Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Talk about actions related to the past and present 

Present perfect / past simple

Present perfect: unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present

I've known Julie for ten years (and I still know her).

Past simple: finished actions

I knew Julie for ten years (but then she moved away and we lost touch).

Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous

How does it work?

How to form them

Present perfect: have / has + past participle

Present perfect continuous: have / has + been + verb+-ing

 Talk about events with a connection to the present.

I’ve painted the house blue.
 Present perfect: the focus is on the finished result. The activity is finished, but we can see the result now.

I’ve been decorating the house this summer.

Present perfect continuous: the focus is on the action – decorating – and the action is unfinished.

 Talk about how long something has been happening.

She’s written 10 messages.  

Present perfect: to say how much / many / often something has happened. 

She’s been writing emails for 3 hours.
Present perfect continuous: to say how long
 

You can also use the present perfect continuous for action that began in the past, are relevant now and will possibly continue in the future / are temporarily 

He has been playing tennis since he was eight.

I usually work in London, but I’ve been working in Birmingham for the last 3 weeks.

Present perfect	Present perfect continuous
For completed actions with the focus on the result	Completed actions with focus on the activity
To say much / many; how often something had happened	To say how long
	For an action that began in the past that is relevant now and will possibly continue in the future

Now time to practice!

I______ the house this summer.

1. have been decorating
2. have decorated

I_____ the house blue.

1. have been painting
2. have painted

I _____ that book you lent me. I finished it yesterday.

1. am reading
2. has read
3. have read
4. will read

I _____ that book you lent me. I have still got another 50 pages to read.

1. read
2. have read
3. have been reading
4. have reading

She ______ emails for 3 hours now.

1. wrote
2. has written
3. is writing
4. has been writing

She _____ 10 messages.

1. has been writing
2. has written

I usually work in London but I_____in Birmingham for the last 3 weeks.

1. have worked
2. have been working

I _____ here before.

1. have been working
2. have worked

He ______ tennis for his school

1. has played
2. has been playing

He _____tennis since he was eight.

1. has played
2. has been playing

It ______ for the past two hours

1. has rained
2. has been raining

Bro... _______? You look exhausted!

1. have you ran
2. have you been running

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