Present Perfect Simple Tense

We use this tense for unfinished and finished actions.

Unfinished Actions
1: We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits
that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long'
and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use stative verbs.

 I've known Karen since 1994.

 She's lived in London for three years.
 I've worked here for six months.

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year). The fixed time
can be another action, which is in the past simple (since I was at school, since I
arrived).

 I've known Sam since 1992.

 I've liked chocolate since I was a child.
 She's been here since 2pm.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).

 I've known Julie for ten years.

 I've been hungry for hours.
 She's had a cold for a week.

Finished Actions
2: Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a
person's life. We don't say when the experience happened, and the person needs to be
alive now. We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.

 I have been to Tokyo.

 They have visited Paris three times.
 We have never seen that film.

3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still
continuing.

 I haven't seen her this month.

 She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
 I've already moved house twice this year!I've seen him yesterday.

4: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result). We often use the
present perfect to talk about something that happened in the recent past, but that is still
true or important now. Sometimes we can use the past simple here, especially in US
English.

 I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).

 She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
 They've missed the bus (so they will be late).

5: We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently,
even if there isn't a clear result in the present. This is common when we want to
introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet / already / recently'. However, the
past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US English.

 The Queen has given a speech.

 I've just seen Lucy.
 The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.

Been and Gone

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly
different circumstances. We use 'been' (often when we talk about life experience) to
mean that the person we're talking about visited the place and came back.

 I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
 She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
 They have never been to California.

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to
mean that the person went to the place and is at the place now.

 Where's John? He's gone to the shops (he's at the shops now).
 Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
 They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).

Using the present perfect continuous

Unfinished actions
1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the
present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since'

 I've been living in London for two years.

 She's been working here since 2004.
 We've been waiting for the bus for hours.

This use is very similar to how we use the present perfect simple, and often it's possible
to use either tense. Of course, with stative verbs, we can't use the present perfect
continuous.

 I've been here for hours.

2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the
present in the same way, but we don't answer the questions about 'how long' so clearly.
Instead, we use a word like 'recently'.

 I've been going to the gym a lot recently.

 They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
 I've been reading a lot recently.
 This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits and often
either tense is possible.

Finished actions
3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and
have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present. We don't use a time
word here.

 I'm so tired, I've been studying.

 I've been running, so I'm really hot.
 It's been raining so the pavement is wet.

Ex1

1) Have you always ___ garlic?

been hating
hated
2) Thanks for the recipe book! We've ___ two different recipes so far.
 been trying
 tried

3) I'm worried about Sam. She's ___ too hard recently.

been working
worked
4)
I've ___ to call the internet company all morning but I can't get through.
been trying
tried
5) She's ___ three main ways our company can reduce costs.
been finding
found
6) He's ___ for the party for weeks.
been preparing
prepared
7) You've got white dust all over you! What have you ___?

been doing
done

8) Have your parents ___ yet?

been arriving
arrived
 Ex2 https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-present-perfect-continuous-1.html
Ex.3 https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-present-perfect-continuous-2.html

Ex4

1. How long   Gerry? (you/to know)

2. He   his essay all day, but he   yet. (to write) (not/to finish)

3. She   French words for hours, but she still doesn't remember all of them. (to learn)

4. My father  . (never/to smoke)

5.  hard today? (he/to study)

6. Sorry, I'm late.   for long? (you/to wait)

7. We   Lisa recently. (not/to see)

8. How many times   New York? (Charles/to visit)

9. You look dirty. What   all day? (you/to do)

10. The children   videos for two hours. (to watch)

Complete the sentences using Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous:

1. I (to count bicycles). One is missing.
2. The doctor (to examine) my injured arm. Thanks God, it isn’t broken.
3. Her phone (to ring) for ten minutes. It annoys me.
4. They (to build) this bridge for two years. There’s mud and mess around.
5. We (to walk) ten kilometers. We are so exhausted!
6. That boy (to eat) four ice-creams. Don’t give him more.
7. I (not to talk) with him yet.
8. He (to sleep) since ten o’clock, it’s time he woke up.
9. It (to rain) for two days now, there will be flood soon.
10. Ann (not to do) anything to stop her friends gossiping.
11. We (to live) here since 1997.
12. I (to drive) for ten years.
13. He (to teach) in this school for five years.
14. I (to teach) hundreds of students but I never (to meet) such a hopeless group.
15. John and Jack (to argue) since the early morning.
16. We (to hear) the news: Tom and Jill are engaged!
17. Stop babbling, I (to try) to finish this letter for the last half-hour.
18. I (to tidy up) my room all the morning, but Mum isn’t satisfied yet.
19. My aunt (to work) as an accountant since I remember.
 20. They (to live) in France since 1990.
21. I (to buy) a new carpet. Come and look at it.
22. Someone (to take) my phone.
23. Frank and Sally (to discuss) these matters for an hour or so. They can’t stop.
24. We (to miss) the bus. Now we’ll have to walk.
25. Don’t come in. I just (to wash) this floor.
26. He (not to stop) eating since he arrived.
27. Scientists (to work out) on the solution to the problem of pollution since early 70’s.
28. He (to be) Minister of Education since 1983.
29. I (to shop) all day and I haven’t a cent left.
30. I (to wait) for an hour. Where is she?

