Simple Present - Present Perfect Progressive

Form

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

infinitive form of 'have' + been + ing-form

(3rd person singular: infinitive + 's')

Example:
Example:
I / you / we / they have been speaking
I / you / we / they speak
he / she / it has been speaking
he / she / it speaks

Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 's': Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
 The verbs can, may, might, must remain the same in Silent e as final letter is dropped. (does not apply for -ee)
all forms. Do not add s. Example: come - coming
Example: he can, she may, it must but: agree - agreeing

 For verbs ending in o or a sibilant (ch, sh, s, z),  After a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled.
add es. Example: sit - sitting
Example: do - he does, wash - she washes
 l as final letter after a single vowel is doubled in British English
 y as final letter after a consonant becomes ie. (but: (but not in American English).
not after a vowel) Example: travel - travelling
Example: worry - he worries
 ie at the end of the word becomes y.
but: play - he plays
Example: lie - lying

See also explanations on Simple Present and Present Perfect Progressive

Use

We use Simple Present for general statements about the present and for actions taking place regularly in the
present. We use Present Perfect Progressive to express how long an action has been going on.

General statements (when/how often) or how long already?

Do you want to make a general statement about the present, e.g. say when or how often an action usually takes
place? Or do you want to express, how long an action has already been going on?

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

1
 how long already
general statement, when / how often
I have been writing for an hour.
I write a letter every day.

Signal Words

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

 how often  how long

 ... times  since
 for

Note: The signal words for Simple Present are the same here as for Present Perfect in the explanation on confusing
tenses - Present Perfect Simple/Present Perfect Progressive. If we use these signal words for Simple Present, we
want to know how often an action usually takes place in the present (not how often it has taken place so far). There
is a difference, because you can ask someone how often he plays tennis (in general) or how often he has played
tennis (so far).

English Test Simple Present – Present Perfect Progressive

Test your knowledge on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive. After submitting your answers,
you will see how well you have done in the test.

Form

Fill in the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

they / do

she / eat

you / sit

I / speak

he / write

Use

2
 When to use which tense?

1. 'for seven days' is a signal word for …

2. 'since 6 o'clock' is a signal word for …

3. 'often' is a signal word for …

Positive Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. I (read) since two o'clock.

2. He (meet) his friends after school every day.

3. They (live) here for just three months.

4. The weather here (be) really bad in winter.

5. We always (get up) very late on Sundays.

Negative Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. My parents (speak/not) English very well.

2. We (watch/not) TV for four hours.

3. She (play/not) tennis on Tuesdays.

4. He (study/not) for his English test since he came home.

5. You need a break? Already? We (cycle/not) for more than half an hour.

Questions

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. What time (start/you) school on Mondays?

2. When (leave/the train) for Manchester?

3. How long (wait/we) for him?

4. (go/she) to school for six years now?

5. (get/they) much homework at school each day?

Text

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. Interviewer: Jane, how long (learn/you) English?

3
2. Jane: I (learn) English for six years. It's one of my favourite subjects.

3. Interviewer: What other subjects (like/you) ?

4. Jane: I also (love) art and physical education.

5. Interviewer: How often (do/you) sports per week?

6. Jane: I (go) jogging every morning and I (play) in my schools basketball team for two

years. We (train) three times a week.

7. Interviewer: And what about art? (paint/you) a lot?

8. Jane: Oh yes, I (paint) since I was just two years old.

English Test Simple Present – Present Perfect Progressive

Evaluation and Correct Answers
You answered 0 out of 38 (0%) questions correctly. That is 6.

Hold the mouse pointer over the in order to get an explanation on the correct answer. Is the correct answer
coloured in brown, hold the mouse pointer over the correct answer to see what your wrong answer.

Form

Fill in the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

they / do they do they have been doing

she / eat she eats she has been eating

you / sit you sit you have been sitting

I / speak I speak I have been speaking

he / write he writes he has been writing

Use

When to use which tense?

1. 'for seven days' is a signal word for …Present Perfect Progressive

2. 'since 6 o'clock' is a signal word for …Present Perfect Progressive

3. 'often' is a signal word for …Simple Present

Positive Sentences

4
 Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. I have been reading since two o'clock.

2. He meets his friends after school every day.

3. They have been living here for just three months.

4. The weather here is really bad in winter.

5. We always get up very late on Sundays.

Negative Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. My parents do not speak English very well.

2. We have not been watching TV for four hours.

3. She does not play tennis on Tuesdays.

4. He has not been studying for his English test since he came home.

5. You need a break? Already? We have not been cycling for more than half an hour.

Questions

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. What time do you start school on Mondays?

