Present perfect continuous: how long have you been doing it? Present perfect continuous exercises with for and since

This B1 drill lesson gives present perfect continuous exercises for activities that are still going on or have just stopped: It's been raining since Monday.

Grammar: Have / has been + -ing in all forms, with short answers, for and since, How long…?, visible results, and state verbs such as know that stay simple.
Topic: Running: Maribel's training blog six weeks before her first marathon, a club interview, her coach's email and a chat with Wendell, all invented.
Activities: Choices, gap-fills, sorting ('s = is or has, for or since, activity or state), drag-and-drop texts, tables, word order, matching, quizzes, a memory game and a chat.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: present perfect continuousGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: 's = is or 's = has?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the short formFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2I've been waiting!
- Fill in the gaps: have / has been + -ingFill in the gapsTry it
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: negative sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: spot the trapChoose the optionUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
Chapter 3How long have you been…?
- Choose for or sinceChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: How long…? with been + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: questions and short answersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Read the conversation and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4Why are you so tired?
- Match the situations and the reasonsMatchTry it
- Fill in the gaps with have / has been + -ing: what's the reason?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the verbs: can they take been + -ing?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right form: activity or state?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: present perfect continuous, but state verbs stay simpleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read the note and fill in the gaps with been + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Six weeks to race day
- Read Maribel's training blogReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the blog again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the blog again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
- Read the interview and fill in the gaps with have / has been + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Coach Barnaby's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Wendell texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at the officeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with have / has been + -ing: a busy weekendFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the time words: for or since?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: statementsUnjumbleUnlock
- Write the questions with How long + been + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the problems and the reasonsMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: make negatives and questionsFill in the tableUnlock
- Choose the right form: state verbs stay simpleChoose the optionUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: questions and short answersMemory gameUnlock
- Decide which sentence is correctQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the forum post and fill in the gaps with have / has been + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news story and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake in each sentenceQuizUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: at the gymDrag and dropUnlock

Grammar: the present perfect continuous: have / has been + -ing

The present perfect continuous is for an activity that started in the past and is still going on, or has just stopped with a result you can see. It has three parts: have or has, been and verb-ing, as in She's been working since 8 a.m. Here she's means she has.

Present perfect continuous: how long have you been doing it?

An activity that started in the past and is still going on, or has just stopped: have / has + been + verb-ing.

Have / has + been + verb-ing

I, you, we and they take have; he, she and it take has. Negatives add not: He hasn't been working. Questions start with have or has: Has it been raining? Short answers keep only that word: Yes, it has.

have / has + been + verb-ing

subjecthave / hasbeenverb + -ing

I've been waiting for twenty minutes.

She's been working since 8 a.m. (she's = she has)

They have been training for the race all summer.

Every person: + − ? and short answers

Who	Positive (+)	Negative (−)	Question (?)	Short answers
I	I have been working. · I've been working.	I have not been working. · I haven't been working.	Have I been working too hard?	Yes, you have. · No, you haven't.
you	You have been working. · You've been working.	You have not been working. · You haven't been working.	Have you been working?	Yes, I have. · No, I haven't.
he	He has been working. · He's been working.	He has not been working. · He hasn't been working.	Has he been working?	Yes, he has. · No, he hasn't.
she	She has been working. · She's been working.	She has not been working. · She hasn't been working.	Has she been working?	Yes, she has. · No, she hasn't.
it	It has been raining. · It's been raining.	It has not been raining. · It hasn't been raining.	Has it been raining?	Yes, it has. · No, it hasn't.
we	We have been working. · We've been working.	We have not been working. · We haven't been working.	Have we been working?	Yes, we have. · No, we haven't.
they	They have been working. · They've been working.	They have not been working. · They haven't been working.	Have they been working?	Yes, they have. · No, they haven't.

Still going on, or just stopped

An activity that is still going on often comes with for, since, How long…?, lately or all day: She's been running for an hour. If it has just stopped, the result shows now: You're wet! Have you been swimming?

Started in the past, still going on now

She's been running for an hour.
7 a.m.: she started
8 a.m.: now, still running

When do we use it?