1. Jane   (write) a letter to a magazine. She   (not

finish) it yet.
2. Ben   (look) for his penknife, but he   (not find) it
yet.
3. Jenny   (wait) for the bus for half an hour, but
it   (not arrive) yet.
4. Nick   (play) a computer game for two hours and he is still
playing.
5. Mike   (not finished) painting his car yet. He   
(work) on it for two weeks.
6. Amanda   (not come) home yet. She   (shop) in
town since 10 o'clock.
7. Mike's car   (make) strange noises. Nick and
Jane   (clean) all the parts.
8. Ben   (draw) cartoons for two hours. He   (not
finish) yet.
9. Greg   (wait) for Jenny in town. Jenny   (not
arrive) yet.
10. Jane   (knit) a pullover. She   (not finish)
yet.
11. It   (rain) all day and it   (not stop) yet.
12. Mr Blake   (make) tests all evening, but he   (not
find) a perfect one yet.

1. She has ________ letters all morning.

A.   ?    written

B.   ?    been writing
2. She has _________ six letters this morning.

A.   ?    written

B.   ?    been writing

3. I've ____________ this watch since I was at school.

A.   ?    had

B.   ?    been having

4. We've ___________ a great time. Why don't you join us?

A.   ?    had

B.   ?    been having

5. Your voice sounds strange. Have you

A.   ?    been drinking?

B.   ?    drunk?

6. I've ____________to call her all morning.

A.   ?    tried

B.   ?    been trying

7. How long have you ___________, Mr Simpkins?

A.   ?    waited

B.   ?    been waiting

8. I've _____________him that all day.

A.   ?    told

B.   ?    been telling

9. If I've_________you once, I've_________ you a thousand times, do not climb on that

wall!

A.   ?    been telling

B.   ?    told

10. I've_________ her five times this morning.

A.   ?    called

B.   ?    been calling

11. What has she ________ to her hair? It looks awful!

A.   ?    done

B.   ?    been doing

12. I've _________enough, thanks.

A.   ?    been having

B.   ?    had

13. We've _____________ up the Christmas decorations. Are you going to help?

A.   ?    been putting

B.   ?    put

14. We've ___________ to find a new flat but they're all so expensive.

A.   ?    tried
B.   ?    been trying

15. Sorry about the mess - I've __________ the kitchen.

A.   ?    painted

B.   ?    been painting

16. She's__________in five different countries at various times in her life.

A.   ?    lived

B.   ?    been living

17. They've _________ away for the week.

A.   ?    been going

B.   ?    gone

18. Oh damn! I've____________ a glass.

A.   ?    broken

B.   ?    been breaking

19. You've ____________ glasses again, haven't you? There were six when I looked the
other day and now there are only three.

A.   ?    been breaking

B.   ?    broken

20. I think you've _________ enough of the present perfect!

A.   ?    had

B.   ?    been having
Q1 - I've been reading the book for weeks now

The person has finished reading the book

The person hasn't finished reading the book

Q2 - She's gone to Madrid

She's come back

She's still there

Q3 - He's been to Paris

He's come back

He' still in Paris

Q4 - She's been living in that flat for ten years

She moved home recently

She still lives there

Q5 - Look at the ashtray- someone's been smoking in here!

Someone is still smoking in the room

Nobody is smoking in the room

Q6 - I've just sent the reply

The action is not finished

The action is finished

Q7 - She's been to Jamaica

We don't know when she went

We know when she went

Q8 - I haven't seen the film yet

The person wants to see the film

The person doesn't want to see the film

Q9 - You still haven't done that work

The speaker is getting impatient with the person

The speaker is not getting impatient with the speaker

Q10 - He's been working in London for six months

He's likely to stay in London forever

He's likely to leave London

Q11 - He's taken his driving test seven times

He hasn't passed the test yet

He has passed it
Q12 - I've been trying to get through to you all morning

The speaker is still trying to get through

The speaker has got through

Q13 - Haven't you finished the letter yet?

The speaker wants to know if the letter is finished

The speaker is getting a little impatient waiting for the letter

Q14 - Has Pauline arrived?

The speaker is expecting Pauline to come

The speaker has no idea if Pauline is coming

Q15 - He's been looking for a job for ages

The person has found a job

The person has not found a job yet

Q16 - Have you ever eaten snails?

The person thinks the person has eaten snails

The person has no idea if the person has eaten snails

Q17 - I've just seen that film you were talking about

The speaker saw the film recently

The speaker saw the film a few weeks ago

Q18 - I've learnt a lot about computers this year

The speaker is probably still learning

The speaker has probably learnt enough

Q19 - Haven't you finished that yet?

The speaker does not know whether the person has finished or not

The speaker thinks that the person has not finished

Q20 - I've been waiting for the last two hours
The speaker does not like waiting
The speaker does not mind waiting at all
Q21 - I've lived around here all my life
The speaker will probably stay in the same area

The speaker will probably move soon