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Present perfect continuous for actions happening up to now Exercises in English language

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The present perfect continuous tense is a powerful tool in the English language, used to describe actions that began in the past and are still ongoing or have recently been completed with relevance to the present moment. This tense helps to convey a sense of duration and ongoing activity, making it essential for expressing actions and events that are happening up to now. For instance, when you say, "I have been studying for three hours," it indicates that the studying started in the past and is still continuing or has just finished, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the action. Mastering the present perfect continuous tense can significantly enhance your fluency and precision in English communication. This page is dedicated to providing you with a variety of grammar exercises designed to help you understand and practice this tense. Through these exercises, you will learn to form sentences correctly, use appropriate time expressions, and distinguish between the present perfect continuous and other tenses. Whether you're a beginner looking to grasp the basics or an advanced learner aiming to refine your skills, these exercises will help you confidently use the present perfect continuous tense in your everyday conversations.

Exercise 1

1. She *has been reading* that book for hours (verb for continuous action). 2. They *have been working* on the project all day (verb for ongoing effort). 3. He *has been playing* the guitar since morning (verb for musical activity). 4. I *have been studying* for the exam all night (verb for academic preparation). 5. We *have been waiting* for the bus for over 30 minutes (verb for remaining in place). 6. The kids *have been swimming* in the pool since noon (verb for water activity). 7. She *has been cooking* dinner for the last two hours (verb for preparing food). 8. He *has been jogging* every morning for a month (verb for physical exercise). 9. They *have been discussing* the issue for the past hour (verb for talking about something). 10. I *have been cleaning* the house since the morning (verb for making something tidy).

Exercise 2

1. She *has been studying* for her exams all week (continuous action of learning). 2. We *have been living* in this city for three years now (continuous action of residing). 3. They *have been building* a new house since last summer (continuous action of construction). 4. He *has been working* on his project tirelessly for the past month (continuous action of employment). 5. I *have been reading* this book for the last two days (continuous action of engaging with a text). 6. The children *have been playing* outside for hours (continuous action of recreation). 7. You *have been using* that computer for quite a long time (continuous action of operation). 8. She *has been feeling* unwell since last night (continuous action of experiencing a state). 9. The students *have been practicing* their dance routine all afternoon (continuous action of rehearsal). 10. We *have been waiting* for the bus for over thirty minutes (continuous action of anticipating).

Exercise 3

1. She *has been studying* for her exams all week (continuous action). 2. They *have been playing* soccer in the park since morning (outdoor activity). 3. He *has been working* on his novel for the past two years (writing activity). 4. We *have been waiting* for the bus for over an hour (waiting activity). 5. The kids *have been watching* cartoons all afternoon (watching activity). 6. I *have been practicing* the piano for three hours (musical activity). 7. She *has been cooking* dinner since 5 PM (kitchen activity). 8. They *have been building* a treehouse in the backyard (construction activity). 9. He *has been learning* Spanish for six months (language learning). 10. We *have been hiking* through the forest all day (outdoor activity).