Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

Contents

• Quiz present perfect vs. present perfect continuous
• Short explanation / overview difference between tenses 
• Extra practice

My parents _____ the walls of my bedroom blue.

1. have been painting
2. have painted

My parents _____ the walls of my bedroom blue.
Only one more wall to go

1. have been painting
2. have painted

I______ the house this summer.

1. have been decorating
2. have decorated

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 ______ on her drawing for 3 hours now.

1. worked
2. have worked
3. has worked
4. has been working

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

1. have worked
2. have been working

I _____ here before. I temporarily switched jobs ten years ago, but now I am back.

1. have been working
2. have worked

He ______ soccer in the courtyard all afternoon.

1. has played
2. has been playing

He _____tennis since he was a little boy.

1. has played
2. has been playing

The weather forecasts had predicted otherwise, but it ______ for the past two hours.

1. has rained
2. has been raining

Daniel... _______? You look exhausted!

1. have you run
2. have you been running

How does it work?

Sentences that illustrate difference between the present perfect and present perfect continuous (1):

I’ve been decorating the house this summer (P.P.C).
The focus is on the action taking place – decorating – and the action is unfinished.

I’ve painted the house blue (P.P).
The focus is on the finished result. The activity is finished but we can see the result now.

Sentences that illustrate difference between the present perfect and present perfect continuous (2):

It has been raining for the past two days (P.P.C)

You emphasise the fact that something has been happening a lot recently.

I have worked here for most of my life (P.P.)

This action has started in the past and is still ongoing at present.

Now it's time to practice!

Good luck!