Grammar Exercises

Present Perfect Simple or Continuous?

Complete the sentences with either the present perfect simple or continuous.

  1. “How long _________________________ (you/try) to sell your house?”
    – Not long. We _________________________ (just/put) it on the market.
  2. “How long _________________________ (have) your dog?”  – “Since he was a puppy.”
  3. The film star is fed up as journalists _________________________ (interview) her for hours and she _________________________  (not/have) a lunch break yet.
  4. (At an office) “_________________________ (you/see) Nicky anywhere?”
    – “He didn’t come to work today. He _________________________ (throw up) since yesterday, poor thing. I reckon he _________________________  (catch) a stomach bug.”
  5. “I _________________________ (phone) Isabel several times today but she _______________________ (not/call back) yet.”
  6. “How did your interview go?” – “Very well. They _________________________ (offer) me the job!”
  7. Katy and Steve are getting married even though they _________________________ (only / know) each other for six months!
  8. I don’t think we are going to be able to have our barbecue. It _________________________ (rain) heavily for hours. When on earth is it going to stop?
  9. _________________________ (you/finish) with the newspaper? I’d like to read it.
  10. Anthony _________________________ (write) his memoirs for three years now. Hopefully he’ll finish soon.














Answers

  1. have you been trying; ‘ve just put
  2. have you had
  3. have been interviewing; hasn’t had
  4. Have you seen; ‘s been throwing up; ‘s caught
  5. ‘ve phoned; hasn’t called back
  6. ‘ve offered
  7. ‘ve only known
  8. ‘s been raining
  9. Have you finished
  10. ‘s been writing

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