Question

Study the example. When do we use the present perfect continuous? How do we form this tense Katy is almost ready for the party. She has been getting ready for two hours. b) Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets in the present perfect continuous. Use the Grammar button to refer to the theory. 1 Mark (look) forward to the bank holiday weekend for weeks. He’s going to visit his parents. 2 We (prepare) Christmas dinner since 9 o’clock this morning. 3 (Bill/work) for the bank for many years? 4 Tony (study) English for three years. 5 They (practise) for the St Patrick’s Day parade all week. 6 How long (Sue/wrap) those presents? She should have finished by now. 7 Mel and Stewart (walk) around the shops for hours and now they’re really tired.

Answer 1

1 Mark has been looking forward to the bank holiday weekend for weeks. He's going to visit his parents.

2 We have been preparing Christmas dinner since 9 o'clock this morning.

3 Has Bill been working for the bank for many years?

4 Tony has been studying English for three years.

5 They have been practicing for the St. Patrick's Day parade all week.

6 How long has Sue been wrapping those presents? She should have finished by now.

7 Mel and Stewart have been walking around the shops for hours, and now they're really tired.

Answer 2

The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to talk about an action that started in the past, has been ongoing, and is still happening at the time of speaking. It is often used to emphasize the duration or length of an action.

To form the Present Perfect Continuous tense, we use the auxiliary verb "have" in the present tense, followed by the auxiliary verb "been", and then the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. The structure is as follows:

Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing

Let's now complete the sentences using the appropriate verbs in the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

1. Mark has been looking forward to the bank holiday weekend for weeks. He’s going to visit his parents. 2. We have been preparing Christmas dinner since 9 o'clock this morning. 3. Has Bill been working for the bank for many years? 4. Tony has been studying English for three years. 5. They have been practising for the St. Patrick's Day parade all week. 6. How long has Sue been wrapping those presents? She should have finished by now. 7. Mel and Stewart have been walking around the shops for hours, and now they're really tired.

Remember to use the present perfect continuous tense when you want to highlight the ongoing nature or duration of an action that started in the past and is still happening.