PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS EXERCISE 2 (ESL)

Grammar review Present perfect continuous — how to form it correctly

In this exercise, you're changing simple past sentences into the present perfect continuous. The pattern is always the same, the tricky part is getting have been or has been right, and spelling the -ing form correctly.

The formula:
have been / has been + verb-ing

When to use have been vs has been:
• I / you / we / they → have been + verb-ing
• he / she / it → has been + verb-ing

Examples of the transformation:
Simple past: He fixed the car.
Present perfect continuous: He has been fixing the car.

Simple past: They painted the fence.
Present perfect continuous: They have been painting the fence.

Spelling reminders for -ing forms:
• Drop a silent -e: write → writing, live → living, drive → driving
• Short verb, one vowel + one consonant? Double the last letter: run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming
• Verbs ending in -ie: lie → lying, tie → tying


Did you know? The Michigan English Test (MET) checks grammar both directly and indirectly, depending on the section. Key aspects include:
1. Sentence structure & word order - proper syntax in written and spoken English.
2. Verb forms & tenses - present, past, future, perfect, and continuous forms.
3. Articles & determiners - a, an, the, and quantifiers.
4. Prepositions - correct use for time, place, and movement.
5. Pronouns & agreement - personal, possessive, and relative pronouns.
6. Complex grammar - conditionals, passive voice, relative clauses, and conjunctions.

How it's tested:
• Listening & Reading: multiple-choice questions often require grammar knowledge to understand meaning.
• Language Use Section: direct grammar tasks like fill-in-the-blank or sentence completion.
• Writing: assessed for grammatical accuracy and sentence variety.
Grammar is evaluated both as rule knowledge and as part of effective communication.