Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous

I ___ and my legs are really tired now.

• 've been cycling

• 've cycled

Answer explanation

➪ We use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs for situations which started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.

➪ We use the present perfect continuous when the present result comes from the process of doing the action: my legs are tired because I have been cycling.

I'm sorry I'm late, ___ for a long time?

• have you waited

• have you been waiting

Answer explanation

➪ We can use both the present perfect simple or continuous to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished, but the present perfect continuous is more common when the verb is dynamic (action verbs).

How long ___ Peter?

• have you known

• have you been knowing

Answer explanation

➪ We can use both the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous with how long, for, since, recently, lately to talk about situations that started in the past and still continue.

➪ But we can only use the present perfect simple with stative verbs, and know is a stative verb.

Somebody ___ my cookies. There are none left.

• has been eating

• has eaten

Answer explanation

➪ When we use the present perfect simple for a past finished action, we focus on the completion of the action; i.e. the action has been completed (=there are no cookies left). When we use the present perfect continuous we focus on the duration of the action; the action has been going on for some time and maybe it's been completed or maybe not.

Somebody ___ my cookies. There are very few left.

• has eaten

• has been eating

Answer explanation

➪ When we use the present perfect simple, we focus on the completion of the action, i.e. the action has been finished . And when we use the present perfect continuous we focus on the duration of the action; the action has been going on for some time and maybe it’s been finished or maybe not. If there are some cookies left, it means that the action has not been completed, and this is why we need the present perfect continuous.

How many books ___ ?

• has she been writing

• has she written

Answer explanation

➪ We use the present perfect simple to talk about how many things or how much of something we have done (how many books).

She must be tired. She ___ all afternoon.

• has written

• has been writing

Answer explanation

➪ We use the present perfect continuous with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.

➪ With the present perfect continuous, we emphasize the duration of the action: we have been doing something all morning, all day, etc.

I think I ___ chocolate since I was born.

• 've liked

• 've been liking

Answer explanation

➪ We can use both the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous with how long, for, since, recently, lately to talk about situations that started in the past and still continue.

➪ But we can only use the present perfect simple with stative verbs, and like is a stative verb.