Use PRESENT PERFECT TENSE or PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
to fill in the blanks:
1. I’m trying to study. I …………………………………………….. (try) to study for the last
hour, but something always seems to interrupt me. I think I’d better go to the library.
2. The children are playing basketball right now. They ………………………………………
(play) for almost two hours. They must be getting tired.
3. The telephone …………………………………………… (ring) four times in the last
hour, and each time it has been for my roommate.
4. The telephone …………………………………………… (ring) for almost a minute. Why
doesn’t someone answer it?
5. It ……………………………………………….. (rain) all day. I wonder when it will stop.
6. We ………………………………………… (have) three accidents so far this week. I
wonder how many more we will have if you keep using the tools carelessly.
7. We ……………………………………………………. (live) here since last June.
8. My little son is dirty from head to foot because he ………………………………………
(play) in the mud.
9. What’s the matter? Your eyes are red and puffy. I hope you ………………………………
(not / cry). Oh, now I understand. You …………………………………………….. (peel)
some onions. 10. Hello, Rob. I’m happy to see you again. I ………………………………………………..
(not / see) you for weeks. What ……………………. you …………………………… (do)
lately?
11. I …………………………………………………. (not / be) able to reach my boss on the
phone yet. I ………………………………………………………. (try) for the last twenty
minutes, but the line …………………………………….. busy.
12. We …………………………………………. (have) three major snowstorms so far this
winter. I wonder how many more we will have.
13. I ………………………………………………… (write) them three times, but I still
haven’t received a reply.
14. A: Dr. Harrison is a good teacher. How long ……………… he ……………………. (be)
at the university?
B: He ………………………………………… (teach) here for almost 25 years.
15. A: What are you going to order for dinner?
B: Well, I ……………………………………………… (have / have) pizza. So I think, I’ll
order that.
16. My uncle …………………………………………………. (paint) the outside of his house
for three weeks and he’s still not finished.
17. The Smiths are presently in Tunisia. They ………………………………………. (travel)
throughout North Africa since the middle of May. They’ll return home in another month.
C) Use THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE or THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
to fill in the blanks:
1. I’m tired. We ………………………………………………. (walk) for over an hour. Let’s
stop and rest for a while.
2. The zoo isn’t far from here. I ………………………………………………… (walk) there
many times.
3. I …………………………………………………. (write) my friends at least a dozen
letters since I left home and come home.
4. Sally is writing a letter to her boyfriend. She ……………………………………….
(write) it since she got home from class. It’s going to be a long letter.
5. The telephone …………………………………………….. (ring) four times in the last
hour, and each time it has been for my roommate.
6. The telephone ……………………………………………… (ring) for almost a minute.
Why doesn’t someone answer it?
7. She is 80 and she ………………………………………… (never / read) a book in her life.
8. The secretary is very tired. She ………………………………………………… (type) all
morning.
9. Tom is reading a book. He started two hours ago and he is on page 53. He
……………………………………….. (read) for two hours.
10. Hello! I …………………………………………… (clean) the windows. So far I
………………………………………… (clean) five of them and there are two more to do.
11. My grandfather ……………………… (died) 30 years ago. I ……………………………..
…………………. (never / meet) him.
12. A: Is your father at home?
B: No, I’m afraid he ……………………………………………… (go) out.
A: When exactly ………………………………………………… (he / go) out?
B: About ten minutes ago.