Started in the past and still going on

for · since · How long…? · all day · lately · recently
I've been learning English for three years.
How long have you been waiting?

Just stopped: you can see the result now

You're wet! Have you been swimming?
I'm tired because I've been running.
Your hands are dirty. Have you been gardening?

For or since?

For goes with a period of time: for ten minutes, for six weeks. Since goes with the start: since Monday, since 2020, since I was ten. Since two years and for 2020 are both wrong.

for + a period of time

for ten minutes · for two hours · for six weeks · for years
She's been running for an hour.
Not: since an hour, since two years

since + the start

since 9 a.m. · since Monday · since June · since 2020 · since I was ten
She's been running since seven o'clock.
Not: for 2020, for Monday

State verbs stay simple

Know, own, belong, believe, understand, prefer, and have meaning own, don't take been + -ing. They take have or has + past participle: I've known Sam for ten years. We've had this car since 2019.

State verbs stay simple

Verbs for states, not activities, don't take been + -ing: know, own, belong, believe, understand, prefer, and have when it means own. Use have / has + past participle: I've known Sam for ten years. We've had this car since 2019. (Not: I've been knowing Sam. We've been having this car.)

Common mistakes

Watch for I am waiting for two hours, She has been work here since May, How long are you learning English? and I've been knowing him. From the past until now needs have or has been, not the present continuous.

Common mistakes

I am waiting for two hours.
I have been waiting for two hours.
from the past until now: have / has been + -ing
She has been work here since May.
She has been working here since May.
been + verb-ing, never the base form
How long are you learning English?
How long have you been learning English?
How long / What + have / has + subject + been + -ing?
I've been knowing him since 2015.
I've known him since 2015.
know is a state verb: no -ing

Examples

I've been reading this book all week, and I love it.still going on
How long has Maya been playing the piano? — Since she was six.How long…? · since + the start
We haven't been sleeping well lately. The street is so noisy!negative · lately
Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? — Yes, I have.the result is visible now · short answer
The car is covered in snow. It's been snowing!it's been = it has been
Have your parents been traveling a lot? — No, they haven't.question · short answer

More lessons on this grammar: Present perfect continuous lessons and exercises

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What's in the lesson

41 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

say how long an activity has been going on: I've been training for the Harvest Moon Marathon for fourteen weeks. It's been raining since Tuesday.
explain a result you can see now: Your hands are black! – I've been fixing my bike. The ground is wet. It's been raining.
ask How long…? and yes/no questions: How long has the dog been barking? – Since midnight. Has Mia been studying all evening? – Yes, she has.
use for + a period and since + a start: for forty minutes, since 6 a.m., not since two weeks
keep state verbs simple: I've known Jake since we were kids, not I've been knowing; We've had this sofa for ten years.

Grammar:: present perfect continuous · have / has been + -ing · for / since · How long…? · state verbs
Topic:: grammar practice · running · marathon training · everyday life

Teaching tips

Start from the evidence: describe a result (red eyes, muddy shoes, a kitchen full of flour) and students guess the cause with Have you been crying? or Has Dad been baking?
Pair up for How long…? interviews: students ask about home, work and hobbies (How long have you been living here?) and answer with for or since.
Keep a state-verb corner on the board: list know, own, belong, believe, understand and prefer, and point there whenever someone says been knowing.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B1

English Grammar Practice · B1 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the present perfect continuous, narrative tenses, future forms, modals of deduction, the second conditional, the passive, relative clauses, reported speech, question tags and linkers. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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What's inside

Grammar: the present perfect continuous: have / has been + -ing

Have / has + been + verb-ing

have / has + been + verb-ing

Every person: + − ? and short answers

Still going on, or just stopped

Started in the past, still going on now

When do we use it?

For or since?

State verbs stay simple

Common mistakes

Common mistakes

Examples

Try the present perfect continuous exercises

What's in the lesson

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

Teaching tips

Teach the whole lesson in edio

Start a free trial

Open the lesson

Teach it live or as homework

The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B1

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