Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous A
Choose the correct answer.
1. I love this writer’s books. I (have been reading / had been reading) them for years. 2. His clothes were dirty because he (has been working / had been working) in the garden. 3. Where have you been? We (had been waiting / have been waiting) for you for ages. 4. He hasn’t decided on a career yet, but he (has been thinking / had been thinking) about it lately. 5. After she (has been playing / had been playing) the violin for ten years, she joined an orchestra.
B
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Present Perfect Continuous or the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. Mike has never had an accident and he ....................................... (drive) for years. 2. She had no idea it was so late because she ....................................... (not / watch) the time. 3. “ ....................................... (you / take) your medicine regularly, Mrs Smith?” “Yes, doctor.” 4. They eventually found the dog after they ....................................... (look) for it all night. 5. How long ....................................... your father ....................................... (work) for the company when he retired?
C
Complete the sentences with a suitable word or expression. for
■
by tomorrow
■
so far
■
the week before
■
since
1. Our TV hasn’t been working .......................... last week. 2. The Browns invited us to dinner although we had only met .......................... . 3. They will have finished painting the house .......................... . 4. We had been writing .......................... nearly an hour when the bell rang. 5. They have interviewed three suspects .......................... .
D
Choose the correct answer.
1. Don’t come before seven. I .......................... my homework. a. haven’t finished
b. won’t have finished
c. hadn’t finished
2. She loves animals. She .......................... a dog for as long as she can remember. a. has had
b. had had
c. will have had
3. Jack wanted to know why Sally .......................... to him yet. a. hasn’t written
b. hasn’t been writing
c. hadn’t written
4. We .......................... him, so we were very surprised to see him. a. haven’t been expecting
b. haven’t expected
c. hadn’t been expecting
5. His playing has improved because he .......................... all month. a. will have practised
E
b. has been practising
c. had practised
Correct the errors in the following sentences.
1. Jane has lost weight. She had been dieting for months now. ........................................................................................................................... 2. Everything was white when we woke up because it has been snowing all night. ........................................................................................................................... 3. I was so happy when he asked me to marry him. I have been loving him for years. ........................................................................................................................... 4. That man is making me nervous. He has stared at me all evening. ........................................................................................................................... 5. Hurry up, or they have sold all the tickets by the time we get there. ...........................................................................................................................
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous – Answers A 1. have been reading 2. had been working 3. have been waiting B 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
4. has been thinking 5. had been playing
has been driving hadn’t been watching Have you been taking had been looking had ... been working
C 1. since 2. the week before 3. by tomorrow
4. for 5. so far
D 1. b 2. a 3. c
4. c 5. b
E
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Jane has lost weight. She has been dieting for months now. Everything was white when we woke up because it had been snowing all night. I was so happy when he asked me to marry him. I have loved him for years. That man is making me nervous. He has been staring at me all evening. Hurry up, or they will have sold all the tickets by the time we get there.
Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect progressive). 1. We (sleep)
for 12 hours when he woke us up.
2. They (wait)
at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived.
3. We (look for)
her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom.
4. I (not / walk)
for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain.
5. How long (learn / she)
English before she went to London?
6. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he (sing) 7. He (drive)
in the rain too long.
less than an hour when he ran out of petrol.
8. They were very tired in the evening because they (help)
on the farm all day.
9. I (not / work)
all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night.
10. They (cycle)
all day so their legs were sore in the evening.
..............................................................................................................................................................
Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect progressive). 1. We had been sleeping for 12 hours when he woke us up. 2. They had been waiting at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived. 3. We had been looking for her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom. 4. I had not been walking for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain. 5. How long had she been learning English before she went to London? 6. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he had been singing in the rain too long. 7. He had been driving less than an hour when he ran out of petrol. 8. They were very tired in the evening because they had been helping on the farm all day. 9. I had not been working all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night. 10. They had been cycling all day so their legs were sore in the evening.
