Present continuous

1. Complete the sentences

1. Jim has been playing football all day.

2. How long have you been waiting for me?

3. They’re tired because they’ve been getting up early all this week.

4. Jamie has been shouting, so his throat hurts.

5. You haven’t been listening, so you don’t know what to do.

6. Tracy has been studying since she got home.

7. How long have you been cycling professionally?

8. Sam isn’t very fit because he hasn’t been going to the gym this year.

2. Match sentences 1–8 with the uses

a. Action began in the past and is still in progress

b. Action has recently stopped and explains the present situation

Sentence Use

1 a

2 a

3 b

4 b

5 b

6 a

7 a

8 b

3. Complete with for or since

 1. They’ve been doing their homework for an hour.

2. He’s been supporting his local football team since they were promoted to the Premier League.

3. She’s been playing for England for ten years.

4. I’ve been studying German for six months.

5. We’ve been skiing since we were children.

6. I’ve been sneezing a lot since yesterday.

4. Choose the correct answer

1. Simon can’t walk because he’s broken his leg.

2. You’re late! What have you been doing?

3. I’ve been reading the biography of Rafael Nadal, but I’m only on page 57.

4. How often have they offered to help with the washing up?

5. She’s liked reggae since she went to Jamaica.

6. I’ve sold five of my DVDs, but I didn’t get much money for them.

7. How long have you been designing computer programs?

8. How many films has Matt seen this week?

5. Complete the text

My brother is very happy this morning because he has lost another kilo.
He has been on a diet for the last two months, so he has stopped eating bread completely.
He has been eating more healthily, which means no cakes, biscuits, or fizzy drinks.
Instead, my mum has been giving him fresh fruit every day for snacks.
Since he started his diet, my parents have been cooking healthy meals all the time as well.
Personally, I would prefer chips!

Challenge! (sample answers)

1. How many times have you visited the doctor this year?
— I’ve visited the doctor twice this year.
 2. How long have you been studying English?
— I’ve been studying English for five years.

3. How much water have you drunk today?

— I’ve drunk two litres of water today.

4. How long have you been doing homework this evening?

— I’ve been doing homework for an hour.

Past simple vs present prefect

1 Choose the correct answer.

1. The coach isn't here. It has already gone.

 Reason: The result (the coach not being here) is relevant now. The action happened at an
unspecified time in the past, so we use the Present Perfect.

2. Rosie broke her leg three months ago.

 Reason: "three months ago" is a specific finished time in the past, so we use the Past
Simple.

3. The Olympic games started last week.

 Reason: "last week" is a specific finished time in the past, so we use the Past Simple.

4. They're cheering because their best player has just scored a goal.

 Reason: The cheering (a present action) is the direct result of a very recent action. We
use the Present Perfect with "just" for actions that happened a short time ago.

5. I haven't done my homework yet.

 Reason: "yet" is used with the Present Perfect in negative sentences to talk about
something that has not happened but is expected to.

6. Fernando Alonso became the world motor racing champion when he was aged only 24.

 Reason: "when he was aged only 24" refers to a specific finished time in the past, so we
use the Past Simple.

7. We have been at the top of the league since the start of the season.
  Reason: "since the start of the season" indicates a period of time that started in the past
and continues to the present. We use the Present Perfect for this.

8. Has the match finished yet?

 Reason: "yet" is used with the Present Perfect in questions to ask if an action has
happened by now.

2 Some of the sentences are incorrect. Rewrite them correctly if necessary.

1. I haven't heard this band before. Who are they?

 Reason: "before" indicates an experience up to the present, so the Present Perfect is

needed.

2. Callum's still off school. He has been ill for over a week.

 Reason: He is still ill now. "for over a week" describes a period of time from the past until
the present, so the Present Perfect is needed.

3. Did you finish your homework last night?

 Reason: "last night" is a specific finished time in the past, so the Past Simple is required.

4. Hannah got a new laptop for her last birthday.

 Reason: This sentence is correct. "last birthday" is a specific past time, and the Past
Simple "got" is used correctly.

5. I've sprained my wrist so I can't do my exams.

 Reason: This sentence is correct. The past action (spraining the wrist) has a present
result (can't do exams), so the Present Perfect is appropriate.

6. Have you taken your driving test yet?

 Reason: "yet" is used with the Present Perfect in questions.

7. Leon broke his leg while he was playing rugby.

 Reason: "while he was playing rugby" sets the action at a specific time in the past. The
Past Simple is needed for a completed action in the past.

8. We're hungry! We haven't eaten since breakfast!

 Reason: "since breakfast" indicates a period of time from a past point until now. The
Present Perfect is required.
3 Complete the sentences with the present perfect form of the verbs in brackets and just, already or
yet.

1. It's not a good idea to go swimming when you have just eaten dinner.

2. Our team have already won twelve matches this season. We could win the league!

3. We're going to lose the match. We haven't scored a point yet.

4. Have you bought any football boots yet? You'll need them for training on Monday.

5. We've got a spare ticket now. Kim has just called me to say she's ill.

6. I'm not going to the concert. I have already seen that band twice.

4 Complete the text about Usain Bolt.

Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt is one of the fastest men on Earth. He has broken the world 100m and
200m records several times and he also holds the record for the 4 x 100m relay with his team mates.
However, Usain has not been a runner all his life. When he was a child, he spent his time playing
football and cricket in the street with his brother. It wasn't until the age of 12 that anybody realised how
fast he could run. He won his first gold medal at the 2002 World Championships, where he was so
nervous that he actually put his running shoes on the wrong feet. Since then, however, he has learned
to deal with his pre-race nerves and they no longer affect him. More importantly, Bolt is loyal to his
country. A number of American clubs have offered him a contract over the years, but so far he has said
that he doesn't want to leave Jamaica.

Challenge!

Here are five example sentences about the F1 driver Charles Leclerc, using both tenses.

1. (Past Simple) Leclerc joined the Ferrari Formula 1 team in 2019.

 (Describes a specific event that finished in the past.)

2. (Present Perfect) He has won several Grand Prix races since his debut in F1.

 (Describes achievements that have happened in a period of time up to now.)

3. (Past Simple) He suffered a difficult season in 2022 with many reliability issues.

 (Describes a situation that was completed in a specific past time.)

4. (Present Perfect) He has proven himself to be one of the most talented drivers on the grid.

 (States a fact that is true up to the present based on past evidence.)

5. (Past Simple) He scored his first pole position at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.

 (Describes a specific achievement at a definite past event.)