English grammar practice exercise, upper-intermediate level.
This exercise focuses on the difference between the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous.
Instructions: complete the sentences below by putting the verb in brackets into the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.
| Structure of present perfect simple | ||
| positive | negative | question |
|
I've (I have) seen him. You've done it. We've been there. They've eaten it. |
I haven't (have not) seen him. You haven't done it. We haven't been there. They haven't eaten it. |
Have I seen him? Have you seen her? Have we finished it? Have they been there? |
|
He's (he has) gone. She's (she has) gone. It's (it has) gone. |
He hasn't (has not) gone. She hasn't gone. It hasn't gone. |
Has he been here? Has she finished? Has it gone? |
| Structure of present perfect continuous | ||
| positive | question | negative |
| I have (I've) been living here for two years. He has (he's) been waiting for you. |
Have you been living here for a long time? What has she been doing? |
I have not (haven't) been waiting for long. He has not (hasn't) been working. |
| Present perfect simple - common mistakes | ||
| Common mistakes | Correct version | Why? |
|
|
Steven has written a new book. | The past participle of the verb must be used - wrote is past simple, written is the past participle. |
|
|
Have you seen him before? | The helping verb 'have' is used in the present perfect- it is inverted with the person (you have becomes have you). |
|
|
I haven't seen him before. | The helping verb 'have' is used in the present perfect- to make it negative we simply add not (n't). |
|
|
I have been here since last week. | The present perfect is used to show an action which continues to the present (an unfinished action). |
|
|
I've known him for 5 years. | Verbs such as know, want, like, etc. (stative verbs) suggest permanent states, not actions, so are used in the simple form, NOT the -ing form. |
| Present perfect continuous - common mistakes | ||
| Common mistakes | Correct version | Why? |
|
|
It has been raining heavily all day. | The structure of the present perfect continuous is have/has been -ing. |
|
|
I have been sitting here for two hours. | Verbs such as sit, wait, speak, etc. (non-stative verbs) suggest continuity and so are mostly used in the continuous (-ing) form. |
|
Which? I have worked here for five years. I have been working here for five years. |
When BOTH the simple and continuous forms are possible, native speakers prefer to use the continuous. | |
