The Present Perfect – the Present Perfect Continuous.
1. Open the brackets. Use either the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous.
1) You (1) (to read) the book for 5 months and (2) (not to finish) yet.
2) My brother (3) (to play) tennis since he was 6. He is the best tennis
player at school.
3) Her sister is keen on English. She (4) (to learn) it for 15 years already.
She (5) (to be) to the USA and Great Britain several times.
4) You look tired! – Yes, I (6) (to play) football since morning and I (7)
(not to play) for years.
5) How long you (8) (to know) Ann? – Since childhood. We always (9) (to
be) good friends. She never (10) (to let) me down.
6) He (11) (to look) for a job for six months but (12) (not to succeed). He
(13) (to work) for a big company for 12 years. But last year the company
went bankrupt.
7) Nobody (14) (to live) in this house since October. So, it (15) (to be)
empty for half a year.
8) At last he (16) (to buy) a car. He (17) (to dream) of it for years and only
yesterday his dream came true.
9) What you (18) (to do) here for such a long time? – I (19) (to repair) my
son's bike, but I (20) (not to repair) it yet.
10) You (21) (to find) me in the photos?
11) He (22) (to go) already. He (23) (to wait) here for an hour.
12) It (24) (to rain) for 3 days. If it doesn't stop tomorrow we won't go to the
country to see our grandparents.
13) Your eyes are red because you (25) (to read) for more than 6 hours.
14) I (26) (not to eat) anything since morning. You (27) (to have) dinner
yet? – Not yet. Ann (28) (to cook) a wonderful Italian dish and in a
minute we'll have dinner.
15) He (29) (not to talk) to the manager yet. The manager (30) (to be) busy
since morning. He (31) (to discuss) delivery problems with our business
partners already for 3 hours.
16) Look! Ann (32) (to come). Who she (33) (to bring) with her? Is it Jane?
17) I must phone my doctor, but I can't. My sister (34) (to talk) on the phone
for 2 hours. When will she stop?
18) For how long he (35) (to work) for this company? – For 17 years. He
likes his job and isn't going to quit it.
19) For how long he (36) (to be) married? – For 20 years. His wife is a
wonderful woman. She (37) (to travel) all over the world and (38) (to
write) several books about different countries.
20) We (39) (not to discuss) this problem since he returned. He (40) (to be)
away for half a year.
2. Translate using either the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous.
41) Вот уже час мама разговаривает по телефону.
42) Мама, ты уже приготовила обед? – Нет еще. – Но ты готовишь его
уже 4 часа.
43) Я не видела ее сегодня. Последнее время мы не встречались, она
много работает.
44) Где ты был все это время? Я ищу тебя с утра. Ты принес мою
книгу?
45) Я только что вспомнила, что я еще не отправила телеграмму
родителям.
46) Он работает в этой компании уже 8 лет. С какого времени он там
работает? – С тех пор как закончил Университет.
47) Он проработал в этой компании 8 лет. Он всегда был хорошим
специалистом.
48) Я знаю ее с детства. Мы дружим уже более 30 лет. Она всегда была
мне верной подругой.
49) Гости сидят за столом более 3 часов. А дети уже поужинали.
50) Мама моей подруги проработала учителем 50 лет и моя подруга вот
уже 10 лет учит детей.
The Present Perfect – the Present Prefect Continuous.
The Present Perfect often expresses a recently completed
action: He has just left. = He left a few minutes ago.
The Present Perfect Continuous is used for an action which
began in the past and is still continuing (Type 1), or has just finished
(Type 2).
Compare:
Type 1: I have been waiting for her for an hour. I don’t think she will
come.
Type 2: I’m sorry I’m late. Have you been waiting long?
The Present Perfect can also express an action which began in
the past and still continues, or has only just finished. When used in
this way it is very like the Present Perfect Continuous, and often
either form can be used:
He has lived here for 3 years. – He has been living here for 5 years.
How long have you learnt English? – How long have you been
learning English?
I have dreamed to visit Italy for a long time. – I have been dreaming to
visit Italy for a long time.
This is not possible with verbs which are not used in the
Continuous forms. Thus, the Present Perfect Continuous cannot
replace the Present Perfect in the following examples: I have known
him for ages. She has been away since Monday.
The Present Perfect Continuous can be used with or without a
time phrase. In this way it differs from the Present Perfect, which
can only express this type of action by adding a time phrase such as
since June, never, for a month. When the Present Perfect is used
without a time expression of this kind, it refers to a single completed
action.
Compare:
I have been knocking (this is how I have spent the last five
minutes). I think nobody is in.
I have knocked six times (this is what I have done – six completed
actions). But there’s no answer.
I have knocked (it is a single completed action). Wait, please. I’m
sure, she is in.
EXERCISES
1.3.1. Complete the sentences. Use either the Present Perfect or Present
Perfect Continuous. In some sentences, either form is possible.
1) The zoo isn't far from here. I (to walk) there many times.
2) I'm tired. We (to walk) for over an hour. Let's stop and rest for a while.
3) Mr Curtis (to work) for the power company for fifteen years. He likes his
job.
4) I (to read) this chapter in my chemistry text-book three times, and I still
don't understand it!
5) My eyes are getting tired. I (to read) for two hours. I think I'll take a
break.
