A) Complete the sentences with the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous.

Jane has been written (write) a letter to a magazine. She hasn't finished it yet.

1) Ben ____________________ (look) for his pen-knife, but he hasn't found it yet.

2) Jenny ___________________ (wait) for the bus for half an hour, but it hasn't arrived yet.

3) Nick ____________________ (play) a computer game for two hours and he's still playing.

4) Mike hasn't finished painting his car yet. He ________________ (work) on it for two weeks.

5) Amanda (not come) home yet. She has been shopping in town since 10 o'clock.

6) Mike's car _____________________ (make) strange noises. Nick and Jane have cleaned all the parts.

7) Ben has been drawing cartoons for two hours. He ___________________________________ (not finished) yet.

8) Amanda has been waiting for Jenny in town. Jenny ______________________________ (not arrive) yet.

9) Jane has been knitting a pullover. She ________________________________ (just finish) it.

10)It ______________________________________ (rain) all day and it hasn't stopped yet.

11)Mr Blake has been marking tests all evening but he ____________________________ (not find) a perfect one yet.

12)Trig ____________________________ (practise) the present perfect, but he hasn't got it right.

B) Think of a job or activity that you have started but have not finished, for example, something that you are making, reading or drawing. Write a short paragraph about it. Say how long you have been doing it.

8. Complete the sentences with the present perfect continuous form ofan appropriate verb

1) The situation continues to be serious, and troops __________________ their lives to rescue people from the floods.

2) Mary hasn't been at work for a while. She __________________ her husband get over a serious illness.

3) I _________________very hard for this exam. I hope Ido well.

4) Because the children are older, we ________________ of moving to a bigger house.

5) I __________________ this suitcase around with me all day, and it's really heavy.

6) For several years now, Glasgow _________________ city-wide festivals to celebrate the cultures of other countries. This year the focus is on Sweden.

9. Rewrite each sentence using the present perfect continuous form of an appropriate verb and for or since. If necessary, look at the verbs below to help you.

1) Henry moved to California three years ago.

2) The project to send astronauts to Mars began in 1991.

3) Campbell began a life sentence for murder in 1992.

4) Colin James took over as head of the company six months ago.

5) Graham's knee injury began at the US Open earlier this year.

6) Local authorities began to invest heavily in new computer systems at the beginning of the 1990s.

go on invest live run serve suffer

10. Underline the correct alternative.

1. Bull fighting is going on / has been going on in Spain for centuries.

2. I always find/ have always been finding it difficult to get up on winter mornings.

3. I have been wanting/ I want to meet you since Isaw your concert.

4. Over the last six months I've been learning /I'm learning how to play the flute.

5. The phone's been ringing/phone's ringing. Can you answer it?

6. How long have you learned / have you been learning Swahili?

7. During the last few years the company has been working / works hard to modernise its image.

11. Complete these sentences with the present perfect, the present perfect progressive, or the past simple form of each verb in brackets.

Т.: Chris, how are you? I... (not see) you in ages! What... you... (do) this semester?

Ch.: I... (play) a lot of tennis.

Т.: Really? How long... (be) interested in tennis?

Ch.: I... (start) years ago. I guess I... (be) about ten years old. And I... (practise) for the college team for month.

Т.: But... you... (not play) on the college basketball team last semester?

Ch.: Yes, I did. But when the season... (end), I... (get) interested in baseball team this spring, but we... (not have) any games in the last few days, so I... (think) about swimming too. Of course there's also the soccer team, the football team, the hockey team, the bowling team, the...

12. Fill in the blanks in the letter with an appropriate form (the present perfect progressive, the present perfect, or the past simple) of each verb in parentheses. Two answers may be correct.

Dear Yukiko,

I've been living (live) in New York for two months now, and I... (learn) a lot. In general, I.... (be) very happy up until now, but I... (feel) a little lonely, too.

Since I... (rent) this apartment, I... (meet) some of the people in the building. There are some interesting couples. In the past few weeks, I... (talk) a lot to an American woman who is married to a Vietnamese man. A Peruvian man and his American wife... (promise) to invite me to dinner sometime, but they... (not do) it yet. Actually, I... (not see) the inside of an American family's apartment since I... (move) here.

A very nice Arabian woman... (visit) me this week. She... (be) married to an American for several years. She says she... (have) problems with the customs of the United States since she... (move) here, and there... (be) cultural conflicts.

I'm surprised at the number of cross-cultural couples that I... (get) to know since last month. And now an American student... (ask) me out. What do you think? Should I go?

Your friend

Monique

13. Put in the present simple, the present perfect progressive or the past simple.

THE AUSTRALIAN SALUTE

Before I (visit)... Australia, an Australian friend in London (tell)... me I'd learn " the Australian salute". " What's that? " I (ask).... " You'll find out when you get there, " he (say).... I (arrive)... in Perth last week. Since then, I (stay)... at a nice hotel near a beautiful beach. I (never visit)... Australia before and I am enjoying my stay. I (swim)... every day since the time I (arrive).... Yesterday, an Australian friend (suggest)... a tour into " the bush". I (agree)... at once. The first thing I (notice)... when we (be)... in the bush (be)... the flies. After a while I (remember)... the conversation I had had in London before I (come)... here. " What's the " Australian salute"? " I (ask)... suddenly, as I waved my right arm to keep the flies away. " That's it! " my friend said as he (wave)... back!

14. Complete these sentences with the present perfect, the present perfect progressive, or the past simple from each verb in brackets

.

J.: We have to do something this weekend. I don't want to stay at home. We... (stay) home and (study) all last weekend.

K:. Well, it... (rain) all day Saturday and Sunday.

J.: Right. So we... (not get) any outdoor exercise lately.

