English B2 Grammar
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
I/you/we/they + have + V3 (-ed/ 3rd form)
he/she/it + has + V3 (-ed/ 3rd form)
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I/you/we/they + have + BEEN +V-ing
he/she/it + has + BEEN + V-ing
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
ALL pronouns + had +V3 (-ed/ 3rd form)
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
ALL pronouns + had + BEEN + V-ing
We use the present perfect simple with past finished actions or experiences when we don’t mention or we don’t know when they happened.
COMPARE:
I've been to Paris few times. (Present Perfect Simple)
I was in Paris 4 years ago. (Past Simple)
And we also use the present perfect simple to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished.
I've had English lessons since May.
We use the present perfect simple to focus on the result of an action, and we use the present perfect continuous to focus on the doing of the action itself.
I've been practising this piece for weeks, but still haven't learned it.
We use the present perfect simple to talk about how much or how many. When we focus on how long something has taken, we use the present perfect continuous.
I've done three tests this term.
We've seen that show three times.
I've been working on this project for a month now. I need to finish it by the end of the week.
We use the present perfect simple to talk about how many times.
But we use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions when we don't say specifically how many times they have happened. We often use phrases such as all day and recently in these sentences.
I've been trying to contact him all morning.
I've tried to call him 10 times this morning.
We usually use the present perfect simple, not the present perfect continuous, to talk about states rather than actions with state verbs such as: be, have, know, seem, think, love, believe...
We've known each other since university.
❌NOT We've been knowing each other
She's had that laptop for over ten years!
❌NOT She's been having that laptop for over ten years!
We use the present perfect continuous with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.
Have you been crying?
Sorry I am so dirty, but I‘ve been painting.
There is often a present result from doing these actions.
You‘ve been crying. (Your eyes are red.)
I am dirty because I‘ve been painting.
We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about continuous or repeated actions or situations from the past till now.
She‘s been calling you for days. (=She has repeated this action for several days.)
I‘ve been studying since you left. (=I have done this action continuously without stopping.)
Choose the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous to complete the sentences below. If both tenses are possible, use the present perfect continuous.
1. I and my legs are really tired now.
2. I'm sorry I'm late, for a long time?
3. How long Peter?
4. Somebody my cookies. There are none left.
5. Somebody my cookies. There are very few left.
6. How many books ?
7. She must be tired. She all afternoon.
8. I all afternoon. I 5 chapters.
9. I think I chocolate since I was born.
10. They for months, and they three countries so far.
Choose the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous for each gap below.
1. I the book you lent me and it's great. I'll give it back to you when I finish it.
2. Bruce tennis since he was a child. He many trophies.
3. You too much time playing that stupid game!
4. You tennis since 10 o'clock. How many sets ?
5. He to me since we met last summer. He over 100 emails.
6. any fish today?
7. A: He hundreds of job applications, but he's got no answers yet. B: How long for a job?
8. Now that I tidying the house, I'm going to clean it.
9. We this TV for ages. I think it's time to buy a new one.
Complete the dialogues below with the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous of the verbs in brackets. If both tenses are possible, use the present perfect continuous.
1. A: I'm very tired. We
B: Maybe you are right, we
2. A: You
B: But I
A: That isn't true; you
3. I
4. I
5. A: It smells fantastic!
B: Yeah, I
A: Let me see. Wow! You
6. A: Someone
B: Well, you
7. I
8. I
9. What's the matter with you? You
10. Look, I
We use the past perfect simple to describe completed events that happened before another event in the past, often with time expressions, such as: by the time, when, before, after and until.
She had already learned how to read and write by the time she started school.
We use the past perfect continuous:
to describe ongoing activities leading up to a past event.
They had been walking for hours when they saw the house in the distance.
to give background information about an event.
She was concerned because he hadn't been sleeping well recently.
1) We
2) Matthew needed a holiday because he
3) I could tell my daughter
4) He
5) The Alvarezes
6)
7) If he
8) The car
9) The police officer asked whether everybody
10) I wish I
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use contractions where possible.
Peter was Sally's best friend. She
The children were wet because they
We were very hungry because we
I was delighted when I found my keys. I
She was exhausted because she
Everything was white because it
The passengers were cross because the airline
I
Match the sentence beginnings (1-6) with their correct endings (a or b).
1. By the time he reached the prison gates,
2. When the visitors arrived at the island
3. His head ached and his eyes were sore because.
4. Until I read Mandela's autobiography.
5. We heard about the riot
6. How much studying had you done
Complete the sentences using the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous form of the verbs.
climb | look for | not expect | not finish | swim | work
1. She
2. He
3. By the time we reached the top of the mountain,
we
4. She was surprised to see the room so full - she
5. He was extremely tired because he
6 How long
Match the sentence beginnings (1-5) with their correct endings.
1. I'd been cutting ...
I'd cut ...
2. I've been thinking about you ...
I've thought about you
3. I've seen a lot of good films ...
I saw a lot of good films...
4. You've been wearing the same socks ...
You're wearing the same socks
5. How long have you been
How many times have you been
going to Spain for the winter?
as me! Look!
this year.
since Monday!
to Spain?
Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs from the box. Use the past simple, present perfect simple, present perfect continuous or past perfect simple.
be (x2) | get | improve | introduce | kill | not cook | not live | result | rise
Who wants to live for ever? In wealthy countries, the number of years people can expect to live
Firstly, public health
Secondly, there is a much greater understanding of the importance of good hygiene than there
Awareness of the importance of keeping people safe and well at school and at work has grown, too, and laws for ensuring health and safety at work
Finally, people generally lead more healthy lifestyles these days. Fewer people smoke
and in many countries governments
Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. More than one option may be possible.
My life
