Present Perfect Continuous and Simple Exercises

The following Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect continuous exercises are presented in questions and answers test format. At the explanations tab, you will find present perfect simple and continuous examples and sentences as well as formula, form and structure. And at the worksheet tab, you can download these exercises as pdf worksheet files for free.

Present Perfect Simple vs Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous are both used to talk about actions or situations that started in the past and are connected to the present. But they are used in different ways depending on what we want to focus on.

1. Present Perfect Simple

Form: have/has + past participle

  • I have finished my homework.
  • She has visited London three times.

Use:

  • To talk about completed actions with a result in the present
  • To describe experiences
  • To show how many times something has happened

2. Present Perfect Continuous

Form: have/has + been + verb-ing

  • I have been studying for two hours.
  • They have been working on the project since morning.

Use:

  • To talk about an action that started in the past and is still continuing
  • To focus on the activity and its duration
  • To describe recent actions that have visible results now

3. Compare Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Continuous
Focuses on the result Focuses on the action/activity
I’ve read that book. I’ve been reading that book.
Completed actions Ongoing or recently stopped actions
How many / how much How long / duration
He has written 5 emails today. He has been writing emails all morning.

4. Quick Tips

You need to remember the following tips before starting to practice present perfect vs present perfect continuous exercises.

  • Use Present Perfect Simple to show what has been completed.
  • Use Present Perfect Continuous to show how long something has been happening.
  • Some verbs (like know, like, believe) are not used in the continuous form. Use the simple form instead.
  • Time expressions like for, since, just, already, and yet often go with the Present Perfect.
Exercises
1
2
3
4
0%
Choose the correct option to complete the Present Perfect Continuous and Simple Exercises below.
1

A: Your clothes are covered in paint!B: Yes, I ________ the fence all morning.

a.
have painted
b.
painted
c.
have been painting
2

We ________ three times today, but no one has answered.

a.
called
b.
have called
c.
have been calling
3

How long ________ to find a new job?

a.
did you try
b.
have you been trying
c.
have you tried
4

He ________ this movie three times already!

a.
has seen
b.
saw
c.
has been seeing
5

I ________ to the same gym since 2021.

a.
have been going
b.
have gone
c.
went
6

Why is the baby crying? ________ his milk?

a.
Did he drink
b.
Has he been drinking
c.
Has he drunk
7

I ________ in bed all morning because I feel sick.

a.
have stayed
b.
stayed
c.
have been staying
8

She ________ a lot of money this month.

a.
spent
b.
has been spending
c.
has spent
9

I ________ my favorite song at least five times today!

a.
played
b.
have been playing
c.
have played
10

A: Why is your desk such a mess?B: I ________ my project since this morning.

a.
worked
b.
have been working
c.
have worked
logo

Improve your English with free grammar exercises!
GrammarExercises.org provides free English grammar practices for ESL students of all levels.

@2025 Grammar Exercises. All rights reserved