C- Write sentences in the past perfect continuous form. 1. She looked upset. ( her daughter /cry/fro hours)
Her daughter had been crying for hours. 2. He had a fever. (he/walk/in the rain) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 3. Claire got burnt. (she/use/the oven) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 4. The firefighters were exhausted. (they/ fight/ that fire/for hours.
A- Put the verbs in brackets into the past perfect continuous.
____________________________________ ____________________________________ 5. She got the first prize. (she / practise / every
1. I __________ (live) in Portugal for two years when the revolution broke out. 2. Her parents found out that she __________(hide) the truth. 3. He told me he __________(think) of finding a job. 4. Mark was so strange that I wondered if he __________(drink). 5. Due to health problems, he __________(not/work) on the project. 6. How long __________ they __________(dance)?
day / for weeks) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 6. Jane was very angry. (she and her boyfriend /quarrel) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 7. They called the police. (someone / watch / their house). ____________________________________ ____________________________________
____ / 6
8. We felt distant. ( we / argue / a lot) ____________________________________
B- Order the words to form sentences. 1. time / she / been / long / a / waiting / for /
____________________________________ 9. Everybody was afraid. (the wind / blow/ very
hard
hard / and the waves were enormous)
___________________________________
____________________________________
2. the / had /living / they / been / in / not /
____________________________________
country ___________________________________
3. in / playing / they / been / the / had / rain ___________________________________
____ / 3
____ / 9
Answer key A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
had been living had been hiding had been thinking had been drinking hadn’t been working had…been dancing
B 1. She had been waiting for a long time. 2. They had not been living in the country. 3. They had been playing in the rain. C 2. He had been walking in the rain. 3. She had been using the oven. 4. They had been fighting that fire for hours. 5. She had been practicing every day for weeks. 6. She and her boyfriend had been quarrelling. 7. Someone had been watching their house. 8. We had been arguing a lot. 9. The wind had been blowing very hard and the waves were enormous.
Choose the correct answer.
1. I love this writer’s books. I (have been reading / had been reading) them for years. 2. His clothes were dirty because he (has been working / had been working) in the garden. 3. Where have you been? We (had been waiting / have been waiting) for you for ages. 4. He hasn’t decided on a career yet, but he (has been thinking / had been thinking) about it lately. 5. After she (has been playing / had been playing) the violin for ten years, she joined an orchestra.
B
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Present Perfect Continuous or the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. Mike has never had an accident and he ....................................... (drive) for years. 2. She had no idea it was so late because she ....................................... (not / watch) the time. 3. “ ....................................... (you / take) your medicine regularly, Mrs Smith?” “Yes, doctor.” 4. They eventually found the dog after they ....................................... (look) for it all night. 5. How long ....................................... your father ....................................... (work) for the company when he retired?
C
Complete the sentences with a suitable word or expression. for
■
by tomorrow
■
so far
■
the week before
■
since
1. Our TV hasn’t been working .......................... last week. 2. The Browns invited us to dinner although we had only met .......................... . 3. They will have finished painting the house .......................... . 4. We had been writing .......................... nearly an hour when the bell rang. 5. They have interviewed three suspects .......................... .
D
Choose the correct answer.
1. Don’t come before seven. I .......................... my homework. a. haven’t finished
b. won’t have finished
c. hadn’t finished
2. She loves animals. She .......................... a dog for as long as she can remember. a. has had
b. had had
c. will have had
3. Jack wanted to know why Sally .......................... to him yet. a. hasn’t written
b. hasn’t been writing
c. hadn’t written
4. We .......................... him, so we were very surprised to see him. a. haven’t been expecting
b. haven’t expected
c. hadn’t been expecting
5. His playing has improved because he .......................... all month. a. will have practised
E
b. has been practising
c. had practised
Correct the errors in the following sentences.
