Present Perfect Progressive: - Answer Key

Present Perfect Progressive—Answer Key

Part 1: Practice with Form—Use the verb in parenthesis to make a sentence or clause in the
present perfect progressive tense.

1. (clean) Judy ______________________________________ her house for an hour, but much still remains to be done.
has been cleaning

2. (work) I ______________________________________ tirelessly for several days, and I need a break.

have been working
3. (handle) The students ______________________________________ the stress and demands of studying very well.
have been handling
4. (train) Jake ______________________________________ for her next s wimming competition, so she hasn’t been
around much.
has been training
5. (dwindle) Lily’s enthusiasm ______________________________________ lately; I fear that she may not be
motivated anymore.
has been dwindling
6. (contemplate) Lately, Bob ______________________________________ moving to Australia, but he hasn’t made

any decisions yet.
has been contemplating
7. (discuss) A: Do you know if they chose a candidate for the position yet?
B: No, but they ______________________________________it for quite some time now, so they must be
getting close.
have been discussing
8. (toss around) Did you know Melinda ______________________________________ the idea of quitting her job and
moving to Spain?
has been tossing around
9. (get) You can tell that autumn is near; it ______________________________________ darker earlier.
has been getting darker
10. (disturb) Diego’s loud neighbors ______________________________________ his sleep every night with their
incessant socializing.
have been disturbing
Part 2: Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Progressive—Sometimes it can be tricky to decide
between using the present perfect or the present perfect progressive. In the following examples,
please choose one of three options: (a) present perfect, (b) present perfect progressive, or (c)
either (both are correct).
1. Jodie and Karen ______________________________________________ each other for over seven years.
(a) have known (b) have been knowing (c) both are correct
(a) have known: “Know” is a stative verb and cannot be used with “ing”.
2. We ______________________________________________ for five hours! Can we please take a break soon?
(a) have worked (b) have been working (c) both are correct
(b) have been working: The action is still in progress; it hasn’t ended yet.
3. A: Why are your eyes so red?

B: Because I ______________________________________________ at a computer screen.
(a) have stared (b) have been staring (c) both are correct
(b) have been staring: In this example, the action has just ended at the moment of speaking. The evidenc e
of the action is visible (red eyes).
4. A: Why is Danny late?

B: Because he ______________________________________________ his keys yet.
(a) hasn’t found (b) hasn’t been finding (c) both are correct
(a) hasn’t found: “Find” is a non-continuous verb and cannot express an activity in progress. (However, it
may express a recent habit. For example, “I have been finding my keys in the strangest places lately.”
5. A: Jane looks beautiful!

B: I agree! I think it is because she ______________________________________________ regularly.
(a) has worked out (b) has been working out (c) both are correct
(b) has been working out: This examples shows a recent habit, which means we need the present perfect
progressive.
Part 3: Right or Wrong? Decide whether the underlined clause is grammatically correct or
incorrect for the context. Then correct the mistake if it is wrong.
1. I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I have been so clumsy. I have been dropping my keys for no
reason lately. Correct! “Lately” makes it clear that the speaker is referring to a recent habit.
2. A: What’s taking you so long? Please unlock the car so I can get it in and turn on the air conditioning!
B: Sorry, I’m looking for my keys. I’ve just been dropping them. Incorrect. In this example, the speaker
wishes to describe an action that has ended, not one that is still in progress, nor one that is a recent habit.
The correct verb form should be “I just dropped them” or “I have just dropped them”.
3. Jan and her friends have been going to the beach several times already this summer. Incorrect. We use
the present perfect, not the present perfect progressive to talk about the number of times an activity has
occurred. The correct verb form should be “have gone”.
4. I am sorry I haven’t been available to spend much time with you lately. I’ve been studying English
grammar on Coursera. Correct! This speaker wishes to describe a recent habit.
5. The economy have been improving since the new law passed. Incorrect. The helping verb “have” does
not agree with the third person singular subject “economy”. The correct verb form should be “has been
improving”.
6. The company will likely lose all of its best employees because the director is been expecting too much
of them lately. Incorrect. The present perfect progressive requires “has” or “have”, not the “be” verb. The
correct verb form should be “has been expecting”.
7. Our dogs get so exhausted after going on a walk. They have been resting ever since we returned from
the park. Correct. This speaker wishes to express the duration of an activity still in progress.
8. The lawyer had been lying to everyone in the court since this trial began. Incorrect. This is the past
perfect progressive. Because the action is still in progress and the trial has not ended, the present perfect
progressive is needed. The correct verb form should be “has been lying”.
9. I think I may have to decline your invitation to join you for dinner. I’ve been spending too much money
lately and I need to be more frugal. Correct! This speaker wishes to express a recent habit.
10. I can’t believe that Gabby has been going to sleep by 9:00 every night; she must be exerting a lot of
energy throughout the day! Correct! This speaker wishes to express a recent habit.

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Present Perfect Progressive—Answer Key

2. (work) I ______________________________________ tirelessly for several days, and I need a break.

6. (contemplate) Lately, Bob ______________________________________ moving to Australia, but he hasn’t made

2. We ______________________________________________ for five hours! Can we please take a break soon?

3. A: Why are your eyes so red?

4. A: Why is Danny late?

5. A: Jane looks beautiful!

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