been working / is working now. Yumi has loved / has been loving Coldplay since she has been / was a child. I haven’t watched / haven’t been watching TV for / since a week.

Write the correct tense of the verbs from the box below to complete the following sentences: choose between Present perfect simple and continuous.

do hate hide run make (x2) meet repair talk wash

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We _________________ to each other since we fell out 10 years ago. We _________________ our neighbours twice this morning. _________________ the cat _________________ under the sofa all night? How many films _________________ Woody Allen _________________? They arent friends: in fact they _____ each other since they first met.

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Why are you so dirty? I _________________ the car. I’m out of breath because I _________________. What _________________ Jack _________________ since I last saw him? You _________________ a lot of mistakes in tests lately. Dad _________________ your bike. It’s in the garage.

Put a tick (3) next to the right sentences and a cross (7) next to the wrong ones. Correct the mistakes. 1 I haven’t been listening to this CD for ages. _____________________________________________ 2 Has it rained? There are a lot of puddles. _____________________________________________ 3 The kids have been playing computer games all day. _____________________________________________ 4 I’ve been having lots of problems recently. _____________________________________________ 5 How long has it been cold? _____________________________________________ 6 Harry’s been fond of jazz music since years. _____________________________________________ 7 I’ve been liking that girl since I met her. _____________________________________________ 8 Trevor has been reading half of his book. _____________________________________________

5 First Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first using the word in brackets. You must use between 2 and 5 words. 1 I started studying Mandarin ten years ago. (have) I ____________________________________ ten years. 2 When did you stop working there? (since) How long ___________ stopped working there? 3 The last time I saw him was in 2001. (not) I have ___________________________________ 2001. 4 She got married a year ago . (has) She ____________________________________ a year. 5 I haven’t had a cold for 2 years. (had) It’s 2 years ___________________________ a cold. 6 Emma’s been working from home for a month. (started) It’s a month _____________ working from home. 7 When did you buy this car? (bought) How long is ________________________ this car? 8 When did Karla first meet Aidan? (long) How ___________________________________ Aidan? 9 I haven’t played the guitar for ages. (stopped) It’s been ages _____________________ the guitar. 10 I bought this computer in 2012. (have) I _________________________________________ 2012.

6 Listen to the dialogue and complete the notes with the missing parts using the verbs in the box below in the correct Present Perfect tense and FOR or SINCE, when necessary.

be grow change know live (x2) meet work

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Dave and Rebecca ________________ each other ________________ primary school. They ________________ 25 years. Rebecca ________________ much. Dave ________________ a beard. Rebecca _______________ in Brighton all her life.

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Rebecca ________________ she had her second child. Dave ________________ in London ________________ a year. Dave ________________ divorced ________________ 2012.

Read the following biography and underline the correct alternative in brackets to complete it.

Clinton ‘Clint’ Eastwood, Jr is an American actor, filmmaker, and politician. He (1) (has risen – rose – has been rising) to international fame with his roles in Sergio Leone’s ‘spaghetti westerns’ and in the five films where he (2) (played – has played – has been playing) Harry Callaghan. Besides working as an actor, Eastwood (3) (directed - has directed – has been directing) over 30 films, including westerns, action films, and dramas since 1971. At the beginning of his career, Eastwood (4) (was – has been – was being) frustrated by many directors’ habit to re-shoot the same scenes over and over again. When he began directing, he tried to avoid any aspects of directing he (5) (was considering - had considered – has been considering) useless as an actor. As a result, Eastwood (6) (is – was – has been) now renowned for his efficient film directing and ability to reduce filming time and to keep budgets under control. Despite being associated with firearms in his movies, Eastwood (7) (is supporting – supported - has been supporting) gun control since the 1970s, when he (8) (claimed – has claimed – has been claiming) all guns should be registered.