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What have you been doing?
(Present Perfect Continuous)

Presentation / Objective

We use Present Perfect Continuous (have/has + been + verb-ing) to talk about actions that are repeated over a period of time.

  • Thomas has been playing videogames all day long.
  • I have been going to that barbershop for three years.

Objective

At the end of this topic you will:
• Use the present perfect continuous in different situations to give and get information from activities that started in the past but still continue in the present.

Content

Present Perfect Continuous

We use Present Perfect Continuous to:

Audio
audio

Express an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped, but it has a connection with now:

Express actions that have been repeated over a period of time.

You are out of breath! Have you been running?

Your eyes are red, Sophia. Have you been crying?

You look very tired Have you been working extra hours?

Debra is a great tennis player. She has been training since she was a little girl.

Arthur has been working in that school since October.

We are going to travel to Europe next month. We have been saving money for two years.

In present perfect continuous HAVE works as an auxiliary. It is used for negatives and questions:

Has Rachel been studying hard for her exams? Yes, she has.
I have not been sleeping well at night because I am stressed.




Exercise 1

People gathered

Complete the following sentences using one of the verbs in the box and the present perfect continuous.


Exercise 2

Form sentences with the following information, using Present Perfect Continuous and For or Since.

Reading

Activity 1

The London Underground

London underground

0x010C. (2016).Westminster underground london 01. Retrieved 24/03/17 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2016-02_Westminster_underground_london_01.jpg


What do you know about the London Underground?

  • Do you know how old the Underground in London is?
  • Would you like to get on it if you visit London?
  • What about the subway system in your country? Do you like it?


1. Read the text about The London Underground.
2. Decide if the following statements are True or False by choosing the correct option. You have only one attempt to answer the questions. At the end of the exercise, you can know your score.


Listening

Activity 2

Language adaptations


Do you use gadgets and technology? What words related to the web do you know? Have you heard words like selfie, social network, LOL, Google?

Now listen to the monologue and drag the correct option to the appropriate space to complete the sentences.

Audio
audio



Writing

Activity 3

What would I do?

Take a look at the pics.

woman thinking about many things

Write a story based on Barbara’s recent activities. Complete the sentences using Present Perfect Continuous and the verb in brackets. Don’t be afraid to be creative and punctuate carefully.

1. Barbara is exhausted because… (work)
2. Barbara’s eyes are red because… (read)
3. Barbara has felt very worried as she… (send)
4. Barbara’s job is really important to her. She… (work) for twenty years.
5. Barbara gained a couple of kilograms because she… (eat)
6. Barbara feels happy because she… (attend)museums and parties recently.
7. Barbara loves desserts and she… (cook) since she was a teenager.
8. Barbie has a beautiful voice. In fact, she… (sing) in the church choir.
9. Barbara’s boyfriend is really nice, they… (date) for three years.
10. Barbara leaves her office at six because she… (take) a course for the last 6 months.

Before you start writing, make sure it has the characteristics contained in the rubrics then use them to assess yourself.

Example:
1. Barbara is really tired because she has been working hard for two weeks…

 

Speaking

Activity 4

My recent activities

Look at these verbs:

work     play    read     sleep    study     use    work out     spend    wake     do 

Use the verbs to form sentences in Present Perfect Continuous. Click here and follow the example.

Audio
audio



Record your sentences paying close attention to the usage of present perfect continuous.

Before recording yourself, study the aspects for a self-evaluation, they are described in the following rubrics. Then compare your work to the example provided above.

 

 

Self assessment.

Activity Travelling around

 

References

Basic

Hewings, Martin. (2005). Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: CUP (2nd ed)

Murphy, R. (2012). English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Cambridge: CUP [4th ed]

Complementary

BBC Learning English. (2006-2016). Grammar Challenge. Retrieved 23/04/17 from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1313_gramchallenge28/

BBC Learning English. (2017). Learning English: Unit 2: Hidden Talents. Present Perfect Continuous. Retrieved 23/03/17 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/intermediate/unit-2/session-2