Present Perfect Continuous
The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and are still
continuing in the present, or have recently stopped but still have an effect now. It emphasizes the
duration or repetition of an activity.
A: Hey Lisa, you look exhausted!
B: Yeah, I’ve been organizing my closet since early this morning.
A: Oh wow, that must have taken hours.
B: It has! My brother has been helping me too. He’s been carrying heavy boxes up and down the stairs.
A: I’ve also been cleaning my room lately. It feels good to finally take care of it.
Fill in the blanks:
1. I _______ (try) to contact the bank all morning without success.
2. He _______ (look) for his lost keys since last night.
3. They _______ (paint) the living room walls for almost three hours.
4. We _______ (study) English regularly for two months now.
5. My mom _______ (bake) cakes every weekend recently.
Match the sentences with the correct time expressions:
A. She has been learning how to play the guitar. 1. since last weekend
B. We have been cleaning the garage. 2. for an hour
C. He has been walking his dog. 3. all day
D. I have been feeling tired. 4. recently
E. They have been fixing their car. 5. since this morning
Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect Continuous is used to show that an action had been happening for some time before
something else happened in the past. It is useful for describing background activities or giving
explanations.
A: Did you see Daniel yesterday? He looked very sleepy.
B: Yes, he had been working all night on a software update before coming to school.
A: That makes sense. I had been wondering why he seemed so distracted.
B: And his sister?
A: She had been preparing her art project for weeks before the exhibition.
Fill in the blanks:
1. The students _______ (prepare) for the science fair for weeks before it finally happened.
2. We _______ (wait) for over an hour before the show started.
3. My grandparents _______ (live) in the countryside for a long time before moving to the city.
4. He _______ (write) emails to the manager since Monday before getting a reply.
5. You _______ (read) that book all afternoon before the phone rang.
Match the sentences with the correct time expressions:
A. She had been working at the hospital. 1. for two hours
B. They had been playing basketball. 2. before the guests arrived
C. He had been cooking dinner. 3. since early evening
D. I had been listening to the podcast. 4. all morning
E. We had been waiting outside. 5. before the movie started
Future Perfect Continuous
The Future Perfect Continuous tense is used to describe how long an action will have been going on
by a certain time in the future. It highlights duration leading up to a future point.:
A: By the end of this month, I will have been working on my novel for six months.
B: That’s impressive! I will have been studying graphic design for nearly a year by then.
A: And your sister?
B: She will have been doing her internship for three months by the time she graduate.
Fill in the blanks:
1. By next Friday, they _______ (organize) the event for three weeks.
2. I _______ (study) for the final exams for a whole month by the time I take them.
3. She _______ (work) at the company for five years by the end of the year.
4. We _______ (wait) for over an hour by the time the concert begins.
5. He _______ (travel) across Asia for months before returning home.
Match the sentences with the correct time expressions:
A. I will have been cooking. 1. until dinner time
B. She will have been working as a doctor. 2. for a long time
C. They will have been learning Japanese. 3. by the time you arrive
D. We will have been watching the movie. 4. since 2023
E. He will have been walking his dog. 5. for six months
Complete the story, using the correct form of the verbs in Present
Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, or Future Perfect
Continuous.
Anna is a university student who loves painting. This week, she
__________ (prepare) for a big art exhibition. Her hands are covered in
paint, and her room is full of canvases and brushes. Her best friend, Leo,
__________ (help) her every afternoon after classes.
Before this week, things were different. Anna __________ (struggle)
with inspiration for months, and nothing she painted felt good enough.
She __________ (try) different styles before she finally found the one
that suited her.
Next weekend, by the time the gallery opens, Anna __________ (work)
non-stop for three weeks. Her teacher will be proud—he knows she
__________ (improve) a lot this semester. Leo, on the other hand,
__________ (juggle) his own studies with helping Anna, and he says he’s
happy to do it.
Meanwhile, their friend Claire is planning her own project. She
__________ (write) a short story that she hopes to publish by the end of
the year. By then, she __________ (create) her first book while
supporting both Anna and Leo in their goals.