K.: Then let's go swimming. We... (not go) swimming yet this summer.

J.: No, the pool... (be) too crowded the last time. How about roller-skating? I... (go) roller-skating last week and I... (have) a great time.

К.: I... (try) roller-skating only once in my life. It... (be) a few years ago. I... (fall) down about ten times.

J.: Well,... you ever... (play) volleyball? That's always fun.

K.: Yes, but I... already... (do) that this month. Let's try something else. We... (not be) to the beach lately,... we?

J.: You're right. How about sunbathing?

K.: Good idea. All this planning... (make) me very tired.

15. Put the verbs in brackets into the present perfect or present progressive tense.

1) We (walk) ten kilometers.

2) We (walk) for three hours.

3) We (walk) too fast. That's why you are tired.

4) I (make) sausage rolls for the party all the morning.

5) How many you (make)? - I (make) 200.

6) The boy (eat) seven ice-creams.

7) He (not stop) eating since he arrived.

8) The driver (drink). I think someone else ought to drive.

9) I (pull) up dandelions all day.

10)What you (do)? - I (pick) apples.

11)How many you (pick)? - I (pick) ten basketfuls.

12)I (sleep) on every bed in this house and I don't like any of them.

13)He (ride), that's why he's wearing breeches.

14)I (ride) all the horses in this stable.

15)What a lovely smell. Mary (make) a jam.

16)The students (work) very well this term.

17)I only (hear) from him twice since he went away.

18)I (hear) from her regularly. She's a very good correspondent.

19)I (polish) this table all the morning and she isn't satisfied with it yet.

20)I (work) for him for ten years and he never once (say) ''Good morning" to me.

21)He (teach) in this school for ten years.

22)I (teach) hundreds of students but I never (meet) such a hopeless class like this.

23)Why you (be) so long in the garage? - the tyres were flat, I (pump) them up.

24)I (pump) up three tyres. Would you like to do the fourth?

25)I (look) for mushrooms but I (not to find) any.

26)He (cough) a lot lately. He ought to give up smoking.

27)You (hear) the news? Tom and Ann are engaged! - That's not new, I (know) it for ages.

28)I (try) to finish ibis letter for the last half an hour. I wish you'd go away or stop talking.

29)The driver of that car (sound) his horn for the last ten minutes.

30)It (rain) for two hours and the ground is too wet to play on, so the match (be) postponed.

31)He (hope) for a rise in salary for six months but he (not dare) to ask for it yet.

32)Mr. Smith, you (whisper) to the student on your right for the last live minutes. You (help) him with his exam paper or he (help) you?

33)Why you (make) such a horrible noise? - I (lose) my key and I (try) to wake my wife by throwing stones at her window. - You (throw) stones at the wrong window. Yours is the next.

16. Put the verbs in brackets into Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.

Dear Linda,

I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself in Australia. Things at home are the same as usual. Your father 1) has been working (work)very hard. Susan 2) _________________ (just/pass) her driving test. Alex 3) _____________________ (not/write) for weeks, probably because he 4) __________________________ (study) very hard for his exams. Uncle Tom 5) _______________________ (build) a shed in the garden. I think it will be ready next month. Mr Brown 6) ___________________ (not/feel) well recently. He 7) _______________________ (visit) the doctor four times this month. The dog 8) _________________________ (have) three puppies. Mrs Smith 9) ____________________________ (not/open) her new shop yet. The decorators 10) _______________________ (paint) it for weeks. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Australia. 11) ____________________ (you/see) the famous Opera House yet? Tina sends her love. Write to me soon.

17. Fill in with Present S., Present Cont, Present Perfect or Present Perfect

Arthur: I 1) ’ve been searching (search) for a house for a week now but so far I 2) ____________________ (not/find) anything suitable.

Sandra: Why 3) __________________ (you/want) to move?

Arthur: Well, the people living next to me 4) _________________ (be) the main problem. They 5) ___________________ (always/argue), especially at night.

Sandra: Oh dear! 6) ______________________ (you/ever/complain) to them?

Arthur: Yes, but they 7) ____________________ (not/stop). They 8) ____________________ (keep on) making noise. I 9) _____________________ (not/be able) to sleep well lately, and I 10) ________________________ (feel) sleepy all week.

Sandra: How awful!

18. Fill in with Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous

Robinson Crusoe has been stuck on a desert island for the past six months. Here is a letter he wrote andput in a bottle:

Dear Anybody,

I 1 ) have been. (be) on this island for six months now. It is a miracle that I 2) ________________ (survive) for this long. I 3) __________________ (eat) fish and fruit since I got here. Fortunately, I 4)______________ (not/see) any dangerous animals yet. When I arrived here the weather was fine, but it 5) _________________ (rain) continuously for the past two weeks, so I 6) _____________ (build) a shelter out of sticks and leaves, which is really quite cosy. My main problem is loneliness, as I 7) _____________ (not/speak) to anyone for so long. Recently I 8) _______________ (talk) to myself, but it isn't very interesting. Please help me.

R. Crusoe

19. Delete the incorrect verb form (in some sentences both forms are correct).

1) I've always wanted / been wanting to play the piano.

2) She's worked / been working here for years.

3) He's watched / been watching TV for two hours.

4) I'm tired. I've studied / been studying all evening.

5) She's decorated / been decorating the house, but she hasn't finished yet.

6) Have you ever won / been winning anything on the lottery?

7) I've lived / been living here since last year.

8) Paul McCartney has written / been writing hundreds of songs,

9) Has Mr Terrill arrived / been arriving! I've waited / been waiting for half an hour.

10)Have you finished / been finishing that book?

20. Match the items from columns A and B. (Each item in A goes with more than one item in B.)