Present perfect continuous: Combining sentences
Combine the sentences to create ones with the present perfect continuous or present perfect simple.
She's cleaning the house. She started cleaning the house this afternoon.
Great! She started earlier and is still cleaning.
She is still cleaning now.
She has been cleaning the house since this afternoon.
They're preparing for the exam. They began preparing for the exam last month.
Well done! They’ve been preparing for a while.
They started preparing some time ago.
They have been preparing for the exam since last month.
She's reading that book. She started reading that book two days ago.
Excellent! You included the duration perfectly.
She began the book earlier and is still reading.
She has been reading that book for two days.
He is my best friend. We became close friends in high school.
Spot on! The verb phrase shows the ongoing relationship.
He became your best friend in the past, right?
He has been my best friend since high school.
They're renovating their house. They began renovating their house six months ago.
Well done! The phrase "have been renovating" is perfect.
They started working on their house a while ago.
They have been renovating their house for six months.
I know him well. I met him five years ago.
Perfect! "Have known" is the correct verb phrase.
How long have you been familiar with him?
I have known him for five years.
He's working from home. He started working from home in 2020.
Excellent! You included the starting point correctly.
He’s still working from home, isn’t he?
He has been working from home since 2020.
I'm writing this report. I started writing this report three hours ago.
Great! You mentioned the time frame clearly.
You started the report earlier, right?
I have been writing this report for three hours.
I love olives. I started to like them when I was a teenager.
Great! "Have loved" is the correct form for stative verbs.
Think about when you started liking olives.
I have loved olives since I was a teenager.
They're learning a new language. They started learning the language last year.
Well done! "Have been learning" is the perfect phrase.
They began learning at some point last year.
They have been learning a new language since last year.
She's practicing her presentation. She started practicing her presentation yesterday.
Great! You captured the ongoing preparation perfectly.
She’s still preparing for her presentation, right?
She has been practicing her presentation since yesterday.
I have a car. I bought it in 2022.
Perfect! You used "have had" correctly for possession.
How long have you owned the car?
I have had a car since 2022.
I'm searching for my lost keys. I started searching for my keys an hour ago.
Excellent! "Have been searching" is perfectly formed.
You’re still looking for them, right?
I have been searching for my lost keys for an hour.
He's developing the app. He started developing the app when he began his new job.
Well done! "Has been developing" is perfect.
He’s still working on the app, right?
He has been developing the app since he began his new job.
I like this song. I first heard it when I was a teenager.
Perfect! "Have liked" shows the ongoing liking.
Think about when you started liking this song.
I have liked this song since I was a teenager.
They know this area. They moved here three years ago.
Excellent! "Have known" is the correct choice.
How long have they been familiar with this place?
They have known this area for three years.
I love Italian food. I started liking it when I traveled to Italy.
Great! You used "have loved" correctly.
Consider when you first started loving this food.
I have loved Italian food since I traveled to Italy.
She loves this city. She moved here two years ago.
Well done! "Has loved" is spot on.
Think about when she started loving this city.
She has loved this city since she moved here.
She has a cat. She got it as a gift last year.
Perfect! You expressed ownership correctly.
How long has she had the cat?
She has had a cat since last year.
They're learning a new language. They started learning the language last year.
Excellent! "Have been learning" is correct.
They started learning a while ago, didn’t they?
They have been learning a new language since last year.
She's practicing her presentation. She started practicing her presentation yesterday.
Great! "Has been practicing" fits perfectly.
She’s still working on her presentation, right?
She has been practicing her presentation since yesterday.
I have a car. I bought it in 2022.
Perfect! You captured the duration correctly.
How long have you owned the car?
I have had a car since 2022.
I'm searching for my lost keys. I started searching for my keys an hour ago.
Excellent! You formed the phrase perfectly.
You’re still looking for them, aren’t you?
I have been searching for my lost keys for an hour.
He's developing the app. He started developing the app when he began his new job.
Well done! "Has been developing" is correct.
He’s still working on it, right?
He has been developing the app since he began his new job.
Present perfect continuous combines "has/have been" with the -ing form to show ongoing actions.
Use "have been" + verb (-ing) to show actions that started earlier and are still ongoing.
Present perfect continuous highlights actions that started earlier and are still happening now.
Stative verbs like "be" use "has/have been" to show duration and relationships.
Present perfect continuous emphasizes ongoing actions with "have been" + verb (-ing).
Stative verbs like "know" use present perfect simple to indicate familiarity over a period of time.
Use "has been" + verb (-ing) for ongoing actions starting earlier and continuing now.
Present perfect continuous highlights ongoing processes and their duration.
Stative verbs like "love" use present perfect simple to indicate long-term affection.
Present perfect continuous highlights ongoing learning with "have been" + verb (-ing).
Present perfect continuous combines "has been" with the -ing form to show ongoing preparation.
Stative verbs like "have" (for possession) use present perfect simple to show ongoing ownership.
Present perfect continuous shows ongoing searches using "have been" + verb (-ing).
Present perfect continuous highlights ongoing development using "has been" + verb (-ing).
Stative verbs like "like" use present perfect simple to indicate long-term preference.
Stative verbs like "know" use present perfect simple to show familiarity over time.
Stative verbs like "love" use present perfect simple to express long-term affection.
Stative verbs like "love" use present perfect simple to show ongoing affection or preference.
Stative verbs like "have" (for possession) use present perfect simple to indicate duration.
Present perfect continuous emphasizes ongoing learning with "have been" + verb (-ing).
Present perfect continuous combines "has been" with the -ing form to show ongoing preparation.
Stative verbs like "have" (for possession) use present perfect simple to indicate ownership over time.
Present perfect continuous emphasizes ongoing actions that started earlier and continue now.
Present perfect continuous highlights ongoing development with "has been" + verb (-ing).
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