1. Jane has lost weight. She had been dieting for months now. ........................................................................................................................... 2. Everything was white when we woke up because it has been snowing all night. ........................................................................................................................... 3. I was so happy when he asked me to marry him. I have been loving him for years. ........................................................................................................................... 4. That man is making me nervous. He has stared at me all evening. ........................................................................................................................... 5. Hurry up, or they have sold all the tickets by the time we get there. ...........................................................................................................................
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous – Answers A 1. have been reading 2. had been working 3. have been waiting B 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
4. has been thinking 5. had been playing
has been driving hadn’t been watching Have you been taking had been looking had ... been working
C 1. since 2. the week before 3. by tomorrow
4. for 5. so far
D 1. b 2. a 3. c
4. c 5. b
E
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Jane has lost weight. She has been dieting for months now. Everything was white when we woke up because it had been snowing all night. I was so happy when he asked me to marry him. I have loved him for years. That man is making me nervous. He has been staring at me all evening. Hurry up, or they will have sold all the tickets by the time we get there.
Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect progressive). 1. We (sleep)
for 12 hours when he woke us up.
2. They (wait)
at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived.
3. We (look for)
her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom.
4. I (not / walk)
for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain.
5. How long (learn / she)
English before she went to London?
6. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he (sing) 7. He (drive)
in the rain too long.
less than an hour when he ran out of petrol.
8. They were very tired in the evening because they (help)
on the farm all day.
9. I (not / work)
all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night.
10. They (cycle)
all day so their legs were sore in the evening.
..............................................................................................................................................................
Put the verbs into the correct form (past perfect progressive). 1. We had been sleeping for 12 hours when he woke us up. 2. They had been waiting at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally arrived. 3. We had been looking for her ring for two hours and then we found it in the bathroom. 4. I had not been walking for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain. 5. How long had she been learning English before she went to London? 6. Frank Sinatra caught the flu because he had been singing in the rain too long. 7. He had been driving less than an hour when he ran out of petrol. 8. They were very tired in the evening because they had been helping on the farm all day. 9. I had not been working all day; so I wasn't tired and went to the disco at night. 10. They had been cycling all day so their legs were sore in the evening.
C- Write sentences in the past perfect continuous form. 1. She looked upset. ( her daughter /cry/fro hours)
Her daughter had been crying for hours. 2. He had a fever. (he/walk/in the rain) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 3. Claire got burnt. (she/use/the oven) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 4. The firefighters were exhausted. (they/ fight/ that fire/for hours.
A- Put the verbs in brackets into the past perfect continuous.
____________________________________ ____________________________________ 5. She got the first prize. (she / practise / every
1. I __________ (live) in Portugal for two years when the revolution broke out. 2. Her parents found out that she __________(hide) the truth. 3. He told me he __________(think) of finding a job. 4. Mark was so strange that I wondered if he __________(drink). 5. Due to health problems, he __________(not/work) on the project. 6. How long __________ they __________(dance)?
day / for weeks) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 6. Jane was very angry. (she and her boyfriend /quarrel) ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 7. They called the police. (someone / watch / their house). ____________________________________ ____________________________________
____ / 6
8. We felt distant. ( we / argue / a lot) ____________________________________
B- Order the words to form sentences. 1. time / she / been / long / a / waiting / for /
____________________________________ 9. Everybody was afraid. (the wind / blow/ very
hard
hard / and the waves were enormous)
___________________________________
____________________________________
2. the / had /living / they / been / in / not /
____________________________________
country ___________________________________
3. in / playing / they / been / the / had / rain ___________________________________
____ / 3
____ / 9
Answer key A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
had been living had been hiding had been thinking had been drinking hadn’t been working had…been dancing
B 1. She had been waiting for a long time. 2. They had not been living in the country. 3. They had been playing in the rain. C 2. He had been walking in the rain. 3. She had been using the oven. 4. They had been fighting that fire for hours. 5. She had been practicing every day for weeks. 6. She and her boyfriend had been quarrelling. 7. Someone had been watching their house. 8. We had been arguing a lot. 9. The wind had been blowing very hard and the waves were enormous.
