PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS EXERCISE 2 (ESL)

GRAMMAR REVIEW! Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing now, or have just recently stopped but have a connection to the present.

Structure:

I/You/We/They → have been + verb(-ing)
He/She/It → has been + verb(-ing)

When do we use it?

1. To show duration (how long something has been happening)

👉 Emphasis is on how long an action has continued up to now.

Examples:
I have been studying English for two hours.
She has been working at that company since 2018.

2. To show recent activity (just finished, but with present evidence or effect)

👉 Emphasis is on the activity, not the result.

Examples:
He has been crying. (His eyes are red.)
They have been running. (They look tired.)

TOP TIP! Look out for these clues in a sentence:
for (a period of time) → for three hours
since (a starting point in time) → since Monday
also commonly used with: lately, recently, all day, all morning, how long, still

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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.