6) Mrs Jackson (to teach) kindergarten for twenty years. She's one of the
best teachers at the elementary school.
7) Marge is writing a letter to her boyfriend. She (to write) it since she got
home from class.
8) I (to write) my folks at least a dozen letters since I left home and came
here.
9) A new bridge (to appear) here recently. They (to build) it for four years.
10) Lately she (to be) very angry with me. She (not to speak) with me since
Christmas.
1.3.2. Open the brackets. Use either the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous, the Present Indefinite or Present Continuous. Reproduce the
dialogue.
A:
 What are you doing?
B:
 I ... (to write) a letter.
A:
 You ... (to sit) at the desk for hours. Is it a difficult letter?
B:
 Yes. I ... (to decide) to resign from my job.
A:
 But how do you know you don't like it? You ... only... (to do) it for a
week.
B:
 I do like it. But Mr Brown already ... (to offer) me a better one, and
I'm going to accept it. It's in Brazil, and I ... always ... (to want) to go
to Brazil. I ... (not to like) living in cold climate.
A:
 But how ... you ... (to know) if you'll like it there? You ... (never, to
be) out of England before.
B:
 That doesn't matter. Some friends of mine ... (to live) there at the
moment. They'll look after me.
A:
 You're very lucky, really. I ... (to try) to find a job for months. I ... (to
be) to endless interviews, and they ... (to turn down) me.
B:
 Well, obviously you ... (to apply) for the wrong kinds of job. Don't
worry. You'll find one soon.
A:
 I ... (to hope) so.
1.3.3. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: the Present Indefinite
or Present Continuous, the Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.
1) I (to do) housework all morning and I (not to finish) yet. – I (to do) mine
already. I always (to start) at 6 a.m.
2) She just (to sell) two of her own paintings. She's lucky. I (to paint) for 5
years and I (not to sell) a single picture yet.
3) It was lovely at 11 o'clock but since then the sky (to get) steadily darker
and the wind (to rise). I'm afraid the fine spell (to come) to an end.
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
Someone (to use) my umbrella! It's all wet! And it was wet yesterday
and the day before! – Well, it wasn't me. I (not to be) out of the house
for a week.
You look exhausted! – Yes, I (to play) tennis and I (not to play) for
years.
I wonder if anything (to happen) to Tom. I (to wait) for an hour now. He
often (to keep) me waiting but he never (to be) so late as this.
What you (to do) with my typewriter? I can't find it anywhere. – Tom
just (to go) off with it.
He (to collect) matchboxes ever since he left school. Now he (to collect)
so many that he doesn't know where to put them.
I (to look) through my old album. It's full of photos of people whose
names I completely (to forget). I wonder what (to happen) to them all.
Peter (to be) a junior clerk for three years. Lately he (to look) for a better
post but so far he (not to find) anything.
Tom is sure that there is gold in these hills but we (to search) for six
months but (not to see) any sign of it.
We (to mend) sheets all morning but we only (to do) three. But now the
sewing machine (to break) down.
I (to stand) in this queue for ages. It (not to move) at all in the last five
minutes. I think the man in the ticket office just (to shut) his windows
and (to go) off for lunch.
That man (to stand) at the bus stop for the last half an hour. Shall I tell
him that the last bus already (to go)? – I (not to think) he (to wait) for a
bus.
I just (to remember) that I (not to pay) the rent yet. I am surprised that
the landlord (not to ring) me up to remind me. – It's the first time you (to
be) late with the rent for 25 years. He probably thinks that you (to pay)
and he (to lose) the cheque.
Mark (not to study) right now. He (to watch) TV. He (to watch) TV
since seven o'clock. He always (to watch) TV after supper.
Carol (to stand) at the corner. She (to wait) for the bus. She (to wait) for
the bus for twenty minutes.
Right now we're in class. We (to do) an exercise. We (to do) this
exercise for a couple of minutes.
John and Mary (to talk) on the phone right now. They (to talk) on the
phone for over an hour.
I (to sit) in class right now. I (to sit) here since 10 o'clock.
1.3.4. Translate using either the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous.
1) Я еще не закончила переводить этот текст, хотя перевожу его уже 4
часа.
2) Что случилось с Анной? Почему она еще не пришла? Я жду ее с
самого утра.
3) Мой друг учит итальянский язык уже 5 лет, но все еще не выучил. А
как давно вы учите его? – С прошлого года.
4) Я ухожу. Я прождала ее полтора часа. – Ты ждешь ее с 9 утра, не так
ли? – Именно.
5) Ты рассматриваешь эти фотографии уже целый час. Ты узнала коголибо? – Нет, я никогда ранее не встречала этих людей.
6) Мы знакомы уже 20 лет. Но мы не встречались с тех пор, как он
уехал из Минска.
7) Ты уже отремонтировал свою машину? – Еще нет. – Но ты
ремонтируешь ее уже целый год.
8) Вот уже месяц я пытаюсь убедить ее поменять свое решение, но мне
не удалось еще сделать этого.
9) Ты когда-либо бывала в Италии? – Нет. – А моя подруга живет там
уже 5 лет, и я дважды навещала ее.
10) Как давно ты гуляешь здесь? – С утра. Каждое утро я прихожу в этот
парк со своей собакой.