Present Perfect vrs Present Perfect Progressive

Both tenses are used to express an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasize the duration or continuous course of an action.

After the explanation, I asked my students to create complete sentences using the Present Perfect or Present Perfect Progressive with any verbs.

Also, as a second activity, students had complete the sentences with the present perfect or the present perfect continuous tense of the verbs in brackets.

1. I ____________ (write) the letter, so perhaps you would post it for me.

2. For the last two years, he ____________ (write) a history of the Civil War.

3. A: What you ____________(do) for the last half hour? B: I ____________(sit) here working at this problem.

4. We always ____________ (live) in a bungalow, so it will seem strange when we move into a house.

5. How you ____________ (keep)? Well, I hope.

6. You look very upset. What _____________ (happen)?

7. He shouldn’t drive this evening. He ____________ (drink).

8. I’d better not drive. I already ____________ (drink) quite a lot.

9. The meat must be nearly ready. It ____________ (cook) for nearly an hour.

10. You ____________ (not finish) that book yet? You ____________ (read) it for more than a week.

11. I wonder if John ____________ (forget) my number. I ____________ (expect) him to call for the past two hours.

12. I’m sorry we’re late. You ____________ (wait) long?

13. A: How long ____________ (know) you the truth? B: I only just ____________ (find out), but I ____________ (find out) a lot of other things recently.

14. If he ____________ (ask) me that question once, he ____________ (ask) me dozen times.