Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Progressive

Form
Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Progressive

irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of

form of 'have' + been + verb + ing

irregular verbs
Example:

Example:

I / you / we / they have spoken

he / she / it has spoken

I / you / we / they have been speaking

he / she / it has been speaking

regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed

Example:
I / you / we / they have worked
he / she / it has worked
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' :

Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

when the final letter is e, only add d

Example:
love - loved

aber: agree - agreeing

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example:

admit - admitted
final l is always doubled in British English

after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British

English (but not in American English).

Example:
travel - travelled

Example: sit - sitting

(not in American English)

Example: come - coming

after a short, stressed vowel, the final

consonant is doubled

silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: travel - travelling

final ie becomes y.

after a consonant, final y becomes i (but:

not after a vowel)

Example: lie - lying

Example:
worry - worried
but: play - played

Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many
cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly
to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to
emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been going on yet?

Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Progressive

Duration (how long)

Result (what / how much / how often)

I have been writing for an hour.
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.

Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the progressive form).

state: be, have (for possession only)

Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.

senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch

Example: He has touched the painting.

brain work: believe, know, think, understand

Example: I have known him for 3 years.

Emphasis on completion or duration?

Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how has somebody spent his time)?

Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Progressive

Emphasis on duration

Emphasis on completion
I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent my
I have done my homework. (Meaning: My

time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)

homework is completed now.)

Result or side effect?

2

Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the action had an unwanted side
effect?

Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Progressive

unwanted side effect

desired result
Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when I
I have washed the car. (Result:

was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)

The car is clean now.)

Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?

In negative sentences: Do you want to express how much time has past since the last time the action took place or
since the beginning of the action?

Present Perfect Simple

since the last time

Present Perfect Progressive

since the beginning

I haven't played that game for years. (Meaning:

I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10

It's years ago that I last played that game.)

minutes. (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that
game.)

Permanent or temporary?
If an action is still going on and we want to express that it is a permanent situation, we would usually use the
Present Perfect Simple. For temporary situations, we would prefer the Present Perfect Progressive. This is not a
rule, however, only a tendency.

Present Perfect Simple

permanent

Present Perfect Progressive

temporary

James has lived in this town for 10

James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only

years. (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of

temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or

this town.)

two years.)

Signal words
3

Present Perfect Simple

Present Perfect Progressive

how often

how long

... times

since

for

Test 1

Use
When to use which tense?
1. '5 times' is a signal word for
2. 'for two hours' is a signal word for .
3. 'since 9 o'clock' is a signal word for

Positive Sentences
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. I (practise). the piano for 30 minutes.
2. Bob (run) 10 km.
3. The children (be). on holiday for six days.
4. The dog (bark). since midnight.
5. We (miss) the bus twice this week.

Negative Sentences
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. You (eat / not) up yet.
2. He (speak / not) . on the phone for half an hour, just a couple of minutes.
3. They (work / not). since 5 o'clock. They just started an hour ago.
4. We (know / not) ... them for a long time.
5. She (hang / not) . up all the pictures yet.

Questions
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1.

How long (wait / she) . for us?

2.

How many times (tell / I) .. you?

3.

How often (clean / you) the windows this year?

4.

How many months (take / you)piano lessons?

5.

(stay / you / ever) in a castle?

Text
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. Tom: Hi Ana. I (try) . to ring you several times today. Where (you / be)
.?
2. Ana: I (be) at home all the time. But I (clean) the
house all day, so maybe I didn't hear the phone ring.
3. Tom: (you / clean) .. everything now?
4. Ana: No, not yet. I (tidy / not) up the kitchen yet. But why are you here?
5. Tom: Don't you remember? Jane (invited) us to her birthday party and
we (buy / not) a present for her yet.
6. Ana: Oh, that's right. (you / find out / already). what she wants?
7. Tom: Well, she (learn) .. Spanish for a year and wants to spend her next
holiday in Mexico. Maybe we could get her a guide book.
8. Ana: That's a good idea. There is a good bookshop in the big shopping centre. I (see)
.. some nice books about Mexico there recently.

Test 2

Use
When to use which tense?
1. If we want to emphasise the duration of an action, we use .
2. If we want to tell, how often something has happened so far, we use .
3. If we want to emphasise the result of an action, we use .
4. If we want to emphasise that an action is completed now, we use ..
5. If we want to emphasise how we have spent our time, we use ..

Positive Sentences
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1.

Sandy (cook) . dinner four times this week.

2.

We (travel) . around Scotland for 8 days.

3.

Why are your hands so dirty? - I (repair) my bike.

4.

I (read)the book, you can have it back.

5.

Paul (believe).in God since he was a child.

Negative Sentences
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. Sorry for being late. I hope you (wait / not) long.

2. My grandparents are coming to see us next weekend. They (visit / not) us for two
years.
3. She (be / not) .. on holiday for 3 years.
4. I don't want you to drive my car. You (drive / not) .. a car for ages.
5. He (watch / not)TV all afternoon, he only switched the telly on 10 minutes ago.

Questions
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. How much money (Jack / spend) in the casino?
2. How long (she / sit) there?
3. How many short messages (send / you) this month?
4. (you / empty) the bin yet?
5. Lucy, (you / bathe) your dolls? The bathroom floor is absolutely wet.

Text
Fill in the correct form (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).
1. Daughter: Mum, Jane (phone / just) .. to ask if I will go to the cinema with her. May
I?
2. Mother: (you / do). your homework yet?
3. Daughter: Well, I (do) it for about 2 hours now, but I (finish /
not) .. it yet.
4. Mother: If you (complete / not) . your homework, you cannot go. School comes
first. Remember, you (promise). me to study harder this year.
5. Daughter: But mum, I (work) . really hard this year and I (improve /
already) . in Maths and Chemistry.
6. Mother: But that's only because I (push / always) you to do something.
7. Daughter: But I also need a break some time. Look, I (be / not) to the cinema for
two months. May I go? Just this once.