2. When does the train leave for Manchester?

3. How long have we been waiting for him?

4. Has she been going to school for six years now?

5. Do they get much homework at school each day?

Text

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. Interviewer: Jane, how long have you been learning English?

2. Jane: I have been learning English for six years. It's one of my favourite subjects.

3. Interviewer: What other subjects do you like ?

4. Jane: I also love art and physical education.

5. Interviewer: How often do you do sports per week?

6. Jane: I gojogging every morning and I have been playing in my schools basketball team for two years. We train three
times a week.

7. Interviewer: And what about art? Do you paint a lot?

8. Jane: Oh yes, I have been painting since I was just two years old.

English Test Simple Present – Present Perfect Progressive

5
 Test your knowledge on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive. After submitting your answers,
you will see how well you have done in the test.

Form

Fill in the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

I / look

he / live

you / swim

she listen

they / take

Use

When to use which tense?

1. 'never' is a signal word for …

2. 'every Monday' is a signal word for …

3. 'for eight months' is a signal word for …

4. 'twice a week' is a signal word for …

5. 'since yesterday' is a signal word for …

Positive Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. My friend (travel) around Canada for five weeks.

2. They (sleep) for more than 10 hours.

3. She (visit) another museum every week.

4. He (feed) his dog three times a day.

5. The children (play) in the garden since they came home.

Negative Sentences

6
 Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. We (see/not) each other very often nowadays.

2. My little brother (learn/not) English for a year yet.

3. They (play/not) for ten minutes, but the score is 5:1 already.

4. My mum (work/not) on Tuesdays.

5. My socks are smelly although I (wear/not) them for a complete day yet.

Questions

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. (go/you) by bus very often?

2. Since when (ski/Betty) ?

3. What time (have/he) dinner in the evenings?

4. How long (rain/it) ?

5. (work/you) at the hospital for a long time yet?

Text

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. William and his parents (live) in Aberdeen for one year.

2. Although William was a little afraid of moving to Aberdeen, he (have) many friends here now.

3. Four of his best friends (go) camping every summer.

4. This year, William (want) to go with them.

5. The five boys (plan) their holiday for a few months now.

6. They already (know) where to go and what to do.

7. What they (need) now, is a little more money.

8. William only (get) very little pocket money every month.

9. That (be) not enough.

10. To earn some extra money, he (deliver) newspapers for 6 weeks.

English Test Simple Present – Present Perfect Progressive

Evaluation and Correct Answers
You answered 0 out of 40 (0%) questions correctly. That is 6.

7
 Hold the mouse pointer over the in order to get an explanation on the correct answer. Is the correct answer
coloured in brown, hold the mouse pointer over the correct answer to see what your wrong answer.

Form

Fill in the correct form (pronoun + verb).

Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

I / look I look I have been looking

he / live he lives he has been living

you / swim you swim you have been swimming

she listen she listens she has been listening

they / take they take they have been taking

Use

When to use which tense?

1. 'never' is a signal word for …Simple Present

2. 'every Monday' is a signal word for …Simple Present

3. 'for eight months' is a signal word for …Present Perfect Progressive

4. 'twice a week' is a signal word for …Simple Present

5. 'since yesterday' is a signal word for …Present Perfect Progressive

Positive Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. My friend has been travelling around Canada for five weeks.

2. They have been sleeping for more than 10 hours.

3. She visits another museum every week.

4. He feeds his dog three times a day.

5. The children have been playing in the garden since they came home.

Negative Sentences

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. We do not see each other very often nowadays.

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2. My little brother has not been learning English for a year yet.

3. They have not been playing for ten minutes, but the score is 5:1 already.

4. My mum does not work on Tuesdays.

5. My socks are smelly although I have not been wearing them for a complete day yet.

Questions

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. Do you go by bus very often?

2. Since when has Betty been skiing ?

3. What time does he have dinner in the evenings?

4. How long has it been raining ?

5. Have you been working at the hospital for a long time yet?

Text

Fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. William and his parents have been living in Aberdeen for one year.

2. Although William was a little afraid of moving to Aberdeen, he has many friends here now.

3. Four of his best friends go camping every summer.

4. This year, William wants to go with them.

5. The five boys have been planning their holiday for a few months now.

6. They already know where to go and what to do.

7. What they need now, is a little more money.

8. William only gets very little pocket money every month.

9. That is not enough.

10. To earn some extra money, he has been delivering newspapers for 6 weeks.